Batanes gradually reopens to fully vaccinated tourists
Been wanting to travel to a picturesque destination sans the crowd? Good news: Batanes is now open to fully vaccinated tourists after two long years.
The province, best known for its lush landscapes, stone houses, plus scenic beaches, kick-started its gradual reopening on Sunday, May 15. This is part of the province's experimental trial run of its full tourism reopening in the coming months.
The announcement was posted by the provincial government of Batanes on Facebook, one day prior to the program's implementation.
According to the guidelines, the local government of Batanes will only allow entry to fully vaccinated tourists, with a cap of 50 individuals per week until the end of the trial period on June 30.
Before planning your much-awaited getaway, it is important to note that the local government will only accept tourists who booked accommodations, tour operators, and tour guides accredited by them and the Department of Tourism.
In addition, all tourists will be asked to present the following documents upon arrival so make sure to prepare them before your trip:
- COVID-19 vaccination card
- Approved travel permit from S-Pass
- Certificate of Acceptance issued by Provincial Tourism Office (PTO) upon submission of requirements to [email protected]
- Confirmed booking with a DOT-accredited tour operator
- Health Declaration Assessment Waiver from the link that will. be provided to you by your tour operator
Apart from presenting these requirements, tourists entering the province are required to undergo health screening. All those exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms are required to take a test and if found positive, will be required to isolate in a government isolation or quarantine facility.
The provincial government is also restricting entry to tourists below 5 years old and any person who is ineligible for vaccination or is not fully vaccinated yet. It bears noting, too, that the provincial government is discouraging tourists from mingling with the locals if it is not included in your itinerary.
Batanes' gradual reopening comes almost a month after the province announced it has zero active COVID-19 cases last April and two years since it closed its borders to tourists to prevent residents from contracting the virus.