Every Destination In The World Now Has Coronavirus Travel Restrictions

A United Nations World Tourism Organisation study looked at travel restrictions for 217 destinations. What they found is,

  • 45% of destinations have either completely or partially closed borders to tourists
  • 30% have placed restrictions on – or completely suspended – international flights
  • 18% have banned entry (and in some cases even transit) of people coming from specific countries
  • 7% have imposed more limited measures such as 14 day quarantines on arrival or new visa restrictions

These numbers represent subsets – meaning that 45% of countries have taken the most stringent measures involving the closing of borders. They may also have placed limits on international flights and require arrival people to quarantine.

This suggests that there’s no longer a single country that doesn’t have a restriction on arriving passengers of some kind. Countries that don’t have a major coronavirus problem don’t want one. When and how will restrictions lift? Like most of what we know about coronavirus, heterogeneity rules. It will happen gradually with differences across countries and regions.

About Gary Leff

Gary Leff is one of the foremost experts in the field of miles, points, and frequent business travel - a topic he has covered since 2002. Co-founder of frequent flyer community InsideFlyer.com, emcee of the Freddie Awards, and named one of the "World's Top Travel Experts" by Conde' Nast Traveler (2010-Present) Gary has been a guest on most major news media, profiled in several top print publications, and published broadly on the topic of consumer loyalty. More About Gary »

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  1. Interesting summary. I think we are just going to have to see how this plays out.

  2. Gary is there a way to navigate this info? I’d love to get the info on 217 countries but the linked site is full of rabbit holes. Tried for 15 minutes now.

  3. My prediction. The most restrictive passport for future international travel is going to be a US passport. Just by how ineptly the current administration, but also a substantial number of US Americans, have handled dealing w/ the pandemic.

    For US Americans, its all about their personal freedom and liberties. Nothing ever about the greater society and taking responsibility for societal good.

    Who needs these kinds of dump visitors?

  4. Might be an interesting follow up post on which airports are not offering international transit at the moment (TPE), others where you may be 14 day screwed if you miss your connection and the airport closed overnight (NRT), etc.

  5. MP. Hyperbolic nonsense.

    The USA passport will not only be welcome but courted.

  6. If it happens and Americans are denied entry to other nations, add this as another reprehensible outcome of this scam-demic.

  7. Title is just wrong. Stupid post. Every destinations means 100%, all the numbers given are far less than 100%

  8. @MP

    when you refer to the inept administration, Trump blocked the Chinese flying in at the end of Jan, before there was one death recorded from Corona virus, whilst Pelosi was making appearances in China Town in San Fran Feb 24th, saying “it’s all safe, we feel safe and sound come out and dine in China Town.”

    Pelosi, and Biden were called Trump xenophobic, and racist. Biden made a statement saying Trump was wrong. He later released a press release, late Friday, April 3 evening reversing his comments, and saying Trump did the right thing.

  9. Great information shared Mr. Gary, I feel people will restrict themselves to travel only domestic except some emergency travel till the 2020 end ….

  10. As far as i am aware, the UK still technically does not have any travel restrictions

  11. @Tim O’Brien said: “Pelosi was making appearances in China Town in San Fran Feb 24th”. I agree that this visit shows that Pelosi, with the same information as Trump was not serious about the coronavirus at that time. Any rewriting of the time line is prevarication or lying. However, I would like to point out the store owners in San Francisco Chinatown mostly are American citizens of Chinese decent, born here. Like 2nd and 3rd generation, where first generation are considered immigrants.

  12. @Tim O’Brien
    @Other Just Saying
    Actually Trump had access to far more information much earlier than anyone else, however he did stop all international flights and should be given credit for that. But what has he done since?
    Where was the much-needed anti-hoarding Executive Order?
    Where was the anti-pricegouging Executive Order?
    Why did he do nothing as individual states were forced to compete for available PPE?
    Vegetables are being destroyed in the Midwest whilst people can’t afford to buy whats left in many parts of the country. Where’s the federal action to fix this?
    @James N
    You are ill-informed and add nothing to the conversation.

  13. In March 2019, aviation authorities worldwide grounded the Boeing 737 MAX passenger airliner after 346 people died in two plane crashes, Lion Air Flight 610 on October 29, 2018 and Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 on March 10, 2019.

