Some EU countries welcoming vaccinated tourists
(CNN) — Sunscreen expired? Suitcase gathering cobwebs? Fear not.
Come here to learn about the countries relaxing entry rules, the attractions reopening the doors, and the places that have sadly shuttered due to Covid.
Openings
At the start of the pandemic in 2020, cruise ships were at the very heart of the Covid storm. Ports closed to virus-hit vessels and on-board cases spiraled.
The multi-billion dollar industry is, however, showing signs of recovery.
The ship, part of the Celebrity Cruises line, has been cleared to sail from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, with paying passengers in June 2021. Royal Caribbean, Celebrity’s sister company, recently announced plans to run its first trial cruise with volunteers in June.
A sunny day on Sa Conca beach on Spain’s Costa Brava in March 2021.
JOSEP LAGO/AFP via Getty Images
The European Union agreed last week to allow entry to vaccinated travelers from countries with low infection rates, although the “safe” list is in flux.
However, EU bloc members have also been announcing their own restriction easing.
The Netherlands is welcoming tourists from “safe countries with a low Covid-19 risk,” Greece is allowing vaccinated travelers or those with a negative result from a Covid-19 PCR test taken more than 72 hours prior to arrival, while Iceland, a member state of the European Economic Area, opened its borders to vaccinated travelers back in April.
Croatia is also welcoming vaccinated travelers, as well as those who present a negative PCR test or proof that they’ve recovered from Covid-19 within the past 180 days, and no less than 11 days before they arrive.
Earlier this month, Cyprus reopened to vaccinated travelers from 65 countries, including the US and the UK, while Portugal began allowing entry to visitors from England, Scotland and Wales after being added on to the UK‘s “green” list of countries where quarantine-free travel is permitted.
The EU Digital Covid Certificate — a “vaccine passport” that would facilitate internal travel within the bloc — is expected to come into effect on July 1.
Little Island is a new, free public park on the Hudson River.
Angela Weiss/AFP/Getty Images
As well as all the recent reopenings, there are a bunch of new attractions opening around the world, too.
Closings
A masked guard walks in front of the Olympic Rings in Tokyo in May 2021.
Eugene Hoshiko/AP
The Tokyo Olympics, postponed in 2020 during the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic, are scheduled to run from July 23 to August 8 — but Covid cases have recently spiked in Japan.
Australia has been one of the world’s success stories in terms of its handling of the pandemic, but it’s currently experiencing a taste of lockdown life due to a week-long Covid shutdown in Victoria.
Looking ahead
On the US West Coast, Disneyland’s Avengers Campus, a new land at Disney California Adventure Park, is opening June 4.
Disneyland and California Adventure parks will start to welcome out-of-state guests on June 15.
A few days later, Disney’s first hotel with Marvel Characters — Disney’s Hotel New York – The Art of Marvel — will open June 21.
In the United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi will end mandatory quarantine for international travelers on July 1.
And in Paris, the Eiffel Tower — which in happier times welcomed 7 million visitors a year — will reopen on July 16. Visitor numbers will be limited to 10,000 a day.
Lockdown pastimes of the week
Suzanne Carter says she’s spent around £5,000 ($7,000) on airplane accessories.
Susanne Carter
Self-styled “avgeeks,” or aviation enthusiasts, saw their passion for planes cruelly curtailed by the pandemic.
However, the most resourceful have been taking up new hobbies to keep them going during these past 15 months.
CNN’s Forrest Brown, Julia Buckley, Michael K. Callahan, Lilit Marcus and Francesca Street contributed to this report.
