Vaccination-cation. The New First Class?

First, a confession.

I didn't exactly want to get the COVID-19 vaccine. Not because I don't believe in science or the effectiveness of vaccinations, after a winter surviving COVID AND breaking my ankle—I was just tired of needles and hospitals. But this week I found myself on the receiving end of dose no. 2 of the Pfizer vaccine and I can’t lie, it felt as if I could breathe again. As if those superpowers that we were supposed to get on December 21st suddenly activated. A few hours after my shot and tons of water and Pedialyte later (I was told to stay hydrated and as a result, had no side effects) I started to look up what being vaccinated means for my travel life and while the vaccine didn’t give me the power of invisibility, it just may be the key to being able to fly.

When it comes to the vaccine and traveling, we’re all going to have to face two uncomfortable truths: 1) The vaccination will be the key you need to see the world with little to no quarantine, easier entry/exit and so much more, and 2) Because not everyone will have the vaccine for some time, this will effectively create a “haves” and “have nots” situation.

Wanna see Barbados? They wanna see a vaccination card.

Case in point? Barbados.
Barbados was an exemplary star when it came to managing their COVID-19 cases in the summer of 2020, going as far as to declare a short ‘COVID-free’ status with no active cases. And then they opened their borders to visitors with a quarantine plan that was quickly overrun, leading to a major spike by Christmas. Since then, they’ve tightened up on all quarantine mandates

With their lesson learned from a spike in cases during the holiday 2020 travel season, Barbados’ travel protocols tightened all the way up in February, with all travelers having to quarantine for 7 days while awaiting the results of a mandatory, on-island PCR test before starting their vacay. Fast forward to May 8th, where a new protocol will go into effect. For fully vaccinated travelers who arrive with negative test results, they will be tested at the airport or privately at their hotel/villa on arrival. Then there is a 48-hour wait for your second test results. So that’s about 48 hours in your room. For unvaccinated travelers who also arrive with negative test results, the 7-day quarantine remains. Naturally, this will mean that vaccinated travelers will also have to incur fewer expenses due to a short quarantine and be able to get to their holiday faster. Unvaccinated travelers will continue to have two “trips” in one—one week in quarantine in approved accommodations, and another for vacation. And because Barbados isn’t exactly the cheapest destination, this would also mean that unvaccinated travelers are literally paying more due to their vaccination status. As one of the leading Caribbean destinations for tourism, we expect to see similar protocols adapted throughout the region in 2021.

So while no one will come out and say “we prefer vaccinated persons only,” it’s becoming clear that seeing the world freely and with less hassle means will require you to get that shot, much like we have to do for Yellow Fever in certain African and South American countries. Expect ‘vaccination only’ protocols to be the norm for much of 2021 and 2022. Ideally, this is a good thing in practice but there is a real fear this will create a cultural divide directly tied to who has access to the vaccine in the first place. For more tony destinations like Barbados, will this result in the more privileged getting first dibs on a cheaper, hassle-free holiday? There’s also concern around what hotels, tours, etc will become “vaccinated only” exclusive and which will not. For an industry that was is seeking to reckon with the idea of equality and inclusivity, vaccination policies not executed properly could harm more than heal.

Time will only tell but if you’re still on the fence but itching to use that passport responsibly, consider this—can you (literally) afford not to get vaccinated? Or will you stick to the more “open” destinations where only negative tests are required to enter? Vaccinations are a personal decision that has social consequences, so no matter what you decide continue to mask up, travel safe, and #travelfly!

To keep up with the latest in travel protocols, check out IATA’s map which breaks travel restrictions by country.