Travel discounts and subsidies for after COVID-19 ends
With COVID-19 travel restrictions around the world are slowly being lifted, it’s time to start dreaming about your next holiday! If you can’t decide where your next trip should be, these travel discounts offered by governments of different countries just might tempt you into planning a holiday there.
- Greece
- Hong Kong
- Thailand
- Mexico
- Cyprus
- Italy
- Egypt
1. Greece
Photo by Ryan Spencer on Unsplash
Greece plans to temporarily cut value-added taxes (VAT) on modes of transportation from 24% to 13%, making travel to and within Greece cheaper. This is one of the efforts announced by their prime minister to help revive its tourism sector and the economy.
There will be a reduction of VAT on coffee, non-alcoholic beverages and transportation tickets to 13% from 24%. Hotels will open June 1 and flights will resume from the country’s main airport in Athens June 15.
Who else is dreaming of Santorini’s blue and falafels!
2. Hong Kong
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If Hong Kong is on your travel list, you won’t want to miss out on this deal. Head to the land of Dim Sum with Cathay Pacific and enjoy a S$100 flight voucher + hotel package voucher for S$50 on the SIN-HKG route.
Voucher is valid for booking a package on or before 31 December 2020 and for travel completed on or before 31 March 2021.
3. Thailand
Photo by Geoff Greenwood on Unsplash
Who's looking forward to tom yum, pad thai, Thai massages, and night market shopping in Bangkok once the pandemic is over? The Office of the National Economic and Social Development Council of Thailand announced plans on launching up to 50% discounts on accommodations in Thailand from July 2020 onwards.
The government of Thailand has announced that the state of lockdown in Thailand will most likely be completely lifted by 1st July 2020, including the reopening of borders for international travel.
4. Mexico
Photo by Joseph Barrientos on Unsplash
Mexico’s Cancun might seem like an exotic getaway but maybe that’s just what you need after what 2020 has brought us so far. According to the Association of Hotels in Cancun, the planned #Come2MexicanCaribbean campaign starting 15 June 2020 offers a free night in the hotel if you pay for two.
Start working on those beach bodies now!
5. Italy
Photo by Flo P on Unsplash
Who else is excited to explore Sicily’s beautiful beaches, mouth-watering food and well-preserved ruins! The national government of Sicily had earlier announced that they will be covering half of the flight and a third of the hotel expenses, with additional free tickets to museums and archaeological sites for visitors to the island.
This US$54 million initiative will be via the release of discount vouchers available on Sicily’s official tourism website once the lockdown comes to an end.
6. Egypt
Photo by Fynn schmidt on Unsplash
If you’ve always dreamt of visiting the famous pyramids of Egypt, this might be a sign! Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism & Antiquities has halved entry fees to all archaeological sites and museums as a further incentive for visitors. In additions, travellers who require tourist visas will get discount of US$10, costing US$15 instead of the usual US$25.
Other tourism recovery efforts by governments around the world
Photo by JJ Ying on Unsplash
The Japan Tourism Agency proposed the “Go To Travel” campaign that plans to distribute travel vouchers to locals up to a maximum of ¥20,000 (~S$264) per person, per stay.
In Vietnam, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Vietnam has launched a programme called “Vietnamese People Travel in Vietnam“. This package helps to lower its region’s accommodation rates by around 30–50% and attraction entrance fees by 20–50%.
