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Tuesday, June 23, 2020for exact opening date By the A.M. Costa Rica staff The Costa Rican Association of Travel Agencies, ACAV, announced on Monday that the gradual opening of air borders to countries with low transmission of covid-19 is an appropriate step, but they request that the opening date be definitive. According to Sary Valverde, president of ACAV, reopening the borders by establishing "safe routes" to support the country's reconnection with the world, is optimistic, but it is essential to define a calendar to prepare properly. "In the first instance, the announcement of a controlled opening to and from countries with low levels of contagion is understandable, what we demand is a definitive date for the opening of the borders, since tourists plan their vacations in time and the airlines they also need certainty to resume their flights to the country,” Valverde said. According to the ACAV, the current uncertainty is hurting travel agencies, since they require to start selling tickets, negotiate with wholesalers to receive international tourism, and plan the destinations of consumer preference, which implies renegotiating the tickets with service providers in those countries. "The government cannot wait to say it will open on July 1 and that the flights fill up in three days, because this is going to be progressive," added Valverde. The tourism sector requires planning to ensure new controls and protocols, but for this, it is also essential to give certainty to the airlines, so that they can establish their itineraries and frequencies to Costa Rica, said the ACAV in its statement. "We can still take advantage of part of the summer holidays in the northern hemisphere (June, July, August), this would be a great boost to the revival of travel agencies," Valverde said. According to the ACAV, among the most important precautionary measures to be developed in airports to avoid the spread of covid-19 are: • Mandatory usage of a face mask for the passenger from the moment they enter the airport and throughout the flight. • Only travelers would enter the airport. • Monitoring the temperature of the travelers upon entry. • Placement of sinks and sanitation areas for the public. • Social distancing in all lines. • “Plastic glass” barriers in counters. • More distance between chairs in boarding rooms. • Disembark of the plane following the order of the rows of seats. The new precautionary measures may cause delays in the procedures at the airports, so it is recommended that travelers consider more than 3 hours of arrival at the airport before departure, the experts said. Following the government plan, the borders remain closed from March 19 to June 30. It is expected the border reopening to be on July 1. -------------------------- Would you travel during the pandemic? We would like to know your thoughts on this story. Send your comments to news@amcostarica.com |
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