Coronavirus Is it worth traveling abroad to travel abroad? At Helsinki-Vantaa, we set off with confidence

“Little it is exciting, of course, whether we can get to the country and get back, ”says the resident of Naantali Pirjo Kosonen At the second terminal of Helsinki-Vantaa Airport.

Kosonen’s four-person crew has booked their trip to Gran Canaria two years ago, but has always moved it according to the situation. Now they were able to leave, but the coronavirus self-transformation brings excitement to the journey.

Spouse Tapani Kososen he thinks the government’s instructions will give him some encouragement to travel, but now he’s “going to be intimidated.”

“However, when choices have to be made over a period of a few months. I can’t quite decide not to leave, ”he says.

“Or well, of course you can, but then it feels like a purse.”

Yet earlier in the fall, the tourism situation seemed promising.

Last week, however, there was news of a coronavirus omicron variant that has spread, at least in southern Africa. On Monday, two suspicions of omicrone were also reported in Finland.

The transformation has already closed the borders of some countries. A tourist may wonder if it is possible and worthwhile to go abroad now.

In the case of southern Africa, the situation is quite clear. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Department of Health and Welfare (THL) urge them to avoid traveling to South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Swaziland (Eswatini), Mozambique and Malawi.

Read more: The first omicron suspects found in Finland – At least one second case concerns a person who arrived in Finland from Africa

Read more: Japan blocks entry of all new foreign travelers due to micron transformation, Australia postpones border opening for labor

For example The situation for travel to Europe is less clear. THL’s leading expert Jari Jalava emphasizes that, firstly, it is worthwhile for those traveling abroad to obtain full protection against vaccination.

“There is a risk that the situation in a country may temporarily worsen,” says Jalava.

He emphasizes that although isolated cases have been reported in many countries, it is not known that omicro will spread in any European country. However, the situation may change rapidly.

What guidance would Jalava give to those considering their trip?

“Of course, it depends on the person’s situation, how important the trip is and what the cancellation conditions are, for example. Hard to say.”

Elm points out that there may be, for example, flight bans or cancellations that make it difficult to travel. He takes, for example, Britain, where flights were suspended in Finland last winter due to the alpha variant.

“People were trapped. That’s the risk. ”

Would Jalava go abroad himself in the current situation? Over the weekend, he recommended Yle in an interview to avoid all holiday trips and said she would not go on the trip herself.

“I have a full series of vaccinations. I could imagine that I could still travel to northern European countries, for example, even in the Nordic countries. But I would already think more about going to Italy, for example, because this transformation has already been noticed there, ”says Jalava now.

After the interview, it became known that the conversion was also suspected in Finland by two people.

Travel agencies for bookings and cancellations, at least the new virus variant is yet to appear.

In fact, the week started in travel agencies with good mood, as Black Friday offers attracted Finns to travel.

Concerns about the self-conversion were not reflected in the weekend’s sales figures.

“Yes, we also met all our sales targets. There were offers for the winter and spring holidays, ”says the communications manager Laura Aaltonen Tui from Finland.

Tui had received only individual inquiries on Monday about changing or canceling the trip. The same is said of Aurinkomatkat.

“There have been some customers who have wanted to postpone their trip to later winter or summer,” says Aurinkomatkat’s Communications Manager. Mari Kanerva.

Both offices are currently carrying out all of their trips as planned. Neither is making trips to Africa right now.

Back in the early autumn, tour operators were optimistic about the future, but now Aaltonen and Kanerva do not want to predict anything.

“During a pandemic, predictions never come true,” says Aaltonen.

Helsinki Ines Antti-Poika was on a business trip to Barcelona on Monday to market Finland as a tourist destination. He has been following the news of the new variant closely but did not want to cancel the trip.

“It would only take a moment to remember, but in practice it is not an option.”

Antti-Poika says that he will leave with a safe mind, because the exact security measures are waiting for him. The three-day tourism fair is taking place as planned.

According to Antti-Poja, the expectations of the tourism industry in Finland have been quite high so far.

“But now we have to be a little more realistic and pessimistic again. We would rather let the situation calm down before we welcome tourists to Finland to a large extent. ”

To Thailand departing Anja and Ari Anttila Even in Loviisa, they did not consider canceling their trip.

“It pondered when stock prices fell,” says Ari Anttila.

Anttila was supposed to go to Tenerife to play golf, but there were only bad tee times left.

The couple is safe about the trip because Thailand’s security measures are strict. The corona test had to be taken 72 hours before departure, even when vaccinated, and the first day is spent in a quarantine hotel.

“We will be taken there and we will be out in a day if the sample is clean,” says Ari Anttila.