APRIL 2021 NEWSLETTER

​Dear Travel Professionals,

I hope you are all doing well, your families safe and surviving what has been an incredibly challenging year. As we navigate through uncharted waters, with ever changing travel restrictions, it has never been more important to have the right contacts on the ground to take care of our valued clients. One thing is for sure, tourism will adapt and survive this pandemic and those of us left standing will be more equipped to rise to any challenge.

Certain destinations worldwide, including some in Europe, are already open to those who can show proof of being fully vaccinated at least 14 days prior to departing. Individuals will be required to take a rapid test within 72 hours prior to returning to the US, and our local contacts will be available to help facilitate this process. Most countries are working on setting or have set dates for reopening, subject to change, including the sites most clients would wish to visit. This is a very fluid situation, currently Croatia and Iceland are open to Americans without restriction of movement, provided the traveler has been fully vaccinated 14 days prior to arrival. Iceland still currently requires a free rapid test immediately upon arrival with the results back within 24 hours, and you must quarantine until receiving the results (we recommend the first couple of days at a wellness resort or larger full service hotel where we can provide some creature comforts while you acclimate). Greece will likely follow suit in May just in time for summer, and the UK is also looking at a May-June timeline. We can also assist in luxury, fully escorted and customized domestic travel for couples, small groups, multi-generational families to the California and Oregon wine country (Hood River, Monterey, Napa, Paso Robles, Santa Barbara, San Diego, Sonoma, Willamette and more), National Parks system (from Utah to Wyoming to Alaska and beyond), providing guides, chauffeurs, private touring, private charter flights (avoiding the main terminal crowds) and private helicopter touring/transfers. We also offer the same in Australia, Canada and New Zealand, though we still have to wait awhile longer for these destinations to open up.

Regardless of how things progress this year, 2022 already promises to be one of the busiest travel years in recent memory, so early planning is a must. I would love to hear from you all, about how things are in your neighborhoods, and I look forward to planning memorable and life enriching experiences for our clients.

Kind regards,

Michael R Lee, Sterling Tours Ltd.