On May 10, the Prime Minister announced the easing of lockdown restrictions in the UK, with a planned reopening of hotels, holiday parks and tourist attractions on July 4.
This has coincided with similar rule relaxations across Europe, and a number of key dates being announced in regards to global tourism. Slovenia became the first European country to call an end to its pandemic (and lockdown) yesterday, Greeces hospitality businesses are now set to reopen on May 25, and Italy will be lifting restrictions on international arrivals on June 3.
While the UK government continues to warn that British nationals should avoid all but essential travel, and most countries still have restrictions on international arrivals, these measures are a promising sign of the global return to normality. We may not be able to go on any holidays abroad just yet, but when we do, many countries will be ready and waiting with open arms.
Below, weve put together a calendar with the current confirmed dates of when countries around the world will be reopening.
On May 17 the central European nation became the first European country to end its pandemic. Late Sunday, the Slovenian government announced the gradual opening of its borders and easing of its quarantine restrictions. Restaurants and bars have also begun to reopen.
The countrys hospitality industry is taking its first steps to welcoming back tourists, though accommodation with more than 30 rooms, spa centres and swimming pools remain closed.
Nearby, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have removed travel restrictions to create a Baltic travel bubble, which Estonian Prime Minister Juri Ratas called another step toward normal life.
Peru's borders are set to reopen on May 24, but this could well be extended given the nation has the second-highest number of coronavirus cases in South America, standing at over 50,000. The Peruvian government did announce gradual reopening plans on May 3, however.
The US Embassy in Peru reported that the first stage of the four stage plan has just begun, which allows restaurants to reopen for pickup and delivery. Hotels have also been allowed to open at lower capacity and tourist transportation services have started up again.
Greeces hospitality businesses are set to reopen on May 25, in a bid to expedite the countrys return to normality. Tourism is one of the main revenue sources for the country and as such the recent Covid outbreak has weighed heavily on its economy.
Five hundred of the countrys beaches reopened on May 16, with social distancing in place, and was said to be a dress rehearsal for tourists arriving into the country, which is expected to happen from July onwards.
Hotels and other forms of tourist accommodation will be allowed to reopen in Austria on May 29, though this will largely be geared towards incoming German visitors. Austria and Germany, which have had similarly low coronavirus infection and death rates, announced May 14 that they had agreed to reopen their shared border on June 15, allowing travel between the two nations.
Restaurants, bars, cafes, churches and some museums were reopened with social distancing measures in place on May 15, and the Austrian government shared plans to start allowing seated cultural events of up to 100 people in two weeks' time. This will increase to 1,000 people from August 1.
President Ivan Duque closed Colombian borders to international travellers in mid-March, with a planned reopening for May 30 - this may be extended however. The country's quarantine is set to last until at least May 25, with travel between regions highly restricted.
Hotels will be able to open across Portugal from June 1, alongside bars, nightclubs, shopping centres and gyms.
This is part of a three-stage plan to lift the countrys lockdown, which started on May 4. Small shops, hairdressers, beauty salons, car dealerships and book shops were allowed to open first, while larger stores, restaurants, museums and coffee shops followed on May 18, though are still under capacity restrictions.
In Madeira, a gradual reopening began on May 9. Beaches were the first to open, with Porto Santo beach opening on May 10. All other beaches opened on May 15, museums and galleries opened on May 14 and restaurants, cafes and terraces opened on May 18.
Unfortunately, an official date for the reopening of Portugals borders to international visitors hasnt yet been confirmed.
All international flights have been suspended until 1 June, with cruise ships banned until 30 June. Hopes are high this June 1 date may stick -the island's current 8pm to 5am curfew was relaxed slightly on 4 May, and will be ended on 24 May. Restaurants are still only open for takeaway but going to the beach and other open-air businesses is now possible.
Some Mexican states, including Quintana Roo home to the tourist mecca of Cancun plan on reopening to outside visitors on June 1. Several 'critical' industries, including tourism, were permitted to begin reopening by Mexico's president, Andrs Manuel Lpez Obrador, on May 17.
The country is also planning a major tourism campaign with the slogan, 'Mexico needs you', but any return will depend on the reopening of the regions air hubs in Cancun, Cozumel and Chetumal. Arrivals to Mexico are advised that enhanced screening procedures will be in effect.
The small island off the coast of Africa worked hard to keep coronavirus at bay, shutting its international airport and banning cruise ship arrivals in mid-March.The airport remains closed, but a reopening date is currently set for June 1.
Those craving a taste of Italy had cause to celebrate on May 16, when the Italian government announced that the country will lift its restrictions on overseas arrivals on June 3. Tourists will once again be welcomed, and the 14-day quarantine period for arrivals will end.
Unfortunately, Britons may find themselves unable to take advantage of Italys hospitality. The Foreign Office is still advising against all but essential travel to Italy, a stance that will invalidate most insurance policies, while hotels, restaurants and attractions have not yet reopened.
Like France, lockdown restrictions are beginning to ease, with the countrys beaches beginning to re-open over the weekend.
Parts of the Caribbean have decided to begin to reopen tentatively to international tourism from early June.St Lucia and Antigua are initially opening to the American market, with flights from the US due to recommence on June 4. It is hoped British holidaymakers will start visiting the islands again later, in July.
Visitors will be required to provide proof of a negative Covid-19 test taken within 48 hours of boarding the plane, but crucially there will be no need to quarantine on arrival in St Lucia.
Hotels will be certificated by the island's Department of Health and Wellness to meet Covid-19 protocols before they will be permitted to reopen.
