Summer travel is a real possibility this year with borders opening up for international tourists around the world, airlines quick to connect to these destinations and the increasing rates of vaccination, albeit at varying rates, in both the destination and origin countries. With most international cruise lines announcing their return to sailing over the summer, there is no better time to prepare for the big return of cruising. After over a year of voluntary suspension of cruising, several global cruise lines will set sail this July, with water-tight health and safety regulations.
Travellers from the UAE who had been restricted to secluded island destinations over the last few months, especially the Maldives, can now travel quarantine free to Phuket in Thailand, Greece, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, France, Germany, Malta, Russia, and the US, among several other destinations.
ETIHAD AIRWAYS
With Etihad Airways, Emiratis and travellers who do not need a visa to enter a Schengen country have been able to travel to Milan or Rome in Italy without a requirement to quarantine since June 1. Both cities offer the ideal gateway to enjoy the historic sites, delicious cuisine and beautiful scenery the country has to offer. (Travellers must have a PCR test a maximum of 48 hours before their flight departure time from Abu Dhabi, or a rapid test can be conducted for transiting guests in Abu Dhabi International Airport. On arrival in Italy, guests will be required to take a Rapid Antigen Swab Test.)
For Etihad Airways guests travelling between Abu Dhabi and Bahrain, Greece and Seychelles, a safe travel corridor has been established for fully vaccinated individuals. Vaccination certificates issued by the health authorities in these countries are mutually recognised and permits visitors to enter without quarantine. For vaccinated residents and citizens returning to the UAE capital from countries not on Abu Dhabi’s ‘green list’, the quarantine period has been reduced.