When Can You Travel to the Caribbean Again?

UPDATE: June 2, 12:30 p.m.

For the latest news and info surrounding phased reopening plans and dates for the Caribbean, follow the TravelPulse tracking guide here.

Aruba, Jamaica, Bermuda, Bahamas ... the island nations of the Caribbean have long beckoned tourists with their deep blues, turquoise and silver waters, swaying palm trees and warm sunny days.

We miss it.

And ever since rigid travel restrictions went into place, there’s only been one question on people’s minds – when can we travel to the Caribbean again?

Just hang on for a little while. In some instances, the Caribbean will begin to reopen in as early as a few days, for some countries in a matter of weeks.

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Here’s a look at some of the nations and what their plans are.

Mexico

The date to watch here is fast approaching. Mexico and the United States agreed in March to close the borders between the two countries until May 20. That’s Wednesday. Mexico has said it will lift current domestic travel restrictions in the country by May 30, and tourism officials in Cancun and Riviera Maya announced the region will be open to visitors in the beginning of June. But on the Pacific Ocean side of Mexico, the Los Cabos Tourism Board has a five-phase reopening plan in place that won’t see visitors until July at the earliest and, more likely, into early fall.
(Update: May 22 - Mexico is developing new health protocols. However, the Cancun, Quintana Roo region will now delay reopening. Instead of June 1, Cancun is now targeting an open date of June 8 or 10. )

Aruba

The first Caribbean country to announce its intentions to reopen to tourism, Aruba has set the time frame between June 15 and July 1. With so few cases of the virus in Aruba, however, expect officials to have a comprehensive testing plan in place so that new cases aren’t brought in to the country.

Saint Lucia

The island will reopen for tourism on June 4. Said Dominic Fedee, the destination’s minister of tourism, in a video message: “COVID-19 has kept us apart for too long. What a devastating few months we’ve had as a destination and as travelers. But there is good news – we are getting ready to host you again. Our people, our beaches and our mountains await you in all of their splendor. Now, the way we used to vibe will change just a little bit [with] responsible tourism [and] heightened protocols. There’s still going to be plenty of fun in the sun.”

Barbados

On Monday, May 18, Barbados entered Phase 3 of the reopening of its economy following its suspension of non-essential services. The announcement was made by Mia Amor Mottley, the Prime Minister of Barbados.

The protocols established by the Ministry of Health and Wellness to contain the virus for visitors arriving from other countries remain in effect. All persons coming to Barbados will be quarantined for a period of fourteen days.
In Phase 3, a number of businesses have been allowed to reopen, including key Government offices, construction, manufacturing and delivery companies.

Phase 3 has also seen the relaxation of previously implemented measures, including returned beach access between the hours of 6 a.m. and 9 a.m. and again between 4:30 p.m. and 6 p.m. However, residents remain under curfew between 8 p.m. and 5 a.m.

Mottley indicated that the Government of Barbados is committed to supporting tourism.

“Tourism will still be a mainstay of our economy; all different types of tourism from the traditional sun and sea to medical and educational tourism, from new visitors to repeat visitors to those from the diaspora,” Mottley said.

Antigua and Barbuda

Tourism Minister Charles Fernandez, speaking during a virtual meeting on “Reopening Antigua and Barbuda For Tourism” last week, said that an American Airlines flight from Miami is due to land on June 4, bringing the first set of international passengers in 10 weeks. That will be followed by the Trinidad-based Caribbean Airlines in mid-June and British Airways in July.

“Everything will be in place to ensure we don’t get a lot of negative press ... and beaten up on social media with people questioning whether we really are ready,” Fernandez said, noting that tourism officials had been hard at work for weeks so they can “hit the ground running.”

Cuba

There are still almost two months before Cuba reopens to tourism.

“Cuba extended the closure of its airspace until July 1, so American (Airlines) will begin operating flights to the island starting on the 7th,” the airline said in a statement to the Miami Herald. Other airlines such as Southwest and Air Canada are also selling tickets to the island on similar dates. Calls to both airlines seeking comment were not immediately returned, the Herald said.