    “As President Trump presses for states to reopen their economies, his administration is privately projecting a steady rise in the number of cases and deaths from the coronavirus over the next several weeks, reaching about 3,000 daily deaths on June 1, according to an internal document obtained by The New York Times, nearly double from the current level of about 1,750.”

    In all seriousness: WHY keep the 737 Max grounded??? In two accidents, almost six months apart, 346 people died. (And most victims weren’t even “cream of the crop” US Americans.) If a substantial number of US Americans is ok with 3,000 daily deaths due to a viral disease. Who would even notice or mind the 2 additional deaths/day, on average, due to 737 MAX.

    Let ’em fly….

  14. @WileyDog

    i have heard all the governors, even including the woman in MI, including prominent democrat governors, from prominent states, like California, Gavin Newsom express full gratitude to Trump for the federal support, ditto for NJ’s Phil Murphy, and even Cuomo.

    they all said he got them PP&E, the ships to NYC and California etc, funded the huge temporary hospital at Jarvis Centre.

  15. I guess I must have triggered WileyDog somehow. These people need Rabies shots, they are so angry.

    My main point was to consider a stroll through San Francisco Chinatown as similar to China is misinformed. The Chinese in San Francisco Chinatown are second and third generation Americans. Many have parents or family that have fought in the Korean War and the Vietnam war. In other words, they are as American as Apple Pie.

  16. @Other Just Saying
    No, you did not trigger me. I actually agree with you. BTW, I would only need rabies shots after being bitten by a rabid dog. Do I need one now?

    My point was that the President should be given credit when it is due and criticized when he deserves it. I gave him one compliment and four criticisms. Too many people on the Left will never compliment him and far to many on the Right put up with his multitude of lies and half-truths, and lack of leadership without complaint.

  17. i think we understand that China town in San Fran is predominantly populated by multi generational Chinese Americans.

    that wasn’t my point. she could have been on a beach in Orange county for all i care, she was out in public, with the absolutely totally 100$ wrong message.

    point was Trump stopped people from China, or who had been to China in preceding two weeks, to enter the US. that was end of Jan, before a death from Corona was recorded here.

    it was earlier than nearly all other nations worldwide. He was criticised by the prominent Left, Pelosi, and Biden for doing that, and called xenophobic, and racist?

    Pelosi paraded in China town as late as a month later telling the world everything is safe here, and encouraging the masses to visit.

    so tell me who was right?

    Biden later, did release a press release, saying in hindsight, what Trump did was the right thing.

    can’t have it both ways. Clearly Trump made the right call at end of Jan.

    Keep in mind the NY surgeon general equivalent, a woman, was in adverts saying it’s safe, and not to worry well into february, as was Dr Fauci stating it wasn’t of concern.

  18. @Tim O’Brien: I agree with you. The fact is, Trump acted quickly when confronted with the facts. In addition, the left wing trying to rewrite the history, of a couple of months ago, is jaw dropping. It is like they think our memories do not go back to the beginning of the year.

  19. LOL this is the same Trump that ignored the intelligence briefings all throughout Jan and Feb and spent two months golfing and going to rallies? “Trump acted quickly…” is truly just about the dumbest statement I have seen on here.

    Trump Sycophantic Syndrome is strong on VFTW lately…been coming here for a decade but man the readership has really hit the skids.

  20. There are some, such as UA-NYC, that is happy both the people are dying and happy that people have lost their jobs. His ilk hated Trump and they see this pandemic as a chance to get rid of Trump. Sickening.

  21. OJS, hope your trip to Michigan w/your Confederate flag and AR-15 was just a blast! Assuming you opted out of the face mask, because, you know, don’t tread on you.

    Get a life you racist twat. Trump knows he’s done – his only hope at this point is to suppress the vote and a barrage of endless negative ads.

  22. LOL: UA-NYC always sounds like that. Crazy on top of having no empathy for struggling Americans.

  23. In OJS Bizarro World, Faux News says all is good and the Fearless Leader says it will go from 15 cases to 0 in a week. No wait, it’s actually that he’s done a Tremendous Job if it’s less than 1MM deaths.

    Go back to your underground hole and let the responsible adults take over

  24. adults like Biden and Pelosi, they are past the adult stage, they are geriatrics, with advanced dementia, just search YouTube “Biden gaffs”…great for a laugh

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