As coronavirus vaccines begin to roll out on a global scale, the tourism industry is slowly but surely making a comeback.
Israelis are well-known for being avid world travelers, yet the global pandemic put quite the damper on their travel plans for 2020. Before, Israelis ran rampant in South America, Asia, India, Europe and Australia. Now that many Israelis have been vaccinated, the question arises: what does a "vaccine certificate" mean in terms of travelling?
CNN recently reported several destinations that travelers could visit once they have been vaccinated. Although many of the countries CNN reported on are only relevant for those who hold EU citizenship, there are a couple of countries that should be on every Israeli traveler's radar for the time being. Check out the destinations below.
Cyprus
Cyprus, a common destination for Israelis, became the first destination to announce in December that it would allow vaccinated travelers to visit. This decision was meant to go into effect on March 1, yet this still has not been confirmed by government officials.
Regardless, Cyprus recently agreed to a deal with Israel that allows vaccinated travelers to travel between the two countries without restriction.
Greece
In February, Israeli and Greek tourism minsters also signed an agreement that would allow tourism exchanges between the countries for people who have been vaccinated against coronavirus, without requiring a quarantine period. In Israel, the vaccination certificate is called the “green passport.”
Estonia
Estonia has both dropped mandatory quarantine requirements for EU travelers, and for those with evidence proving they've recovered from COVID-19 in the past six months, according to CNN.
The country is also accepting those with vaccinations from nine suppliers across the world rather than just Moderna, Pfizer-BioNTech or Oxford-AstraZeneca, which are the three that have been approved by the EU, CNN reported.
Georgia
Georgia's Foreign Affairs Ministry announced that all visitors who have received two doses of any COVID-19 vaccine are permitted to enter the nation without a negative PCR test. Georgia was a popular destination for Israelis before the pandemic, and they are likely to return given the country's lessening of restrictions.
Non-vaccinated travelers must present a negative PCR test result taken within 72 hours of travel and are also required to take a second test on one's own time and dime on their third day in the country, according to CNN.
Iceland
Starting May 1, vaccinated travelers from EU countries can skip quarantine upon arrival, without the requirement to submit a negative PCR test, CNN reported.
Iceland is also planning to issue digital vaccine certificates to Icelandic citizens who have been vaccinated.
Poland
Travelers from EU countries can visit Poland without undergoing the country's mandatory quarantine as long as they provide the certificate proving that they have been vaccinated, according to CNN.
Romania
Since mid-January, all travelers visiting Romania from permitted destinations who have been fully vaccinated from COVID-19 are exempt from quarantine. CNN reported that the second dose must have been administered at least 10 days prior before their arrival in the country.
The Seychelles
The Seychelles also dropped quarantine requirements for travelers who have been vaccinated. The Seychelles originally declared Israel to be a "green country" in November 2020, allowing Israeli travelers to enter without the need for quarantine if they could present a negative coronavirus test.
Those who have been vaccinated are still required to present a negative PCR test result taken within 72 hours of travel, as well as a certificate verifying their vaccination.
Getting vaccinated appears to be today's equivalent of the golden ticket in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory - the Chocolate Factory being all the places one can go once they get two jabs of the vaccine.
Evidently, vaccinated Israelis who have been unable to satisfy their wanderlust in the past year should place Cyprus, Georgia, and the Seychelles at the top of their travel bucket lists.
This is only the beginning, and hopefully more countries will open up their borders as more people around the world get vaccinated.