Bahamas

In a speech on May 17, Prime Minister Dr. Hubert Minnis said the Bahamas had reached four consecutive days of no coronavirus cases and continues with “the phased and gradual reopening of various islands and certain areas of our economy, as well as a new normal for daily life that will be with us for some time. We must abide by regional and global health protocols as we reopen our economy and society.

Right now, the Bahamas is preparing for inter-island travel and is looking at a July 1 target date for tourism to resume.

“As of now, we are looking at a possible opening date for commercial travel on or before July 1st. These dates may change depending on the circumstances. I want to repeat however that this date is not final,” Minnis said, noting “it will be adjusted if we see a deterioration in the COVID-19 infection trends or if we determine that the protocols and procedures are not in place sufficiently to warrant an opening. Our opening will depend on your cooperation.”

Jamaica

Right now, there are no flights scheduled to Jamaica, and arriving visitors will still have to quarantine for 14 days. Late last week, officials announced a “five-point plan” for the recovery of the tourism sector. It did not include a definitive date.

Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett said “We do not see reopening as being a one-shop activity that immediately, everywhere will be opened. We think that reopening will be on a staggered basis as we build our own capacity to receive the large number of visitors whom we are accustomed to having in Jamaica and, indeed, to bring more in the long run than we had in the past.”

Dominican Republic

It could be some time before the likes of Punta Cana fully opens. The Dominican Republic has suffered 400 deaths from the virus and has 11,000 confirmed cases.
(Update: May 22 - Dominican Republic hotels could begin reopening by June 17)

St. Maarten

The governments of Dutch St. Maarten and French St. Martin met on May 14 but were unable to agree on moving forward on the re-opening of the internal borders until further assessments are done regarding the medical and health aspects of the COVID-19 virus. They will meet again this week.

Turks and Caicos

You can book flights into the island from New York, Miami and Fort Lauderdale starting in June, but those are just for schedule’s sake. There has still been no definitive word from the government on when tourism will resume, and Providenciales International Airport is closed to international passenger travel until June 1. The Points Guy blog noted that the Turks and Caicos government suggests reaching out to a specific hotel and resort for booking information.

Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico has actually been open to tourists, but tourists haven’t exactly been flocking there for fear of travel. The island is conducting temperature checks at San Juan Airport, but there is a 14-day quarantine no matter what for new arrivals. Tourism officials expect things to pick up in the fall.

“Puerto Rico is facing two battles, the public health and the financial crisis this pandemic has caused around the world. For us, the most important thing is to speed the recovery cycle and save the 80,000 jobs that represent the tourism sector on the island,” said Brad Dean, CEO of Discover Puerto Rico.

A loss of 1.9 million room nights is projected for the island due to the coronarivus, which is three times what was lost months after Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico in Sept. 2017. Based on what has occurred in the past two months, changes in air capacity is down 13 percent through the end of 2020.

“Every week we are seeing updated research from our partners based on facts and data, that are driving us the direction of what the consumer is thinking and if they want to travel after it is safe to travel,” Dean said.

Grenada

Grenada is ready to go next month, with a plan to reopen its borders in June.

Grenada Prime Minister Dr. Keith Mitchell said, “We collectively agreed to start gradually relaxing the restrictions for travel, as the pandemic in the region has been largely contained. Governments, airlines and hotels are now finalizing the details of this phased re-opening. Assuming that the requisite protocols are in place, we expect to open our borders in the first week of June. ... We will not move unless we are satisfied that adequate health and safety guidelines are in place.”

Guadeloupe

Right now there are no definitive plans on the reopening. Air France is running flights twice weekly from Paris, but the island still has a curfew from 9 p.m. to 4 a.m., and gatherings of 10 people or more are prohibited. Guadeloupe had just started making an effort to lure more tourists from North America, announcing in February a deal with JetBlue for direct service from New York’s JFK International.

Stay tuned to TravelPulse.com for all your reopening news.