Aruba unveils reopening dates for international travellers

Those wishing to take an island escape will be delighted to learn that Aruba has unveiled the specific dates that it will be welcoming back international travellers.

Starting June 15, the island will allow travellers from Bonaire and Curaçao to return once again. Those journeying from the Caribbean — except for those travelling from the Dominican Republic and Haiti — as well as Canada and Europe, will be allowed to visit beginning July 1. As well, individuals travelling from the United States will be permitted entry as of July 10.

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The dates in which travellers can return from other destinations, including South and Central America, have not yet been decided, an official press release explains.

Aruba’s borders have been closed since early March due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the decision to reopen them was determined in association with the island’s Department of Health and considering information from other global health organizations.

“The safety and well-being of our residents and visitors is our highest priority,” Prime Minister Evelyn Wever-Croes stated in the release. “We have taken careful and deliberate steps to assess the current situation and make certain it is as safe as possible and appropriate to begin the reopening process.”

Over one million travellers come to Aruba every year, the release explains. As such, the economy is reliant on the tourism industry. Reopening the island’s borders is a crucial step in the facilitation of a temporary “new normal.”

We are excited to announce our sunny shores are reopening to visitors! From all of us, we welcome you back to our One happy island with warmth, love, gratitude, and above all, safety. See you soon! https://t.co/oG5HEr5xHO #OpenForHappiness pic.twitter.com/kIKPpyVsk3

— Aruba (@aruba) June 11, 2020

As they begin to return to Aruba, travellers will need to adhere to new boarding and disembarkation protocols, which will be outlined soon on Aruba.com, the release states.

As well, the Aruba Airport Authority is working in association with the Department of Public Health to install a variety of measures, including screenings, PCR tests for visitors once they arrive, temperature checks, physical distancing markers, and more.

Aruba is also issuing a temporary maximum capacity for some of its most popular tourist attractions at peak times.

The Aruba Tourism Authority has also developed a new program called the “Aruba Health & Happiness Code,” outlining strict sanitization and sterilization standards for all businesses within the tourism sector across the country. Each organization must complete a checklist of the new regulations surrounding how to function within the current health-related circumstances. When this list is completed, they will undergo an inspection by the Department of Public Health and, should they be approved, they will be given a “Code Gold Certification.”

For more detailed information regarding Aruba’s plans to reopen to international travellers, visit Aruba.com.