Since September 25, 2020, Belgians can once again travel to red areas, but these destinations remain nonetheless strongly discouraged by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Indeed, there is a triple risk to opt for this type of destination.
First, there is a health risk. That said, Belgium is one of the European countries which currently have the highest number of infections in proportion to its population.
Second, “travelers should be aware that further outbreaks of Covid-19 abroad can have a significant impact on their travel and thatrepatriation cannot be guaranteed if commercial flights are canceled or borders closed“, according to a warning from the FPS Foreign Affairs.
“We will continue to do everything possible. But when organizing medical assistance and repatriations, we will have to take into account the consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic, that is to say, we will depend on the directives of the country of residence in which we will have to intervene. “
Fact, do not count on temporary unemployment benefits if you are returning from abroad and have an obligation to quarantine yourself. The National Employment Office (Onem) has clearly stipulated in its FAQ (updated October 15) that quarantine following a trip made to take vacation to a red zone “does not open any rights temporarily unemployed, since it is not a situation of force majeure “. “In such a case, there is a quarantine obligation known in advance. The quarantine results from the choice of the worker.“
Now that you have understood the risks of traveling outside our borders, here is some information that may be useful before purchasing your tickets.
Where can I go on vacation?
Despite the re-containment adopted on Friday, October 30 (and until at least mid-December), no restrictions on travel are foreseen within our borders, while travel abroad remains strongly discouraged, but not prohibited.
The same goes for the Denmark, of which the island of Seelande is the last region to pass into the red zone, and Spain, with the provinces of Alicante and Castellón as well as the regions of Valencia and Lugo.
In Germany, the German Länder of Brandenburg, Hesse, Thuringia and around the cities of Hanover and Leipzig have passed into the red zone, but certain regions of the country remain in the orange zone.
The FPS Foreign Affairs highlights that “travelers returning from regions in the red zone will no longer be required to take a test, until November 15, except in the event of apparent symptoms” (see also questions 17).
Where can I get tested before a trip?
Currently, several countries ask to present a negative Covid PCR test less than 48 hours before your arrival. This is particularly the case for Germany, Cyprus, Italy and Greece. But given the outbreak of the epidemic in Belgium, most screening centers are currently overwhelmed.
However, in the case of tests necessary to travel, it is better to contact your doctor or a laboratory, according to the recommendations set out by the FPS Public Health. “These tests are not reimbursed by compulsory health insurance and may be billed to the traveler at the rate of 46.81 euros. “
Note that Brussels Airport has its own screening center dedicated to Covid-19 at the exit of the departures hall. This can perform up to 200 tests per hour.
In practice, departing travelers can be tested on site. “For more efficiency, we advise them to register online beforehand.“, says Nathalie Pierard, spokesperson for Brussels Airport. This registration allows you to obtain a QR code to present on arrival on site.
Receipt of the result of this quick test will depend on the time the test was performed. If a test is performed between 3:30 a.m. and 6 a.m., the result will be available a few hours later, between 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. If the test is carried out between 6 a.m. and 4 p.m., you will wait 4 to 6 hours maximum to obtain your result. If the test is done between 4 p.m. and midnight, you will receive the result between 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. the next day. “But be careful not to do it too late! If you come at noon for a flight scheduled for 6:00 p.m., there is a risk that the result of a quick test will not be available yet.“, warns Nathalie Pierard.
Testing at Brussels Airport: how does it work?
Price side, it is necessary to count 67 euros for a standard PCR test with a result within 24 hours or 135 euros for a rapid PCR test, the results of which will be available a few hours later.
You can wait for your test result – which will be emailed to you – at home or at the airport (but there is no obligation). However, if you are at the airport and your test is positive, “we will ask you to leave the airport site immediately, to respect the quarantine and to contact your doctor”, warn the airport authorities who add: “the airline will not allow you to fly anyway. “
UPDATE October 26, 2020: Please note, the results of the coronavirus screening tests carried out at Brussels Airport are pending, the airport partner is currently overwhelmed by the influx of samples to be analyzed. The delay is currently 36 to 48 hours.
While the screening center installed at Brussels Airport only received 230 to 250 people per day during the first wave, mainly passengers returning from the red zone, this number has recently increased to 500 and now exceeds 800. Consequently, the results, which were to be delivered in 24 hours and were on average in nine, are now expected up to 48 hours, admits the spokeswoman. This is a problem for travelers whose destination country requires a negative test carried out within 72 hours before take-off to allow boarding.
