- Lindsay Galloway
- BBC Travel
The ongoing epidemic, global conflict and general uncertainty illustrate the need for all nations to be more proactive and adaptable.
By implementing flexible policies and solutions based on new information, governments can more effectively serve citizens and tourists in a rapidly changing world.
To capture this ability to change and respond to obstacles, US News & World Report released a new agility index this year as part of its annual ranking of the best countries. Progressive or responsive.
These factors are more important than ever for tourists, many of whom have just begun to travel internationally again for the first time in two years.
With the arrival of new variants of the Covid-19, conditions may change rapidly, and travelers may find greater safety when traveling to countries with a good track record of adjusting policies systematically and quickly.
We talked to residents and policy experts in some of the best rated countries to find out what makes a country active – and what to expect when landing travelers.
United States
First on the dynamic index, the United States may not implement federal forced locks like many Western nations, but its market-oriented economy has allowed adaptation to trigger rapid innovations in the face of the Govt-19 crisis.
“Look at how quickly delivery services and restaurants have been able to transform their businesses by delivering food to people’s homes,” says John Rose, a California resident and director of risk and safety at travel agency Altour.
“There aren’t a lot of unnecessary restrictions that restaurants can’t serve food or operate with a few people.”
The food industry was a microcosm of the country’s overall flexibility, with Rose notes that other companies were able to quickly adapt to the epidemic landscape, implementing technologies such as making masks or hand sanitizers or video conferencing tools. Very efficient from home.
In addition, each state can formulate different policies to suit its specific needs, which created 50 unique ways to respond to the epidemic.
“California and Florida handled the epidemic in opposite ways. Despite California having tough locks, Florida refused every barrier,” Rose said.
“Both economies did well, however. All of this boiled down to a strong policy leadership.”
Nationally, the use of compulsory masks on airports and airports has allowed tourists to continue to travel with confidence, which has kept the industry and its economic benefits afloat during epidemics.
The government still needs to fully vaccinate international travelers.
Anyone wishing to move to the United States should be aware that immunization rates vary greatly from state to district, with some cities having higher immunization rates and are willing to welcome visitors back safely.
For more accurate information, Rose recommends checking the status of the district you plan to visit, rather than the entire state.
Australia, which ranks second in the agility index, with a higher score and adaptability, has taken a very different approach to the United States, enforcing stricter lockdowns, which keeps the number of covet cases in the island country at the lowest in the world.
However, in the face of the recent wave of Govt, with a vaccination rate of almost 95% among adults over the age of 16, the country has quickly moved from a eradication strategy to a full reopening.
“Australians now feel reunited with the world after being isolated for almost two years,” says Slater, a Sydney-based strategy consultant who blogs about Kate’s travel abroad.
He notes that the country implements a state / regional response and offers a variety of approaches on how to overcome current challenges.
For example, New South Wales, the largest state with the largest airport, announced in December 2021 that it would eliminate isolation requirements for international visitors, prompting the federal government to expedite the reopening of international borders to passengers in February 2022. Vaccinated.
Tourists should check state and regional visitation requirements as each may be different and may change abruptly.
The country recently announced that it will lift the shipping ban from April 17, 2022, although more passengers will need to be vaccinated.
The country’s tight locks have encouraged residents to travel inland, which has created new possibilities in less touristy locations.
“For example, in the Highlands of New South Wales, historic mansions have been turned into boutique hotels,” says Slater, who recommends the new regional art gallery, Nungungula.
South Korea
Ranked sixth overall in the Activity Index – and has high scores on energetic and progressive capabilities – South Korea has been praised for keeping the number of epidemics low at the onset of epidemics, with a serious policy of testing and isolating victims.
However, now that the number of cases has hit record highs, the country is moving ahead with its plan to withdraw a number of restrictions with confidence in the combined vaccine rate and the ability to manage the hospital system.
“South Korea is a ‘success story’ in the fight against the Govt-19 epidemic due to its previous experiences with SARS in 2003 and MERS in 2015. Haisang Ha, an assistant professor at the School of Public Policy at the University of Nazareth in Kazakhstan, has conducted research on the most active governments during epidemics.
“Because of the experience and knowledge gained from past policy failures, the Korean government has implemented rapid testing, screening and treatment and established the KCDC (Korean Center for Disease Control and Prevention), an active foundation with the power to integrate professionalism, independence and response. To the crisis.”
According to Jenny Lai, who writes about travel on the website Go Wanderly, travel restrictions are a challenging but necessary part of their policy. But he took the opportunity to go back to his home country.
“I used the opportunity to find hidden gems that most people missed,” he says.
His favorite is the village of Ihwa Mural in Seoul, where bright, colorful paintings adorn almost every wall.
“This village is a paradise on earth for any art lover because it has so many spectacular murals, small art museums and art centers.”
From April 1, 2022, vaccinated travelers will be eligible for exemption from compulsory seven-day isolation by registering their vaccination history online, making it easier for international travelers to travel to the country.
Belgium
Ranked 16th overall in the Agility Index, Belgium outperformed all its European counterparts in terms of adaptability sub-rankings (fourth).
The cultural need to follow the history of occupation by the Romans, French, Dutch and Germans has made residents proud of their adaptation, which has led to its multilingual community and the ability to have EU headquarters in its capital, Brussels.
“Belgium is a country of dialogue and agreement, which is inevitable when you have different languages and such a complex political structure,” says Jurka Rubinovit, a resident and founder of Full Suitcase’s Family Travel Blog.
“It is in our DNA to seek compromises and adapt to changing circumstances.”
According to Rubinovite, politicians were willing to seek advice, admit that they did not know everything and learn from mistakes.
The government has not only changed: Rubinovite notes that business has also changed rapidly, with restaurants offering takeout and food trucks, as well as museums offering online displaced clothing stores and virtual tours.
“Even the monks of Sint-Sixtus Abbey began selling their world-famous (and very difficult to obtain) Westwletter beer online during epidemics,” he says.
He saw a major improvement in terms of digital technology as cell phone and card payments were given to students to learn new iPods and laptops instead of cash.
All restrictions imposed by the Kovit-19 epidemic have now been lifted in Belgium, paving the way for the return of music festivals and the two-year flower carpet of Brussels.
The Antwerp Royal Museum of Fine Arts, featuring the works of Rubens and Van Ick, will reopen to the public in September 2022 after a 10-year renovation.
Brazil
Brazil is the South American country in the Agility Index (23rd), as well as its energy efficiency (5th).
Although residents acknowledge that the government initially failed to respond to the epidemic, the health care system was able to quickly and efficiently vaccinate the majority of the population, with the highest vaccination rate being 100% in the city of S பாo Paulo. In the country, it is one of the “vaccination capitals” of the world.
With fewer resources than large economies, the country could not afford long locks, so residents had to do their part to wear masks and maintain social distance.
But many believe that not stopping the economy has helped the country get rid of the epidemic.
“Brazilians see themselves as survivors and we always find a way to deal with crises,” said Natalie Tedak, co-founder of travel planning company Love and Road.
“In our hearts, we always hope for better days.”
These days may be finally approaching as many restrictions such as the mandatory mask have been removed.
Passengers are still required to submit a negative Govt test, health notice and proof of vaccination.
Tedak recalls that Brazil goes beyond its major cities and the Amazon. According to him, tourists should go to coastal cities in the south of the country, such as Florianopolis and Aparatos da Serra National Park, which have hotels and farm hotels.
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