Places That Will Practically Pay You to Visit When the Pandemic Is Over

I have been anxious to get back to traveling and visiting new places, and I know I’m not the only one. I can’t sit still for too long without some new adventure to look forward to. Can you relate?

Now, have you ever stopped to think about the other side of traveling? The tourism industry took a hit. Countries that depend on tourism are ready for us to come back and visit too!

Did you know that some countries will actually chip in to pay for your flight, discount your stays, waive cancellation and change fees, or even refund or pay you to come visit when it’s safe again?! I get travel emails every day and lately I’m seeing that a lot of countries are offering incentives to travelers, so I decided to compile a list of every country I could find that will encourage you to visit.

Sicily, Italy

Sicily will pay for half of your flight to visit when the coronavirus pandemic is over! — Image via Flickr by cattan2011

I just got an email yesterday from Lonely Planet saying that Sicily will pay for half of your flight to come visit once the borders are open. And to sweeten the deal, one in every three hotel nights you book is free! The tourism board is also covering entrance fees to museums and archaeological sites. Find more information on the Visit Sicily website.

Las Vegas, USA

Visit Sin City, aka Las Vegas, known for gambling, pool parties, and nightlife — Image via Flickr by Mathieu Lebreton

The best time to visit Las Vegas is in the summer to experience the hot pool parties, cool night life, epic shows, and of course the plethora of casino games. Las Vegas is trying to reopen in June and encouraging tourism by giving away 1,000 free flights from more than 20 major US cities. They’re calling it the “Keep America Flying” promotion, which I just love!

Cancun, Mexico

Aerial shot of Cancun's hotel zone and beaches. Does it make you want to visit? — Image via Flickr by dronepicr

Visit the Yucatan beaches with a special two-for-one deal! The deal is called #VenACancunx2. The Cancun Hotel Association is offering to refund one plane ticket for every two bought, and give visitors two free nights of accommodation for every two nights paid. They say coronavirus doesn’t last long in warm weather, so Mexico seems like the right choice!

Cyprus

Cyprus’s approach on tourism is a little more reactive, but still incentivizing. The Mediterranean island is opening up in stages and offering tourists who test positive for coronavirus after visiting a refund on all expenses (flight, accommodations, food, medical expenses, etc.). The idea is to give travelers financial assurance than any coronavirus expenses they might encounter while there would be covered. We don’t want to be eligible for this one, right?

Bulgaria

Bulgaria gets an honorable mention. While the country isn’t technically paying you to travel there, they are making a lot of tourist hotspots free. It’s not perfect, but if you can get there, it will save a family or big group a good amount of money! For example, Bulgarian beaches, umbrellas, beach chairs and beds, lounges, and tables will be free to help lower costs and encourage tourists to return. It’s like a 7-day free trial of Bulgaria.

This is my list so far, but I am constantly on the lookout for other places that are offering deals too good to pass up. I will constantly update this as I hear of more places. And if anyone reading knows of any places practically paying people to visit, please let me know in the comments so I can share.

So for everyone asking how I manage to travel so much, this is a small glimpse of how anyone can do it! See you in…

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