To ease the partner’s workload, rapid tests, which deliver a result within four to six hours, have been suspended for the time being.
The airport says it has contacted the airlines of travelers affected by the delay to try to find a solution, but to be dependent on the conditions set by the companies concerned.
Brussels Airport recommends that passengers who must provide a test register in advance at brusselsairport.ecocare.center, which simplifies the administrative procedures on site.
What are the trends for the All Saints’ Day holidays?
At Neckermann (see also last question), there is a strong demand for the Canary Islands, including for example Lanzarote. There are still good deals to be had from 599 euros per person for an all-inclusive stay and special discounts for children.
Demand also remains strong for Italy (which did not yet have any red destinations on October 13, 2020 at the time of the interview). “This destination is very popular and more particularly Sicily“, specifies Muriel Berkvens, marketing director at Neckermann.” On the other hand, we perceive a increased demand for nearby destinations such as Germany (the Moselle, the Black Forest, etc.) and the north-east of France such as Alsace, Champagne or the Vosges.“
For TUI, the Ardennes remain more than ever the preferred destination by its customers for the week of All Saints. Moreover, it remains very little availability for local holidays, including the Belgian Coast, which also confirms Thibault Van Look, manager of Interhome Belgium.
“Recently, we therefore made an effort to expand our car vacation offer,” notes TUI spokesperson Sarah Saucin. “In particular, we added the luxury Droomparken holiday villages in the Netherlands. But in the meantime many parts of this country have fallen into the red zone.”
Gold, until further notice, the tour operator has decided not to offer trips to destinations in the red zone despite the lifting of the ban by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This is not without consequence on the evolution of its offer. “For example, as Tenerife has moved to the red zone, we no longer offer package holidays to this destination. But flights are maintained for those who still wish to go there. Lanzarote has once again become an orange zone. Therefore, we will resume offering our holiday offer from October 21 with a first flight.“
Tour operator reports increased capacity for flights to Spain during the All Saints holiday and that il extends its offer to Heraklion and Rhodes, Greece. Like Neckermann, he notes a high demand for Lanzarote. “In this regard, we have just added flights and package holidays to the islands of Fuerteventura and Gran Canaria, because these islands located in the Canaries were turned orange again on Friday, October 16.”
On the price side, since demand has halved compared to All Saints’ Day 2019, there is still quite a bit of availability for Belgians who would like to leave, with last minute promotions that can reach 50% reduction.
Finally, for those who would like to favor the second week of the All Saints holidays (which has been extended until November 11, 2020 for students of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation) To leave, note as an example that 56% of the Belgian Interhome offer is already complete for this period. Since this period is considered the low season, prices vary between 389 euros and 1,380 euros for a week stay. “We will offer a 33% reduction for those who decide to make a reservation at the last minute, namely seven days before the date of departure.”
Is there a travel offer outside the Schengen area?
There is no longer any offer outside the Schengen area at present at TUI since the rest of the world is in the red zone with the exception of Rwanda and South Korea, destinations which are not part of the offer from this tour operator.
“At Neckermann, a customer has the option of booking a trip outside the European Union and if this is the case, we will inform him of the travel advice in force so that he can make his choice while having all the important information to know “, explains Muriel Berkvens. Moreover, the tour operator already see a slight increase in demand for the winter season or even for next summer to such destinations, led by Turkey, Morocco, Egypt or even Thailand.
On the side of Club Med, certain holiday villages located outside the Schengen area are once again accessible for reservations during the All Saints holiday for Belgian tourists. This is the case of Marrakech, Punta Cana or Cancun. Here too, Club Med reminds its customers that although travel is once again accessible, there will be conditions to follow for their return to Belgium.
Have my holidays via Neckermann been compromised?
This October 27, 2020, the tour operator Neckermann asked the Nivelles court to launch a judicial reorganization procedure. However, For now, no panic for holidaymakers who have booked through Neckermann. The sign is still operational.
But what if bankruptcy? It is for such eventualities that was founded the travel guarantee fund. The latter would intervene to compensate injured travelers.
The problem could however come from the vouchers issued by the tour operators. In short, if you have a voucher issued after June 19, book!