Booking six nights in a hotel and guaranteeing two doses of vaccine is the promotion that will be valid from this Monday 17 in the Serene Republic of San Marinho, a micro-state of 34 thousand inhabitants located in north-central Italy .
With 61% of the population fully vaccinated and an additional 35% already protected by the first dose, according to the government, Russian Sputnik V immunizer ampoules remain in an attempt to revive the economy.
Tourism exceeded 20% of San Marino’s GDP before the pandemic, when around 2 million people a year visited its citadels in the form of fortresses, built into the cliffs of one of Europe’s oldest republics.
According to the Secretary of Health, Roberto Ciavatta, in order to receive the vaccines, the traveler must stay in San Marino for at least three nights after each dose – in the case of Sputnik V, the second is administered in 21 days – “so qu ‘they can observe the side effects’.
At one of the main hotels in the historic town, Cesare, booking three nights for a couple for the weekend of May 21 ranged from R $ 1,784 to R $ 2,455, depending on the room. The tourist must also pay 50 euros (around R $ 320) for the two doses of the immunizer – according to Ciavatta, the price covers the drug and the cost of the health teams.
However, vaccine tourism is not yet accessible to Brazilians. San Marino does not have its own entry restrictions, but to get to the republic it is necessary to pass through Italy, which currently prohibits flights from countries in which the pandemic is not controlled – among which Brazil.
Italians are also excluded from the Sanmarine “package” because there is no agreement between the two governments, according to the tourism department of Enrave. Still being analyzed by the European Regulatory Agency (EMA), Sputnik has not been authorized for use and is not applied in Italy. San Marino, which is not a member of the European Union, has been applying the Russian immunizer since the beginning of March.
The republic became, in the first wave of the pandemic, one of the states in the world with the highest death rate from Covid-19 – a comparison distorted by the small number of residents. The border crossing with Italy has been closed, except for residents and emergencies only.
For now, the health secretary said, the disease is under control, with days without a new case being registered. “We even shut down the Covid department that we had created,” he said.
Taking advantage of the arrival of the high season to recover from the coronavirus crisis is also a priority for the countries of southern Europe – such as Italy, Spain, Greece, Portugal and Croatia -, in which tourism represents a large part of the economic activity.
While waiting for the European Commission to issue a unified certificate with data on vaccination, tests or recovery from Covid-19 – committed for June – several of them are anticipating and facilitating the entry of travelers from this weekend. end.
In the case of these destinations as well, the flexibility does not benefit visitors departing from Brazil – their entry into the European Union is only allowed in essential cases, in addition to other restrictions imposed by the members of the bloc, such as testing and quarantines.
The Italian government has already announced that EU citizens will be released from their five-day quarantine starting this Saturday (15). Earlier this month, at a G20 tourism meeting, Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi announced a ‘green pass’ for Europeans who prove they have taken two doses of the vaccine or have one. negative coronavirus test.
The Italian government is studying how to extend this openness to American tourists, who have also vaccinated a significant part of the population. “We are looking forward to welcoming you again. It is time to book your vacation in Italy,” said Draghi after the G20.
This month, Portugal reopened its border with Spain, where most of its foreign tourists come from, and this Sunday (16) the 14-day isolation period for those arriving from France ends.
The country has also made progress in the operation of cafes and restaurants and this year will maintain the health guarantee seal created in 2020, which certifies that hotels and other establishments follow contagion prevention measures.
The Madeira archipelago has gone further and instituted a “green corridor”: tourists who prove they have been vaccinated or recovered from Covid-19 in the three months preceding the trip will be able to travel without restrictions.
Saturday (15) will also mark Greece’s reopening to tourism, based on an aggressive vaccination campaign, which has already reached the entire population on around half of its 227 inhabited islands, according to the government.
In April, the country suspended the mandatory seven-day quarantine for tourists whose entry is permitted and reopened outdoor areas for bars and restaurants.
In Spain, where the state of emergency ended last weekend, tourist regions such as the Balearic Islands and the Canary Islands have tightened their controls to boost visitor confidence. PCR testing is mandatory for entry, even from Spanish regions with a low incidence of Covid-19.
Croatia, one of the EU countries most dependent on tourism (which exceeds 20% of its GDP), has prioritized the vaccination of workers in the sector, even before the elderly, and has already announced that ‘it would allow the entry of vaccinated Americans, even before the decision on the EU certificate.