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Turkey to reopen to Brits

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No vaccine requirements for UK tourists

By James Chapple

TTG Media Ltd

Turkey says it will be ready to host British tourists this summer. The country has pledged to review its pre-travel test requirement too, starting 15 April.

It has also announced a priority vaccination programme for those employed across the country’s tourism economy.

This will extend to hotel workers and other tourism employees, who will be vaccinated before the summer.

“We are looking forward to welcoming British tourists with open arms, as we did safely last summer,” said Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, Turkey’s minister of culture and tourism.

“We have world-class border processes in place for ensuring travel will be low-risk throughout Turkey. We are working with the British authorities to ensure these necessary processes are world-class and as up to date as possible.

“We will not require vaccination passports from international travellers when entering the country.”

Ersoy said that the country would review case numbers from 15 April and determine whether it will continue to require Brits to provide evidence a negative pre-travel Covid test.

“I expect there will be no such requirement from British visitors as the UK government is rapidly, and impressively, rolling out the vaccination program for the whole nation and a significant portion of the population will be vaccinated by early summer.”

The minister said Turkey would continue to invest in its safe tourism certification programme, which has been expanded for 2021 and made compulsory for all hotels and other accommodation with 30 rooms or more. In excess of 8,000 such businesses have been certified to date.

All certified accommodation providers will provide testing facilities for tourists should they need a test ahead of their return journey. Tests will cost €30 (£25) and will also be available at the country’s airports.

Turkey is also offering a Covid-19 insurance package from €15 (£12) covering treatment, medication and emergency care costs if a traveller requires hospital treatment. An additional accommodation support insurance will cover guests in event they have to extend their stay owing to Covid.

“We are confident that the successful vaccination programmes ongoing in both the UK and Turkey will ensure this season is even safer than last year,” said Ersoy.

Travel, Travel news

Welcome back to paradise island

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Seychelles opens up to the world  

The Indian Ocean island destination has announced that it will be welcoming visitors from across the globe, irrespective of their vaccination status, as from March 25, 2021. Visitors from South Africa will still not be permitted to enter Seychelles for the time being until further review.

The announcement was made by the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Tourism, Sylvestre Radegonde in a press briefing this morning, Thursday, March 4, 2021, at the Seychelles Tourism Board (STB) conference room at Botanical House following the Tourism Task Force Committee meeting.  

Visitors will now only be required to present a negative PCR test taken 72 hours prior to departure. 

There will be no quarantine requirement nor restriction on movement upon entry into Seychelles.

Additionally, the minimum stay in establishments upon arrival will no longer be applicable. 

However, visitors will still be required to adhere to other public health measures put in place in view of the pandemic these will include wearing of face masks, social distancing, regular sanitisation or washing of hands. 

The new measures also give visitors access to all communal area within the hotel premises inclusive of bars, swimming pools, spas and Kid’s club.

The press conference announcing details of how the island will open up again to visitors

Minister Radegonde stated that the decision to review and relax the entry procedures in the country has been made possible in view of the success registered in the aggressive vaccination campaign that the country embarked on earlier in the year. 

 “The vaccination campaign has been quite successful. The government has done everything in its power to make sure that the population is protected. We have now arrived at the point where opening our borders further is the next step to allow for our economic recovery. The measures being announced reflect broadly the recommendation of our tourism partners and have been done in full consultation with and the endorsement of our health authorities.” 

The small island nation off the east coast of Africa whose economy is based primarily on tourism was the first African country to launch a bold, comprehensive and effective Covid-19 immunisation campaign, in January 2021.  

The destination will continuously review the new entry measures to ensure that at all times the health and safety of the visitors and the local population are not compromised. 

More details will be available shortly on http://www.tourism.gov.sc.