When countries started shutting down their borders to foreign travel back in March 2020, nobody had any idea for how long this pause on tourism would last. The uncertainty continues and the end of the pandemic is not yet in sight. However, there are some countries that have made the decision to reopen their borders for tourism. Many of these countries heavily rely on tourism for their economy and are taking precautions to ensure that they are reopening as safely as possible. For example, many of these countries will either require a negative COVID test or a 2 week quarantine in order to visit.  Some countries only allow certain nationalities and have restrictions based on recent travel history as well.

Information is constantly changing so make sure to doublecheck official country sources before making any travel plans. Here is a highlight of some of the top countries open for tourism.

Aruba

As their tourism website indicates, they are “Open for Happiness”. Since July 2020, Aruba has been opening up to visitors from many countries including the US.

Check https://www.aruba.com/ for the latest information on travel restrictions to Aruba. 

Belize

Belize has been open to tourism since October 2020 but have a number of restrictions including filling out health information on their app and testing.

Check the latest information by the Belize Tourism board.

Costa Rica

Starting on November 1, 2020, Costa Rica has opened their borders to tourism from all countries as long as they follow their restrictions and guidelines.

Check the latest information by the Costa Rica Tourism board. 

Croatia

Croatis had reopened its borders to tourism for all nations starting in July 2020. The requirements for entry are different based on nationality so check their website for the latest restrictions.

Check the latest information by the Croatia Tourism Organization. 

Maldives

The Maldives is one of the few destinations in Asia that is open for tourism. They have been open since July 2020 to all nationalities.

Check the latest information by the Maldives Tourism Organization.

This was just highlighting a few of the countries currently open for tourism but is not a comprehensive list as there are more countries that have recently opened up. Although we are far from the open travel that we once enjoyed, countries are starting to figure out the right balance of openness and restrictions to keep people safe.

We look forward to the day for it to be safe for travelers to volunteer and give back to local communities. When that becomes possible, please consider one day volunteer opportunities at one of these wonderful non-profit organizations.