As the world carries on, the travel industry slowly resurfaces and reinvents the idea of future travel. Ongoing changes are expected as we continue to adapt to border closures, location-specific entry requirements and CDC safety guidelines. It’s been quite the year!
Disclosure: The purpose of this post is to inform and keep you up to date with the travel landscape during times of covid19. Deciding whether or not you can travel is a very personal decision that is to be respected and unquestioned. Please stay as informed as possible before making a decision to travel elsewhere.
US and international travel restrictions
Almost all of Europe is on lockdown again and it is unknown when our beloved most-visited European countries (France, Germany, Greece, Italy, etc.) will reopen their doors to US citizens. All 2021 trips to Europe are still on hold.
So where can you travel to? If you’re thinking a local getaway in USA (which is your best bet at this point), you can use this map to find travel restrictions by state. Many states require a quarantine period or negative covid test for entry. This is something you have to take into consideration before deciding where you want to go.
As far as international travel goes, the countries that are open to US travelers (as of December 2020) include: Mexico, Costa Rica, Colombia, Brazil, Dominican Republic, and Jamaica. Please note that entry restrictions are subject to change. You can refer to the country’s U.S. Embassy page and travel.state.gov for the most up-to-date travel information and restrictions.
Cruise industry news
In the last weeks, headlines in the travel industry are talking about staycations, remote getaways and free cruises. A big change in the cruising world was announced on Oct 30, 2020, when the CDC issued a Framework for Conditional Sailing Order. This order replaced the former No Sail order to start the process of bringing back the cruise industry in a controlled, secure way. As a result, Royal Caribbean announced last month that over 150,000 volunteers have signed up for their free trial cruises. FREE??? Well I ran a 5-minute segment with Fox 26 News on what that really means, check it out below:
If you’re interested in signing up, please visit Royal Caribbean’s Volunteer of the Seas facebook group. I strongly advise that you read all the terms and conditions in the offer and consider your personal risk level before committing to it if you are selected to participate.
Location-specific updates
PUERTO RICO
As of Thursday, December 3rd, 2020, the Governor of Puerto Rico extended the curfew for the island between the hours of 09:00 pm and 5:00 am until Jan. 07th of 2021, which seeks to contain and manage the impact of the virus in the Island: during these curfew hours, all our guests won’t be allowed to share in the public areas of the hotel and will be required to stay in their room. Also, a total lockdown will be in place 24h every Sunday.
HAWAII
As of Wednesday, December 2nd, 2020, Governor Ige has signed Kauai Mayor Kawakami’s Emergency Rule 23, which temporarily pauses Kauai’s participation in the state’s Safe Travels pre-travel testing program. This means ALL incoming trans-pacific and inter-county travelers to Kauai will face a mandatory 14-day quarantine, effective Wednesday, December 2.
Given the current travel restrictions, I strongly advise towards local, safe getaways with members of the same household. Check out my first drone video below to watch one of Travel Guru Destinations – Local Travel Edition glamping experiences in Texas!
Need help planning a local getaway?
That’s what a travel guru is for!
All-inclusive travel promotions
I’ve noticed an increase in interest in beachfront resorts that limit the number of interactions you have with others, allow you to spend the majority of your time outdoors, and allow you to escape the cold winter months. For this reason, I’m sharing some travel promotions with resorts that have re-opened their doors with updated cleaning policies and social distancing guidelines:
RIU ALL-INCLUSIVE RESORTS
Offering 2 kids free during the Christmas period
Dominican Republic: Riu Palace Bavaro and Riu Bambu
Jamaica: Riu Ocho Rios and Riu Negril
Booking Window: NOW – December 27, 2020
Travel Window: December 24th – December 27, 2020
THE AMRESORTS COLLECTION
Seize Your Sunshine Promotion valid at all Zoëtry Wellness & Spa Resorts, Secrets, Breathless, Dreams, Now and Sunscape Resorts & Spas
Mexico, Jamaica, Dominican Republic, Aruba
$50 spa credit per person (for up to 2 people)
$200 in resort coupons, 24-hour cancellation
Booking Window: Dec 1, 2020 – Feb 24, 2020
Travel Window: Dec 1, 2020 – Dec 22, 2021
JAMAICA COUPLES RESORTS
$200 off Winter Instant Credit Offer:
Minimum night stay – 7 nights
Booking Window: Dec 3, 2020 – Jan 31, 2021
Travel Window: Jan 3, 2021 – Mar 31, 2021
HARD ROCK HOTELS
Cancun, Puerto Vallarta, Riviera Maya, Los Cabos, Punta Cana
50% off package & hotel only reservations
Minimum Stay – 1 Night
Booking Window: Dec 1, 2020 – Dec 31, 2020
Travel Window: Dec 1, 2020 – Dec 17, 2021
— For info on specific promotions or to book an all-inclusive vacation, contact me for LT travel rates —
2021 Honeymoons
Love always wins. If you know someone getting married next year (and stressing out about their honeymoon already) – consider giving them the gift of a travel guru! Learn more about Travel Guru Honeymoons.
Check out traveler reviews:
Other interesting travel-related articles:
8 European-Style Christmas Markets Around the U.S. – Condé Nast Traveler
I Recently Traveled to the Dominican Republic. Was It Safe? Was It Worth It? – Fodor’s Travel
Hawaii’s Remote Work Program Comes With Free Flights – CN Traveler
Stay safe, stay informed, & happy holidays!
– Your Travel Guru
Travel Guru Destinations 
Thanks for the information as it will be helpful when planning traveling.