The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted our travel plans globally as lockdown measures restrict much of the world’s population home quarantined during peak seasons of traveling. The stringent travel restrictions have forced us to shelve our vacations. As per the official records of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation, more than 200 countries have imposed procedures to break the spread of Covid-19. Such curbs have resulted in turning the tourism industry into one of the largest casualties of the coronavirus pandemic, deterring people from entering international borders. However, with businesses across the world taking precautionary measures and an increasing number of countries opening their arms to tourism, you can begin planning to travel once again.
Countries to explore during the Covid-19 pandemic:
If you are planning to travel abroad, and enjoy the vacation you deserve, there are many options for you to explore. These places are considered to be safe to travel during the Covid pandemic since they decided to close their borders as soon as the first few cases started to get detected and therefore, they are pertinently in a healthier state. As countries around the world have started to unbar their borders to tourism again after a long period of lockdown, it is time for us to dive deeper into what travel looks like under this new normalcy of social distancing protocols. In this blog, you will get to know which places are the best to travel to in the COVID-19 world.
Tourists are considering their next travel destination and to help them in the quest, we have curated a list of the countries which have unfastened their travel restrictions and are open to international passengers. The state of Qatar, United States of America, United Kingdom, Bhutan, South Africa, Ukraine is some of the places which are allowing inbound travel to the country with health guidelines to curb the virus spread.
A trip to Australia: Vacation amidst restrictions!
One such green country to travel to amidst the challenging times in Australia. Concerning the ongoing virus, this country has been making its best efforts to curb the spread of covid-19, making it one of the greatest countries to travel to. In March 2021, Australia also opened its travel bubble with the New Zealand borders for travellers to have a free-quarantined journey between the two nations. It is also mandatory for all passengers to show a negative PCR test taken within 72 hours before departure from their state. You should complete the Australia Travel Declaration that collects your information to help the Australian Government determine your quarantine arrangements.
On arrival, all travellers must quarantine themselves for two weeks at a designated hotel at their own expense. The government has also imposed new rules wherein passengers won't be allowed to travel if they had a positive Covid-19 test in the previous 14 days or present flu-like symptoms. These restrictions have helped the country control the covid19 situation effectively. In addition, swift border closures have brought numbers down again.
In Australia, conditions are relatively normal, although new rules are brought in when case numbers rise. Masks are not mandatory but recommended when there is a significant flare-up of state-wise cases. Currently, in Melbourne, face masks must be worn on public transport, in hospitals, care facilities, shopping malls, markets, and stalls. Restaurants and bars are required to keep records of their visitors and are requested to limit the number of customers.
So, if you are looking for wild open spaces, world-class beaches, delicious food, and drinks, Australia is a traveller’s paradise for you. Australia is an absolute bundle with every natural beauty in its spade. Its coral reefs, picturesque beaches, national parks, stunning rain forests, and scorching deserts excites you to enjoy, have fun and spend an amazing vacation in this country. With so many places to visit in the beautiful yet peculiar Australia, there are many thrilling and blissful Australian tourist attractions for your next vacation even during the pandemic!
Road-Trip on the Australian highways: From renting a car to getting an IDP.
Australia is famous for its vast region and there is so much to experience. The best bet to savour your Australian experience is to self-drive throughout the journey. It is a fantastic way to experience some great cities, wide-open spaces and dive yourself into the tremendous natural scenery. If you intend to self-drive and encounter destinations, the best way is to rent a car. The country has over 600,000 miles of highways that can take you all over this continent nation.
Before you set off on your expedition, you must know about the Australian car hiring process. To rent a car in Australia and obtain an International Driving License you should be at least 21 years old with a driving license. As an international tourist, you must have an English-written overseas driver’s license. If you don’t possess one, the English translated document of your license from your embassy or road traffic authority in your home country will also be valid. If your foreign license does not have a photo, carry formal photo identification with you such as a passport. In Australia, car rental companies usually accept English language driving licenses.
However, if your driver’s license is in a language other than English, you shouldn’t worry. Your International Driving Permit (IDP) is proof that you hold a current domestic driver’s license and it is only valid if you carry your domestic driver’s license with your IDP. An International Driving Permit will help you rent a motor vehicle in Australia, aid in identification or assistance, thereby enabling you to embark on your road journey.
The major parts of Australia are sparsely populated indicating rental restrictions in the country. If you plan to travel into Tasmania, Western Australia, and the Northern Territory, it is recommended to check its permission with Auto Europe since many of the Australian agencies restrict travel in these places on certain vehicle categories. In addition, before renting a car in Australia, you must also be aware that it is illegal to smoke in the car; especially if you are traveling with underage children. Moreover, you should always use the left-hand side of the road to park your car.
A tour around the country: Famous tourist attractions:
One of the most thrilling roads tripping in Australia will be a drive through the Outback region. The desert is the perfect place to maintain social distancing and adhere to restrictions while traveling in Australia. Its remoteness makes the desert a vast unpopulated area. To experience an unforgiving environment, you'll need to be significantly prepared if you're planning on driving across the middle of the continent. You will adventure all the beautiful indigenous sacred spots like Uluru and Kata Tjuta. To reach here, you can either fly from cities like Melbourne or Sydney to Uluru or you can fly to Alice Spring and make your way down to there.
Other tourists’ places for you to tour around the land of kangaroos are the Great Ocean Road, Carlton Gardens, Opera House, Canberra, Fraser Island, Sydney Harbour Bridge, and the list is endless. To enrich yourself in a memorable experience, you must also explore skiing at snowy mountains and sky diving in Melbourne.
With the Covid 19 outbreak, we at International Traffic Control Association (ITCA) have accelerated the digitization of our services. This has enabled us to issue a pdf version of your original International Driving License on your mail address.
You can easily print the softcopy document and carry it with you to a foreign land. Moreover, this will also save you from the shipment charges.
So, map out a lifetime trip to Australia and explore the beauty of the island continent. Embark on your journey and find yourself immersed in shopping, sightseeing, and savouring the best of Australian cuisine. A land of diverse occasions, all the Australian tourist attractions are a great place for a vacation.
