Editor's Note: The COVID-19 policies and procedures listed below are up-to-date as of press time. However, we encourage all readers to head to each individual country’s governmental tourism website prior to travel to confirm the information regarding entry protocols.
The small Caribbean nation of Anguilla reopened to international visitors on May 25, welcoming back leisure travelers after suspending all tourism to the island earlier this spring due to a spike in COVID-19 cases.
“Anguilla closed its borders on April 22 with the outbreak of several cases of COVID-19, stemming from what is believed to be an illegal entry to the island,” said Kenroy Herbert, chairman of the Anguilla Tourist Board. “That cluster of cases has since been contained with no new cases identified since May 10. Currently, we only have three active cases on the island.”
Through June 30 of this year, all visitors to Anguilla must show proof of a negative PCR COVID-19 test taken three to five days before their arrival. Travelers will also need to register online and pay an application fee of $300 for the first traveler and $200 for each additional visitor. All travelers will also be PCR tested again upon arrival in Anguilla.
Fully vaccinated travelers who can show proof they completed their last required shot at least 21 days prior to travel will be required to vacation in place at their accommodation for seven days. Non-vaccinated visitors will be required to show proof of insurance during the online application process and must vacation in place at their accommodation for at least 10 days.
Even though people were in quarantine, you didn't really feel like you were in quarantine because you were still able to go for dinner; you were still able to go on various excursions.
Anguilla instituted its bubble vacation-in-place program last fall, according to Herbert, who said the strategy of largely restricting visitors to the grounds of their accommodations while still allowing them to take part in a range of sanctioned activities outside their resort has been very effective.
“Even though people were in quarantine, you didn't really feel like you were in quarantine because you were still able to go for dinner; you were still able to go on various excursions,” Herbert said.
“We did have cases that slipped in where people tested positive,” he continued. “But we didn't have any community spread or any spread to the staff, so that particular bubble and guided movement worked very well for us for some months.”
Sanctioned excursions include visits to several of the island’s offshore keys, snorkeling and scuba diving outings, kayaking trips, access to golf courses and meals at a number of the island’s popular restaurants, according to Anguilla tourism officials, who noted reservations are required for the off-property activities.
Snorkeling excursions are one of many now-sanctioned activities Anguilla visitors can enjoy away from their accommodations.
Credit: 2021 Anguilla Tourist BoardRequired Vaccinations Replace Bubble Program in July
Anguilla has announced plans to do away with its bubble program starting July 1 — the same day the country will start requiring that all visitors who are eligible to be vaccinated against COVID-19 be fully immunized before their arrival.
“If you're not vaccinated at least three weeks before arrival, you're not going to get entry,” Herbert said.
Vaccinated travelers will still need to apply online and show proof of a negative PCR test taken three to five days before their arrival, according to Herbert. But after July 1, fully immunized visitors to Anguilla will no longer need to pay any application fees, provide proof of insurance or undergo testing upon arrival in the destination. And they will be free to explore the island as they please without any restrictions.
“Multigenerational families and groups with a mix of individuals who are not eligible for the vaccine — like children — will not need to quarantine,” Herbert added. “But you may be tested during your stay.”
Herbert said Anguilla’s decision to require all eligible visitors to be vaccinated after July 1 was motivated, in part, by the need to fully reopen the island’s visitor business.
“Anguilla relies heavily on tourism, and the easier it is for folks to come to Anguilla the better,” he said. “Now, with us understanding the virus more and with vaccinations being readily available, we figured the best option is for only vaccinated persons to be allowed on Anguilla.”
An island about half the size of Washington, D.C., and home to just over 18,000 residents, Anguilla is located about 150 miles east of Puerto Rico and has navigated the pandemic relatively well. Through May 25, Anguilla has reported 109 confirmed COVID-19 cases and no related deaths, according to the World Health Organization.
Booking Momentum Builds
U.S. travelers typically account for as a much as 70% of Anguilla’s total visitor arrivals each year, and typically spend anywhere from three to seven nights in the destination.
“There’s a saying in Anguilla: ‘If the U.S. sneezes, Anguilla catches a cold,’” Herbert said with a chuckle. “Anguilla depends heavily on the U.S.”
In 2019, one of the destination’s best tourism years, according to Herbert, more than 99,000 U.S. travelers visited Anguilla. Many Americans now fly to St. Martin first on carriers like United, Delta, American or JetBlue, and then take a 20-minute ferry or seven-minute flight to Anguilla, Herbert said, noting it’s also just a 15-minute flight from San Juan, Puerto Rico.
“There’s a great deal of pent-up demand now for Anguilla,” Herbert said of U.S. bookings to the destination. “We also anticipate an excellent Memorial Day weekend, which is an extremely encouraging outlook for the rest of the year. Our partners and the hotels and villas have reported robust bookings, especially for the winter. … We expect winter this year to outpace winter of 2019, which was our best year to date.”
Herbert said just about all of Anguilla’s hotel and villa properties will be open May 25, but he did note that CuisinArt Resort & Residences, which was recently purchased by new owners, will remain closed through October of this year for renovations.
The Anguilla Tourist Board chairman also said the destination’s sales team will be on the road in Florida and Texas this June and has plans to visit tourism stakeholders on the West Coast later this year.
Herbert also highlighted one of destination’s most important selling points.
“The people here are very special,” he said. “When you do come to Anguilla you realize that it is not a facade. We’re genuinely friendly. … And a lot of Caribbean countries, when you go there, you see so many American brands, so the culture is sort of lost. We still are able to hold onto our culture.”
The Details
Anguilla Tourist Board
