Cyprus will reopen borders for vaccinated tourists from 65 countries, including Romania, on May 10

Cyprus will reopen the country's borders for vaccinated tourists, starting May 10. Visitors will be able to enter Cypriot territory without the need for a negative Covid test and without the need for quarantine.

"We will notify our partners in approximately 65 countries that, starting May 10, entry will be facilitated for travelers who have completed vaccination without the need for negative Covid tests or quarantine.", declared the Minister of Tourism, Savvas Perdios. He told the Cyprus news agency that the list of countries included in the list also includes Armenia, Bahrain, Canada, Egypt, Kuwait, Lebanon, the United Arab Emirates, the United States and Switzerland.

Cyprus will reopen the country's borders for vaccinated tourists.

Cyprus, a member of the European Union, will accept tourists who have completed the vaccination, regardless of whether they waited 10-14 days before traveling or not. Perdios said that this new program will contribute to the revival of the tourism sector marked and decimated by the pandemic.

The Cypriot government has stated that British people vaccinated with both doses could travel for tourism and without restrictions, from May 1, 2021. But at present, Cyprus has not yet said how British tourists will be required to prove they have both doses of the vaccine. Also, tourists who will enter Cypriot territory will have to follow locally applied health protocols, such as mandatory mask wearing and physical distance.

The United Kingdom is the largest market on the island, with British tourists accounting for a third of all tourists arriving in the country. In 2019 alone, there were almost four million British tourists. Israel is also the third "source" of tourists for Cyprus. It remains to be seen if and when the British authorities will lift the travel restrictions imposed.

Cyprus has entered a deadlock after a record increase in coronavirus cases.

At this time, Russia - the island's second-largest tourist market - has suspended all flights to Cyprus until further notice. This is due to the large number of cases in Cyprus. "We are confident that once the numbers improve, charter flights will be allowed again, which we hope will happen in the coming weeks as vaccination progresses.", said Perdios.

The island's tourism industry has been devastated by global travel restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, with arrivals falling by more than 84% last year alone. Tourism contributes about 15% of GDP, but earnings fell by 85% in 2020.

The island recorded 298 deaths, out of a total of 61.576 cases of coronavirus infection.