Cairns travel agent Mercedes Gonzalez’ advice for Covid-safe holidays
Get travel ready and Covid-safe as international restrictions ease. Learn from this Cairns travel expert what you need to know before lift-off.
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AUSTRALIANS considering international travel under eased restrictions are being urged to ensure they aren’t caught in any Covid entanglements.
Travel agent Mercedes Gonzalez owner of Mercedes Gonzalez Travel Management has advised travellers to do their research before attempting to navigate through the minutiae of Covid rules and restrictions.
“Travelling isn’t as easy as going online. Now to go overseas, it needs a lot of homework of what you can and can’t do,” she said.
“Buying a ticket online is like gambling.”
“At the moment, if you can’t afford travel insurance, you really shouldn’t be travelling,” Ms Gonzalez said
Some destinations across the world, such as the United Kingdom and Thailand, have adopted travel insurance restrictions, making it a mandatory condition of entry to have purchased a policy with Covid-19 coverage.
“Not many have Covid coverage, and many don’t cover Covid unlimited,” Ms Gonzalez said.
One hundred and seven countries are currently listed by the Australian government as destinations for which travellers should “exercise a high degree of caution”.
Those countries are of level two concern, meaning travel to these destinations are usually covered under travel insurance.
Ms Gonzalez said that intending travellers should make a travel agent their first port of call for advice on travel insurance.
“Make your travel agent your best friend,” Ms Gonzalez said.
“Pick someone who’s stayed in the industry 100 per cent the past two years, because they’re updating constantly. It’ll save you thousands of dollars.”
Right now, people who are jetting off are only travelling for essential reasons to see family and friends.
“No one is travelling for holidays,” Ms Gonzalez said.
The holiday may not be over once the traveller returns to Australia as a positive test will necessitate extra time in isolation.
“It changes everyday, that’s the scary part,” she said.
Ms Gonzalez predicts, the USA will lean towards adopting Israel’s approach with a double vaccination and booster shot a mandatory requirement prior to entry.
“It’s heading that way,” she said.
Ms Gonzalez said that until Australia lifts their requirement to test upon entry, then residents are not really free to travel.
Right now, she said that the only countries to have completely lifted testing upon arrival is the UK and the Netherlands.
“Australia’s moving really positively and really quickly, I think every travel agent can see that,” she said.
“We’re just not at a stage to lift testing restrictions,” she said.
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Originally published as Cairns travel agent Mercedes Gonzalez’ advice for Covid-safe holidays
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