Germany has a worldwide travel warning in place until June 14 ruling out all unnecessary leisure trips abroad, but it is hoped talks with European Union partners this week will help enable an easing of that stance. It has previously been reported that the country is aiming for free travel within Europe after the travel warning expires in mid-June.
Iceland's prime minister, Katrn Jakobsdttir, recently announced plans to reopen the country's borders to tourists by June 15. Visitors to the country will be able to avoid a 14-day quarantine by taking a free COVID-19 test upon arrival at the airport; those who test negative will be able to enjoy the country at leisure.
In an official statement, it was said that travel restrictions would be eased "no later than June 15, 2020, while from May 15 some professionals arriving in Iceland including scientists, filmmakers, and athletes will be eligible for a modified quarantine."
May 1 saw Costa Rica - which never really shut down entirely - easing its restriction, allowing theatres, cinemas, hair salons, gyms and athletic centres to reopen under reduced hours and strict guidelines.A ban on foreign tourists was originally set to go on until May 15, but has now been extended until June 15.
Though the Central American country of Belize only currently has 18 reported cases of coronavirus, its borders will remain closed to all visitors until at least June 30. Some restrictions for residents are already being eased however, with all transport for essential workers and essential purposes now resumed. Restaurants (delivery and take-out only), banks and pharmacies have also begun to reopen.
Thailandis one of the first countries around the world to be exiting lockdown, and has already been a leader in what the future of travel may look like: hotel staff are being trained in deep-cleaning, plexiglass shields have been erected in restaurants, and local performances now feature face shields as well as intricate costumes.
Bangkok Airways restarted domestic flights on May 15, though the country's international flight ban has now been extended to June 30 - it was originally set to end May 31. In good news, Thai authorities have begun talks around the return of international travel, most likely with nearby countries like China and South Korea - who have also been successful in curbing their coronavirus cases - to be the first allowed to visit.
Spain aims to reopen borders to visitors around the end of June as its coronavirus lockdown fully unwinds, a government minister said on May 11.
The statement came in response to Madrids recent imposition of a two-week quarantine on all overseas travellers, saying that was needed to avoid importing a second wave of the COVID-19 disease.
Transport Minister Jose Luis Abalos said this would be phased out however, in parallel with travel being allowed again within Spain; regions are easing restrictions in different phases.
From late June, well start the tourism activity, I hope, he said.
Southeast Asia's success story is undoubtedly Vietnam, with the country emerging as the first to start pulling its tourism industry out of the coronavirus-related slump. Beginning to reopen on April 23, domestic flights are now back in operation, as are bus and train services, restaurants, and retail outlets.
Vietnam Airlines is said to be in discussions with the Vietnamese government to resume some international flights in June, while efforts to create a travel bubble with China and South Korea are also underway.
UK campsites, hotels, holiday parks and tourist attractions are preparing for a July 4 reopening, after the Prime Minister eased lockdown restrictions on May 10.
The government is planning to go into phase 3 of its plan no earlier than July 4, which will see hospitality - such as pubs and accommodation - and leisure facilities reopening. This will hopefully enable the return of domestic tourism within the UK.
Holiday parks are preparing for a summer reopening, too. Center Parcs is set to extend the closure of its holiday parks in the UK and Ireland beyond June 11, but is looking into ways to reopen with social distancing measures in place. Haven is also preparing to reopen in the beginning of July, with limits on the number of people who can stay at its parks.
The UK has kept an open-border policy throughout the coronavirus epidemic, and it is currently possible to both fly in and out of the country - though the FCO strongly advises against this.
Though Frances borders are scheduled to reopen on June 15, France has now extended its emergency measures until at least July 24, with non-essential trips banned and overseas visitors required to self-isolate. Tourism is a while off, but lockdown measures are beginning to ease: this weekend saw the countrys beaches reopen.
On May 15, UK nationals hopes for a French holiday sooner rather than later were scuppered, when the government confirmed there would be no UKFrance travel agreement, excluding French arrivals from a 14-day quarantine, as had been previously suggested.
On May 2, the Irish government laid out its five-stage strategy for easing lockdown, starting with phase one on May 18 and culminating on August 10 with travel of residents outside the mainlands borders being permitted once again.
Though this plan gives no indication of when visitors from Britain and other countries will be allowed to arrive as tourists, Tourism Ireland chief Niall Gibbons told Telegraph Travel that Ireland would welcome Britons as soon as lockdown restrictions were eased. He added that he hoped the country would move in unison with the UK government.
As well as cross country travel, August 10 will see the reopening of pubs in Ireland. Cafes and restaurants are currently slated to reopen on June 29, while the return of museums and galleries and hostels, hotels and caravan parks will happen on July 20.
One of the worlds strictest travel bans can be found in Argentina: all international commercial flights are officially banned until September 1, 2020.
The Indonesian government says the holiday island of Bali could reopen to tourists by October, thanks to its success in controlling the coronavirus outbreak.
The island has so far managed to keep a low rate of infections and fatalities. As of May 15, Bali had 343 reported coronavirus cases and only four deaths, compared with 16,496 cases and 1,076 deaths across the rest of Indonesia.
Ni Wayan Giri Adnyani, secretary of the tourism ministry, said May 15 that the ministry would look to revitalise destinations and do promotional work for some parts of the country, including Bali, between June and October, as long as the infection rate kept improving.
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Key dates: When will destinations around the world reopen to tourism? - Telegraph.co.uk
