RIO DE JANEIRO BRAZIL – The municipal government of Buenos Aires announced on Friday, November 20th, the reopening of national and international tourism starting in December, with a comprehensive policy for the arrival of visitors that includes tests to detect the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).
Felipe Miguel, the head of the city’s Cabinet, said that “the priority is and will continue to be taking care of the health of our neighbors. I want to bring them the peace of mind that we have a testing system for each tourist who comes to the city. We have already set up the protocol for this to be so.”
In coordination with the national government, the plan includes different locations for conducting tests in order to guarantee the safety of international and national tourists, as well as residents of the city, and includes isolation in the event that a test returns positive for COVID-19.
Visitors must submit an online affidavit, take a COVID-19 test at their place of origin 72 hours prior to arrival, possess medical insurance with coverage for COVID-19, and take another test upon arrival before continuing on their journey.
In October, the Argentinean capital obtained the Safe Travels seal from the World Travel and Tourism Council, which guarantees that it is complying with health and safety protocols.
According to the Argentinean government, in 2019, 2.9 million international tourists and 6.9 million domestic tourists visited Buenos Aires, bringing a total of US$2.484 billion in revenue to the city.