Which places are now open for motorcycle tourism, and can you plan your next fly-and-ride?
The pandemic is far from over, but little by little, countries around the world are opening up for tourism. In Europe, travel came back for the summer with countries like Italy and Croatia inviting visitors without restrictions; currently, South Africa is opening borders, too, and in South America, Ecuador is back in business: with a negative COVID test, you can now fly and ride Ecuador.
According to Court Rand, founder of Ecuador Freedom motorcycle tours company in Quito, Ecuador, moto adventures on the equator are back on the menu. “You need a negative COVID test taken ten days or less before arriving in Ecuador, but no quarantine is required. Ecuador has earned the #SafeTravels certificate from the World Travel Tourism Council for implementing safe biosecurity standards in all its tourism infrastructure. The hotels and sites are rolling out the red carpet. Ecuador has always given visitors a warm welcome and that welcome has now stepped up to a whole new level”, Rand said.
While the company has faced some challenges during the peak of the Coronavirus pandemic, Ecuador Freedom took the time to renew its large motorcycle fleet, renovate the workshop, and get ready to receive motorcycle travelers thirsty for a South American adventure. “Due to uncertainty, we’ve made our reservation policy 100% flexible. Any reservation can change the dates if your travel changes due to Coronavirus throughout 2021. Many airlines like American airlines have similar policies now of no change fees. Even if you’re not planning to ride Ecuador in the next few months, making long-term travel plans right now can feel like a new adventure is on the horizon, and here in Ecuador, we’re ready to roll! In addition to remodeling our maintenance center, we have pulled every single bike we have apart spending 2 days per bike, and our fleet has never been more adventure-ready. We have been renting motorcycles to pilots and airline employees, and we had our first self-guided tour customers this past week. They had a blast and experienced such great welcomes. They didn’t want to leave”, Rand shared.