Let’s Do It!

While several destinations remain closed off to American tourists—most notably nearly all Europe—others are slowly but surely welcoming them again under new rules and regulations. Costa Rica first reopened to American travelers from only six states before expanding to residents of 11 states. And on Nov. 1, they officially reopened to all U.S. tourists.

As the country looks forward to next year, it has launched a new campaign designed to bring more visitors to its idyllic beaches and lush forests. Visit Costa Rica, the country’s tourism agency is inviting people to nominate someone who has made a meaningful difference in their lives to win a free trip to Costa Rica.

Fifteen winners will be selected for the “Who is Essential to You” campaign, which is open to people from all across the U.S. The lucky winners will be awarded a 7-day trip for two to Costa Rica, including roundtrip coach airfare to Costa Rica. The prize also comes with six nights in hotel accommodations, a $200 meal voucher, ground transportation, and travel insurance that includes COVID-19 coverage—a new requirement for all visitors to this Central American nation.

Nominations for this free trip to Costa Rica are open now and close on January 31, 2021, at 11:59 PM EST. Those submitting a nomination must share the story of why the person they’re describing deserves this trip and how they made such an impact on their life. Winners who may be uncomfortable with venturing so far from home during the pandemic have nothing to worry about as they’ll be given a year to redeem their free trip. All trips must be taken by February 28, 2022, hoping that all will return to normal well before then.

For more information on the campaign or to nominate someone, click here.

The Hawaiian Island chain of Kauai Maui, Oahu, the Big Island, and Honolulu are calling.

Hawaii only reopened its doors to tourism about a month and a half ago, but the Aloha State is already launching new initiatives to attract more tourists. The latest campaign encourages visitors to complete volunteer work as they vacation by offering a free night at a hotel in return for their efforts.

The initiative, called Mālama Hawai’i—or care for Hawaii—allows visitors to earn that free hotel stay when they do a wide variety of volunteer work from beach cleanups and ocean reef preservation to tree planting and making quilts for the elderly, Travel+Leisure reports.

“Our goal is to attract mindful visitors who will leave Hawai‘i better than when they arrived,” John Monahan, the president and CEO of the visitor and convention bureau, told Travel+Leisure in a statement. “By doing so, visitors will experience a deeper connection and a vacation that really becomes more meaningful to them.”

Dozens of hotels are participating in the campaign with properties spread across Kauai, Maui, Oahu, and the Island of Hawaii. Alaska Airlines also announced that it would join the initiative, pledging to plant a tree for every flight to the islands of Hawaii through the end of the year. The carrier estimates they will plant nearly 900 trees in partnership with the Hawaiian Legacy Reforestation Initiative.

“As we welcome visitors back to Hawaii, we want to support awareness of mindful travel to the Islands — both in the air and on the ground,” Daniel Chun, Alaska’s director of sales, community and public relations for Hawaii, said in a statement. “Alaska has always taken great pride in being responsible stewards of the places we fly, and we hope our guests take pride in this, too.”

Visitors to Hawaii have the option to quarantine for two weeks upon arrival or can bypass this requirement by providing proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken at one of the approved laboratories within 72 hours of departure. At some Hawaiian airports, a free COVID test will also be administered upon arrival.

For more information on the volunteer work initiative, click here.

A White Christmas that is safe and warm

With about a month left to go before Christmas, it’s time to start drafting those shopping lists instead of leaving it all to the last minute. If you’re stumped on what to buy the jet setters in your life, here are a few ideas they’re sure to enjoy. The pandemic may have left them with few opportunities to travel, but these gifts will help ease their wanderlust as they experience the world from the comfort of their homes.

Atlas Coffee Club

For the travel lover who can’t imagine starting their day without a cup of coffee, this monthly subscription club will start their day highly caffeinated yet dreaming of travel. At Atlas Coffee Club, members receive a new coffee bag from a different country each month, along with a postcard explaining interesting information about the country. Members can expect to try coffee from all corners of the earth, from Indonesia to Guatemala and beyond. ($60-240)

Universal Yums

Send your loved ones on a global snack adventure with treats from around the world delivered to them monthly. Every month, Universal Yums highlights a different country and curates a snack box filled with both salty and sweet treats from there. Each box also comes with a booklet explaining fun facts about the country and their snacks, plus some trivia and recipes to try. Countries featured in the past include Thailand, Colombia, Russia, and Italy! ($14-36)

The Wordy Traveler

Books are the perfect way to travel with the mind when the body cannot. For the bookworm traveler in your life, this quarterly subscription will transport them to new worlds with books and other goodies that set the reading mood like tea, cozy socks, bookmarks, and other trinkets from the featured destination. With this subscription, you can choose how many books you’d like to receive each quarter, as well as your preference for fiction or nonfiction. The best part of this subscription is that each box gives back to help girls and women worldwide have access to education. It’s a gift that keeps giving. ($50-594)

‘Its the season

Alaska Airlines is making some extra room in their budget for travelers planning to hit the slopes during this year’s ski season by providing complimentary lift passes when they book flights to certain destinations.

