Look Forward To A Tropical Winter Vacation In Fiji
At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Fiji closed its borders to all non-citizens, officially putting a stop to tropical vacations for Americans. However, more than a year later, the exotic destination is planning to reopen its borders to international travelers on November 1. This could be the perfect time to plan a tropical winter break.
Fiji reopening its borders in November
After being closed to international travelers for more than a year, Fiji’s Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama recently made an important announcement. He said that Fiji is planning to reopen its borders for non-essential travel on November 1.
If the planned reopening does go ahead, Fiji will have brought its plans forward, as original plans were for a reopening several months from now. However, Prime Minister Bainimarama said that based on recent developments locally and abroad, his government is confident that they will be able to reopen, as long as they stick to the plan.
“That’s the target we’ve set now, and it bases itself on the success we’ve had with the vaccination campaign,” he said.
Entry requirements
Fiji’s plans are still in the early stages, so no proposed entry requirements have been set for international travelers. However, according to reports, the country will only allow fully vaccinated travelers to enter Fiji. According to the government, the only exemptions that would be made would be for a “few emergencies.” Fiji’s Health Secretary James Fong said that the country will build a solid border health team, bringing in the military and police, to provide the leadership to strengthen quarantine measures on the borders and get ready for international arrivals.
Fong said, “We are also setting up a container laboratory in Namaka which has the capacity to process around 500 tests per day.”
Meanwhile, Faiyaz Koya, Fiji’s Tourism and Trade Minister, said their preparation is largely attributed to how they have come together “with a shared vision, to ramp up co-ordination.” Koya believes that Fiji will base its reopening on vaccination levels, variants of concern and the number of tests available on the border.
Current situation with Fiji
Currently, you can visit Fiji, but only if you book a private island at a price starting at $9,600 per night, and for a minimum stay of 14 nights. Alternatively, you can visit if you have your own private yacht. Obviously, for most people these options just aren’t possible.
However, Tourism Fiji CEO Brent Hill says that Fiji is already working with airlines to streamline the process and prepare for Fiji’s reopening. “It’s quite a detailed and lengthy process to work through, starting with how to make sure our product is ready and at the international level that we want,” Hill said.
“There are all the elements around what protocols we put in place to keep both locals and tourists safe. We want people to feel incredibly safe coming to Fiji,” he added.
Current COVID-19 status in Fiji
For the most part, Fiji has controlled the pandemic reasonably well. The islands have seen more than 47,256 confirmed cases and Fiji has recorded more than 500 deaths. By its remote nature, the group of islands has managed to keep the coronavirus cases low.
On top of this, as at August 27, 2021, Fiji had administered more than 821,657 vaccine doses and has fully vaccinated 26.4 percent of its population. The country only started vaccinations in April and in recent weeks has sped up its vaccination rates. Reportedly, Fiji has given priority to its citizens working in the travel sector, of around 100,000 people. Reports suggest that everyone working in the tourism industry has now been fully vaccinated.
According to Travel Pulse, Fiji normally attracts around 1.3 million visitors each year, with many travelers coming from the US, Europe and Australia. By vaccinating those working in tourism, this will obviously help with the country’s reopening plans. Meanwhile, it also offers a beautiful tropical destination for Americans to enjoy this winter.
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