Easter Island (Chile) to reopen to tourists after two years without travelers due to Covid-19, reports Geo. The last tourists landed on Rapa Nui, the island’s original name, on March 16, 2020. Flights are expected to resume from February 2022, local authorities said.
Last October, a referendum led the inhabitants of the island to vote against the reopening of the borders. The vote was marked by a high level of abstention of over 90%. But the economic situation of the island after several months of pandemic pushed the local authorities to reopen their doors. A decision that will have to be validated by the health authorities of Valparaiso or the Chilean Ministry of Health.
Tourism vital for the island’s economy
“The island derives its income from the tourism industry. It is the source of the economy ”, analyzes Salvador Atan, vice-president of the local community Ma’u Henua, responsible for administering the Rapa Nui national park. According to him, the survival of Easter Island is conditioned on the profits linked to the tourism sector. Each year, 100,000 tourists tread its land and come to admire its stone giants, specify our colleagues.
More than 73% of the local population is vaccinated against Covid. But you have to go to the South American continent to find an intensive care unit, the island does not have one. Travelers must present a complete vaccination schedule and a negative PCR test of less than 48 hours to board. A return that could be tense. In April 2021, locals protested against the arrival of non-residents at the airport, leading to the suspension of LATAM Airlines’ only weekly cargo flight.
