There’s no doubt that the travel industry was among a few industries that took the greatest hit during the COVID-19 pandemic. A lot of changes took place last year, and a number of rules and restrictions have been imposed in an aim to prevent the spread of the virus and make business travel as safe as possible.
While many travel plans have been put to a halt because of the pandemic, the travel industry continues to recover, although there’s still a long way to go. That being said, certain countries have managed to stay on top of the situation and handled the global health crisis more effectively than others. As a result, they managed to create a sense of safety for those on the road, and their well-earned reputation has made them more attractive to business travelers. With that in mind, let’s take a look at some of the safest travel destinations for business professionals in the post-COVID era.
Germany
Proving that having a strategic approach is key to keeping a crisis under control, Germany emerged as one of the safest countries to travel to once the pandemic is over. They tackled the situation at hand by conducting extensive tests, with as many as 50,000 tests being carried out every day in doctors’ practices, hospitals, as well as drive-in test stations.
By approaching the situation rigorously by conducting large-scale testing of the population, the country has managed to keep the mortality rates low in comparison with its neighbors. Thanks to its strong and strategic response to the pandemic in the early stages, Germany has managed to stay on top of the global health crisis and is now deemed one of the safest destinations for post-COVID business travel.
Switzerland
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Another European country that had an effective public health response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Switzerland has once again established itself as a high-performing country. Rating highly in everything from prosperity to innovation on an international scale, Switzerland has also added managing a global health crisis to the list.
The way it was accomplished is by putting an emphasis on protective hygiene measures, effective monitoring, contact tracing, and risk management. The country’s diligence and an effective response plan have enabled it to open borders to an increasing number of countries and become one of the prime destinations for essential business travel.
New Zealand
Moving away from Europe, another post-COVID destination that is expected to attract more professionals in 2021 is New Zealand. Thanks to an effective response to the pandemic that included travel restrictions and extensive testing as well as strict quarantine, the country managed to keep the number of COVID cases down and even eradicated the disease twice.
This helped propel the Down Under destination at the top of the safest post-COVID destinations for business professionals. As for the travel advisories, the country is listed at Level 1, which requires exercising normal safety precautions to help minimize the health risks and remain safe when traveling internationally.
Australia
Ranking high at the GPI (Global Peace Index), just like Switzerland and New Zealand, Australia has also shown to be quite effective when it comes to handling a global health crisis. In its aim to bring coronavirus under control, Australia employed various strategies ranging from contact tracing to lockdowns to collective awareness and adherence to the rules.
Another way Australia is succeeding in managing the health crisis is by offering alternative transportation options to help minimize the spread of the virus. Instead of counting on large-scale public transportation modes, business travelers can rely on local services such as dependable car rental in Perth to safely move from one place to another. In doing so, travelers are able to limit social interactions that could potentially result in the spread of the virus, which should minimize the risk of getting infected as well as put their minds at ease.
Singapore
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Last but not least, we have Asia’s popular international travel hub – Singapore. The city-state’s handling of the pandemic has proven to be quite efficient, with some of the strategies being effective contact tracing, national lockdown, social distancing, extensive testing, as well as public health preparedness.
Widely known for its implementation of innovative solutions, Singapore’s effective management of COVID-19 has only improved its already outstanding reputation in the business community. Like New Zealand, the island city-state has also been placed at Level 1, making it one of five countries in total that require exercising normal precautions. That being said, it’s still important that travelers stay on top of any travel changes by monitoring the media as well as keeping in mind the local differences.
Wrapping up
As the world continues to recover from the impact caused by the coronavirus outbreak, the travel industry is also making progress and slowly adapting to the new normal. Different countries, and industries, are handling this delicate situation in their own way, and the steps they’re taking are dictating how they’re perceived by the business community worldwide.
By embracing effective solutions and making international travel safer, the countries listed above have distinguished themselves as the leaders when it comes to handling a global health crisis and earned the title of prime post-COVID travel destinations. As time moves on, we can hope that other countries will follow suit as that’s the only way for them to land themselves on the travel-friendly lists of business professionals around the globe.
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