Tahiti will reopen to international visitors on May 1, French Polynesian president Edouard Fritch announced during a press conference on Wednesday.
The popular South Pacific destination reopened amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic last summer but temporarily closed to tourists in February to slow the spread of the virus.
"We are going to put in place a protocol at the entry of our borders using virological testing, serological testing, vaccine and ETIS (Electronic Travel Information System)," said Fritch. "We will explain this protocol in detail with the High Commissioner in the coming days."
Currently, only travelers who can justify one of the compelling reasons described on the website of the High Commission such as health, professional, family and return home are authorized to visit. For those who qualify, travelers aged 11 and up flying to the destination will need proof of a negative RT-PCR test result produced within three days of departure and a receipt of the health registration from ETIS as well as a certificate of derogatory travel and completed and signed sworn statement to abide by sanitary regulations.
This week's news comes on the heels of French Polynesia being certified as a Safe Travels destination by the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC). Tahiti Tourisme CEO Jean-Marc Mocellin called the recognition "an additional asset for the destination, which has distinguished itself with its avant-garde health protocol," via Travel Weekly.
"It also allows us to promote our tourism providers who have been totally involved in this process from the start of this crisis," he added.
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