On June 15, The Bahamas officially reopened its borders to boaters and private aviation — but on July 1, the destination will officially welcome back tourists from around the world.
That means all of The Bahamas, from Grand Bahama to Nassau and Paradise Island to the far reaches of the Out Islands.
It’s the second phase of the country’s “Tourism Readiness and Recovery Plan,” and The Bahamas has put in place a series of protocols for travelers entering the country.
So what does it all mean?
Most importantly, all incoming visitors to The Bahamas must present a COVID-19 RT-PCR negative test upon arrival (that’s the “swab” test). Results must be no more than 10 days old.
All travelers will be required to fill out an “electronic health visa.”
No quarantine is required on arrival, but travelers who show symptoms of COVID-19 “may be transferred to an area away from other passengers for further testing and evaluation.”
And those who travel between the islands of The Bahamas must also complete an “electronic domestic travel form” at travel.gov.bs.
“This is a crucial step for contact tracing purposes,” officials said.
And all airports and seaports in The Bahamas will conduct temperature screenings for incoming visitors.
When travelers reach the destination, health protocols will be in place like requiring a face mask “in any situation where it is necessary to enforce physical distancing guidelines” — that means when travelers enter airports, go through customs, and the like.
Many hotels and vacation rentals (like Airbnb and HomeAway) will be open for the relaunch of tourism (the country’s famous Atlantis resort is reopening part of its resort on July 7, for example).
And what about flights?
Delta Air Lines will be relaunching its twice-daily flights from Atlanta to Nassau on July 2.
United Airlines will be resuming daily service from Houston to Nassau on July 6, with Denver-Nassau Saturday flights relaunching July 11.
American Airlines will resume flights to Nassau and Exuma on July 7, while Air Canada will be once again flying from Toronto to Nassau on July 3.
“This July 1 tourism re-entry builds on and supports existing government rules and regulations, which already allows for the resumption of travel for international boaters, yachters and those traveling on private aviation as well as inter-island domestic travel for Bahamian citizens and residents,” the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism said in a statement.
For more, visit Bahamas Travel Updates.
Find a Bahamas Travel Health Card here.
— CJ