Where to travel as COVID-19 continues

Highlights

• International tourism is seeing signs of a rebound.
• The uptick in new COVID-19 variant infections is worrisome.
• Vaccines and economic resilience are dividing the world into best and worst.

The pandemic is far from over, and new strains and infections keep popping up, pushing people back to lockdown. However, globally tourism has seen rebound signals in June and July 2021. Quite a few destinations have eased travel restrictions. Many developed and developing nations have reached vaccine milestones. Regardless, many countries are still barely immunized.    

Given the COVID-19 virus mutations and rounds of opening up and closing down, Bloomberg's COVID Resilience Ranking has changed again. The global ranking chart lists down the best and worst places based on 12 data indicators, including virus containment, travel restrictions, vaccination coverage, mortality rates, and others. It captures the world's biggest 53 economies and their response to the obscure pandemic trajectory.

Which are the best COVID-19 resilient places?

Europe and America dominate the globe regarding COVID-19 resilience, with the UK and USA topping the vaccination rankings. Ireland has been ranked as the best country in the world in terms of handling the pandemic upheaval. Even the latest edition of the UNWTO World Tourism Barometer backs this fact. Improvement in world tourism was underpinned by the reopening of destinations mostly in Europe and the Americas. Upliftment of travel bans for vaccinated travellers and the progress made in COVID-19 vaccine roll-out has contributed to lifting confidence amongst individuals.  On the flip side, most destinations in Asia remain closed to excessive travel.

Why is Asia still not safe?

Asia, especially the Pacific, has continued to suffer a drop in tourism. A 95% drop in international arrivals was witnessed between January to July 2021, compared to 2019. Southeast Asian economies that make a lot from tourism like Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines are badly hit. They are also the least resilient given the region's peaking outbreaks and slow vaccination rates.

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Has Australia lifted its travel ban?

Australia has lifted its international travel ban. However, it is only for fully vaccinated citizens and permanent residents. Australia will remove the restrictions from 1 November 2021. Due to the spiking vaccination rates, now citizens would be allowed to travel internationally without any special permits. The inbound and outbound travel was on a halt for almost 18 months. Now Aussies would be able to take tours abroad and even return home. The country is also planning to welcome fully vaccinated skilled workers and international students before the end of 2021, as they contribute significantly to the Australian economy.

Also Read: Has COVID-19 pandemic derailed Australia’s economic growth?

Has Delta variant pushed the economies down?

The Delta variants have badly hit export-reliant economies like Malaysia. Even China is exposed to new Delta variant infections. A resurgence of COVID-19 cases is resulting in new restrictions and delays in the reopening. Even the highly resilient US economy has acknsowledged the economic impact of the COVID-19 and the resulting supply chain bottlenecks. Inflation went up further, becoming a major challenge for Australia. Even though Ireland, Belgium and UK are opening up, the uptick in infection cases is worrisome. Global sustenance as regards to the virus resurgence is still uncertain.

What does the future holds?

COVID-19 appears to be less of a threat in America and Europe. Increasing rates of vaccinated populations and ease on movement restrictions are being viewed as positive development for these regions. However, the situation is not the same in China, India and other Asian nations. Although Australia has eased its COVID-19 travel advice for several countries, it is not fully resilient to new infections. Singapore is also witnessing an unusual surge of new COVID-19 infections. The vaccine disparity and capacity to handle new COVID-19 variants is making few places better than others. However, no country is fully safe.     

Do Watch: World’s COVID-19 vaccine story till now