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What’s it like to travel to Cyprus under new arrival protocols?
Mark Swords, managing director of Swords Travel in Wimbledon, was not going to let the new entry requirement for a Covid-19 test deter him from travelling to one of his favourite places – he shares his experiences with TTG
“I’ve been travelling to Cyprus since I worked here as a holiday rep for Thomas Cook 15 years ago and the thought of not coming this year was not an option for me; if anything I need it more this year than any other.”
“We booked our flights towards the end of June not knowing what would happen but thinking that in the worst case scenario, we wouldn’t be able to travel and we’d get our money back. Throughout the whole month of July we were on tenterhooks.”
“We watched as the government’s categories were introduced and for news on where Cyprus would sit. When we heard the announcement about the first entry date being 1 August, we jumped online and moved our flights from 30 July to 2 August, for a small difference in fare – and I’m glad we did as now we are here!”
“To be honest, the run-up to our trip was quite stressful (and I work in travel, so that’s saying something), but mainly due to the lack of communication. I know we are very reliant on epidemiological figures, which is completely understandable, but as a traveller who has flights booked and doesn’t know whether they can go, not go, or can go and, in Cyprus’s case, need a test, is stressful. In a way – it’s been useful to see how this feels both as an agent on behalf of a customer …. And as an actual traveller!”
“When it was announced that we could travel, there was a sense of relief, but that was followed by our confusion around how we would follow the new entry requirements for Cyprus and get ourselves a Covid-19 test in order to be allowed in.”
Testing times
“Luckily that same week, a local doctor had popped into my store to advise us that her clinics in London were now offering Covid-19 tests for £150 per person. Due to flying on a Sunday, we had to plan to get the results on a Friday as you cannot take the tests or get results on a weekend. We went to a local private clinic and it was really simple, swab of mouth and nose, and then on the Friday we both got our negative results back with a letter from the doctor with a certificate.”
“Even though I had a plan sorted, I researched further anyway, looked into local Cypriot Facebook groups, websites, Cyprus Flight Pass [the government’s official site for entry details and form] and discovered the information is extremely confusing. I can completely understand why tour operators have cancelled holidays to the island, as it could be seen as too much responsibility to expect clients to be able to do this, and then have it fall back on operators if clients don’t have the right paperwork.”
“I also saw a lot of people online asking if NHS tests are accepted, but realistically NHS tests shouldn’t be used to get clearance for travel and to be honest I wouldn’t have risked that route anyway.”
“What we need now in the UK are clinics who are going to offer reasonable priced tests, as £150 is expensive, when places like Cyprus are clearly offering it to residents for around €60. We want to be able to encourage clients to travel, not scare them off with further costs, such as high test fees.”
“On the day of our flight with easyJet, we arrived at Gatwick, went to check in as normal, and there was a clear lack of organisation – social distancing was pretty much non-existent and there just weren’t enough airline staff to organise the number of clients waiting to be processed.”
“We found this was the same story at the boarding gates, no barriers, no system/lines: just a free-for-all trying to get on the flight as quick as possible as you might previously have seen. The flight itself was absolutely fine as it was half empty, so we had lots of space. I felt completely comfortable and it made me think I would have no qualms now about possibly doing a long haul flight - we kept our masks on from as soon as we got to Gatwick right through to exiting at Paphos.”
“On arrival into Cyprus, I’ve got to say they nailed it. They had plenty of people on the ground ready to greet the flights, then there were two doctors checking Covid-19 test documentation, and then normal passport control where our tests were checked for a second time.”
“Prior to travel, we’d also filled out the Cyprus Flight Pass online, this needs to be completed within 24 hours of departure and is a declaration. It asks you to upload your negative Covid test result and then it just accepted and said ‘confirmed to travel’.”
“You then need to present the printed Covid test and your Cyprus Flight Pass on arrival, or have it ready to display on your phone – but this was not requested prior to boarding in the UK, so it would be frustrating if someone arrived without the right paperwork, having not been checked. There was one person on our flight that hadn’t done the test, and he was taken to one side to an area where I presume they tested him and charged him €60.”
Touching down
“When we walked into arrivals it was deadly quiet, which for Paphos in August is bizarre but understandable, as I think a lot of people lack knowledge on what is actually required to enter the country now. We picked up our hire car from Europcar and despite having the screens at the desk, everything else was handled as normal.”
“One thing we did notice was that the car had a cleaning checklist dangling from the rear view mirror, so it had been thoroughly cleaned. Then we left the airport straight along the coastal road to enjoy the stunning sea views and a quick picture stop of Aphrodite’s Rock. We are now spending 10 nights in a friend’s villa and then finishing off for two nights at the Asimina Suites in Paphos to check out the whole hotel experience there.”
“Our first evening, we strolled down to Pissouri village for dinner and I was shocked how normal it actually felt, the staff were wearing masks in the restaurants, you’ve still got the taxi drivers shouting at each other in Greek and the smell of fresh food being cooked on the grill; I already feel at home!”
“I’m so glad that we made the effort to come, and the £150 for the Covid-19 test was worth every penny to experience what I am now. I think Cyprus as a country has taken the absolute correct approach, and as a traveller it gave me confidence knowing that all the people (in theory) on our flight had taken a test within 72 hours of departure.”
“Maybe this is the new way to travel – we now need to get clients to embrace it and not be scared of it. Treat it like getting a visa, but you’re kind of getting a Covid-19 stamp on your passport instead. Now it’s time for another bottle of Keo and to watch the sunset on Pissouri bay.”
* Follow this link to check the latest Foreign Office advice on travelling to Cyprus
April Hutchinson
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