DESTINATIONS ARE STARTING TO PUSH FOR TESTING More and more destinations are introducing testing as an entry requirement. In the case of Hong Kong and Iceland, the test happens when you land. In the case of Dubai and the Maldives, the requirement is for the test to be done before travel (TBT). The Canary Islands are also advocating TBT on a global scale.
Canary Islands - Arguing for TBT (“Test Before Travel”) The Canary Islands has been one of the innovators when it comes to preparing for tourism during the pandemic and beyond. After attending a webinar hosted by TravelMedia with Cristina Del Río Fresen, Leader of the Islands’ Global Tourism Safety Lab, we followed up with a number of questions. This comes as the media reported the Islands’ regional President Ángel Víctor Torres, talking about a mouthwash style test, to be administered on arrival. According to Cristina del Río Fresen: “Our world proposal is that people should fly COVID-free, avoiding the spread of contamination in the current pandemic. We call it TBT: Test Before Travel. “Before departure, being healthy would be the only requirement, no matter your country or the place where you live or the one you wish to visit. A previous test could confirm your availability to fly and make it safer for the world, and especially the tourism sector. “It means that everybody should be tested before going abroad, so the tourist destinations are able to offer a better experience.” Cristina del Río Fresen told us that though the Spanish Government had as yet not agreed to tests as an entry requirement, the regional Government had indeed contacted a number of possible test providers in Europe, Israel and Japan. The front runner may well be one from Japan, which is a saliva PCR test that would cost around €45 and take half an hour for the results to come back.
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AMM A guide - July on testing, 2020 from AMM