With the airline’s “Ski Free” promotion coming back for the 2020-2021 winter season, skiers and snowboarders can head to select resorts in the U.S. and Canada and receive a free lift pass when they present their Alaska Airlines boarding pass.

Travelers flying to Anchorage, Alaska from Chicago, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Portland, Seattle, and Spokane will enjoy the slopes of Alyeska Resort. Those headed to Boise, Idaho, from Seattle will be welcomed with free passes at Bogus Basin. In contrast, Eaglecrest Ski Area passes are available with flights from Anchorage, Glacier Bay, Ketchikan, Petersburg, Seattle, Sitka, and Yakutat to Juneau. Flights from Seattle and Portland to Billings, Montana come free passes to Red Lodge Mountain, and passes to RED Mountain Resort are available with flights from Anchorage, Boise, Portland, San Diego, and Seattle Spokane.

Meanwhile, passengers flying to Kelowna, Canada, can get 25% off lift tickets at Big White Ski Resort. And those traveling to Steamboat Springs from Seattle or San Diego can receive free ski passes for kids at Steamboat Ski Resort.

As with most great deals in life, there’s a small catch.

Most resorts will only allow a free ski pass on the same day of a flight, and many promotions require passengers to travel on a specific flight route. Travelers receive one free ski pass per boarding pass presented, and it cannot be combined with any other offers. Some resorts will only honor the boarding pass only during specific promotional periods.

To book a flight and get more information on the other resorts participating in the “Ski Free” promotion, visit Alaska Airlines’ official website.

The Love Boat Is Sailing Again.

After months of canceled itineraries brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, cruise lines finally have the green light to begin operations in U.S. waters as the CDC’s ‘No Sail’ Order expired on Oct. 31.

According to Axios, there were reports that the CDC wanted to extend the cruising ban until 2021 but landed on the Halloween expiration date following interference from the White House. No matter the change circumstances, several major cruise lines had already decided to cancel sailings until at least December, with others planning to resume operations in early 2021. Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, and MSC Cruises are among the cruise companies that have canceled sailings through the end of November.

However, the end of the ‘No Sail’ Order does not mean that cruise lines can resume operations with pre-pandemic norms. The CDC has issued a ‘Conditional Sail’ Order, which it describes as a “phased resumption of cruise ship operations.” The updated advisory went into effect on Nov. 1.

As part of the new regulations, which are detailed in phases, all crew members will be tested for COVID-19 weekly and be provided with personal protection equipment. Ships must also undergo simulated voyages to “test cruise ships’ ability to mitigate COVID-19 risk [and] certification for ships that meet specific requirements.”

Ships must also establish written agreements with ports, outlining procedures, and approved housing if passengers or crew need to quarantine or a passenger needs to be evacuated to a nearby hospital. Each ship preparing to welcome passengers aboard must receive its “COVID-19 Conditional Sailing Certificate” beforehand. Passengers will also be required to undergo COVID testing when arriving and departing the ship.

These rules are designed to prevent incidents similar to earlier this year when several cruise ships worldwide were stopped at sea or docked for several days due to a COVID-19 outbreak on board.

A Jewel In The Crown of The Middle East

Working remotely is more common now than ever, as the pandemic has forced many companies to abandon their offices. With all indications pointing to this trend outliving our current circumstances, several countries worldwide are creating new long-stay visa programs to attract visitors who work remotely.

Barbados, Estonia, and the Republic of Georgia are just a few of the places allowing remote workers to stay for prolonged periods of time, and now, Dubai is joining them with its own long-term visa program.

According to Matador Network, the visa scheme will allow remote workers and their families to live in Dubai for up to one year while working for companies overseas. Visa holders will open local bank accounts, enroll their children in Dubai schools, and set up phone and internet access for their homes and workspaces.

“The global pandemic has changed how we live and work. People continue to prioritize their health, wellbeing, and ability to ensure a positive work-life balance,” said Helal Almarri, director-general of Dubai Tourism, in a statement. “Dubai is uniquely positioned to offer a safe, dynamic lifestyle opportunity to these digitally savvy workers and their families while they continue to work remotely, whether it is for a couple of months or an entire year.”

Applicants for the remote worker visa must earn at least $5,000 per month and show proof of employment, as well as three months of bank statements. The visa costs $287 plus medical insurance and processing fees.

For those interested in a shorter visit to Dubai, the United Arab Emirates reopened to international tourists in early July. All visitors over the age of 12 must present a negative COVID-19 PCR test taken within 96 hours of their departure. Test results must be presented in its original, physical form in either English or Arabic. Digital copies will not be accepted.

With a negative COVID test, visitors entering Dubai must not quarantine, local media source Gulf News reports. Travelers entering Abu Dhabi and other northern emirates must quarantine for 14 days, regardless of their test results.