A glimmer of hope for summer vacation
Are you missing the sea and the diving??!!
Some countries or regions are not so severely affected by the corona virus and especially at the European level, the relaxation of travel restrictions is coming slowly but steadily.
Our worldwide dive centres are all still closed at the moment, but we are already preparing for the resumption of our diving operations - taking into account numerous safety and hygiene regulations.
Our diving centres in Malta, Gozo and El Hierro could be among the first Extra Divers centres to open their doors to our guests again. Also in Egypt the hotels are in the process of gradually resuming operation for local guests.
Malta: Almost Corona free so far!
The corona crisis has almost passed the small island state of Malta. Few infections and the strict requirements of the past few weeks give hope. Our diving operations could probably start again on July 1st.
El Hierro: Successful isolation of the small island
In mid-March, extremely strict measures were introduced in Spain, which also applied to the small island of El Hierro. Almost all flight and ferry connections to the Canary Islands were cancelled and there was a curfew. The positive result: only one Corona case, which has already recovered and to date no further cases. At the end of June / beginning of July diving trips to the Canary Islands may be possible again.
Egypt: Hotels already open to local tourists
For local guests, hotels with 25 percent occupancy can now reopen, from June 1st with 50 percent occupancy. It is also under discussion to isolate certain places (Hurghada, Marsa Alam and Sharm) for foreign tourism. At the moment we are very confident that our liveaboard and most of our diving centers could start operating again from mid-June.
And the rest of the world?
Our colleague Dave from Extra Divers Christmas Island regularly posts great photos of the gem in the Indian Ocean. Due to the remote location, there was not a single Corona case on the island. Since Christmas Island belongs to Australia, it is subject to very strict requirements and the reopening could take a while. At the same time, Christmas Island scores with breath-taking nature and very few tourists. A top spot to dive safely.
Indonesia: Our small islands in the Maratua Atoll are currently closed but all colleagues and the staff are doing well. So far, the virus has not reached this secluded corner off the coast of Borneo and the chances are extremely good that it will remain that way. Our small centre in the north-west of Bali also scores with a perfect location away from the tourist crowds. The Indonesian government will discuss the tourist restrictions in the next few days, and Bali could be one of the first destinations that are cautiously reopening for tourists.
We would like to keep you up to date in the near future and would be happy to welcome you back to one of our diving centres soon! Stay healthy!
