There is desire to travel again and intention to pack.
The question is where to go at a time when, although vaccination is progressing, covid-19 is still very present.
We have asked experts and consulted
rankings
, and the conclusion is that getaways within Spain will win by a landslide this summer, followed by trips to international destinations that have managed to convey that they are safe, have put facilities at the entrance of tourists and have good air connections.
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Friendly and well connected
"The destinations with the most pull this summer will be those that are very open to tourism, have built a reputation in terms of pandemic management and low incidence of covid, and have a good air connection," says Sonia Prieto, professor ESIC's Master in Luxury Tourism.
Its candidates are the
Seychelles
, the
United Arab Emirates
and the
Maldives,
with which Iberia has announced two weekly flights from Madrid for July and August.
None of the three requests quarantine, "only a PCR, a confirmed hotel reservation in some cases and medical insurance that covers a potential incident, a condition that will be increasingly popular in all destinations," he adds.
Prieto believes that the
Dominican Republic
will continue to rise this summer in the Caribbean area.
"They do not ask for PCR, they do take the temperature upon arrival and do random breath tests to test control of the disease," he says.
While in Europe
Greece
,
Turkey
and
Portugal
will be a trend
.
The flight and hotel search engine Jetcost includes the two Portuguese archipelagos (Madeira and Azores) in a list of safe destinations for the next vacations, and attributes it to “their small population, the few cases of contagion and that they are destinations in the that the strong point is nature ”, he explains in a press release.
Attractive nature
Experts agree that this summer there will be many people looking for fresh air and fleeing from crowds, to "keep their distance and feel safe," according to the apostle Inmaculada Martínez-Ruiz, CEO of the digital transition consultancy for IMR tourism.
Costa Rica
has known how to orient itself very well towards this type of tourism connected with nature. "We are the quintessential sustainable tourist sanctuary destination, without the need for PCR tests and with extensive air connectivity at the European level", defends the Costa Rican Minister of Tourism, Gustavo Segura, in the presentation of his country at Fitur 2021.
Georgia,
which has also bet heavily on this fair, is postulated as "one of the most attractive international territories", due to its location, between Europe and Asia, and its "unique" nature, with villages in the Caucasus mountains and beaches in the Black Sea.
enlarge photo Excursion on horseback through the canton of Sarapiquí, in Costa Rica.
John Coletti GETTY images
The cultural claim
“We have spent more than a year with closed museums and monuments;
we want to visit them again ”, emphasizes Prieto, who sees a clear rebound in cultural tourism.
It is the lever that
Egypt
is using
with its Grand Egyptian Museum, which opens later this year.
The country, which tells the world that it wants tourism (and places few limitations on it), appears, by volume of reservations, in the tenth position of the TravelgateX platform ranking, when in the summer of 2019 it did not appear.
Madrid
and
Barcelona
have a lot to say in this area.
Open Spain
Prieto says that destinations "are going beyond the sun, the beach and the mojito"; who are putting in value their artisanal, cultural or gastronomic wealth, and betting on offering experiences. Also the nationals. According to Martínez-Ruiz, "this summer there will be no massive departures of travelers outside of Spain." For security and, in some cases, due to financial limitations. "Spain will be, as happened in the summer of 2020, the main destination for Spaniards", coincide from Jetcost.
Aragón
presents in Fitur an offer led by sustainable tourism, the Camino de Santiago and gastronomy;
The Canary Islands
, for the beaches and gastronomy;
Balearic Islands
, for sustainability, active tourism and its beaches. Prieto highlights the islands (especially the Canary Islands
Lanzarote
and
Tenerife,
and
Ibiza
and
Menorca
in the Balearic Islands) and recalls that both are struggling to join the green list of safe destinations in the United Kingdom. Other star destinations will be the north of the peninsula, "with
Galicia
at the head, because it has made a fantastic management of this entry into the new normal," he adds, and
Asturias
, which is postulated as "an adventure and ecotourism destination".
The
Costa Brava
(Girona) and the
Costa Dorada
(Tarragona), “for the French traveler”.
In
Andalusia
,
Cádiz
and its "wonderful beaches", such as Zahara de los Atunes, and
Malaga
, "which has been very open to tourists."
Youth preferences
The Portuguese city of
Braga
comes to Fitur remembering that it is the best European destination of 2021, according to the Best in Europe vote, and taking advantage of a very wide offer that appeals to young people. “We have a bit of everything to enchant the elderly, the young and all the families. Either by day or by night, for its monuments and gastronomy or for its nature and outdoor activities, for the entertainment and fun of the night life ”, they emphasize from the Municipal Chamber of the town. “Young people are going to go out to have fun, we have seen it with the end of the state of alarm; there is going to be a boom of parties ”, affirms Martínez-Ruiz with an island in mind:
Ibiza
.
"The challenge is to provide them with safe environments," he warns.
The Leisure Association of Ibiza (AOI) has proposed to the Balearic Government to carry out pilot tests to reopen the clubs from June.
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