St. Barts, a leading luxury destination in the Caribbean, announced that it will begin welcoming visitors back on June 22 in accordance with new safety guidelines from the French government. Upon opening, all beaches, restaurants, boutiques and nautical activities will be open without restriction. St. Barts closed its borders to tourism and non-essential travel on March 16 in an effort to minimize the spread of COIVD-19. Since closing its borders, St. Barts has successfully eradicated COVID-19 on the island with no confirmed deaths due to the virus.

“St. Barts has been free of COVID-19 for more than two months, and we have worked diligently with the French government to develop effective and efficient health and safety protocols to protect our locals, partners and visitors,” says Nils DuFau, president of the Tourism Committee of St. Barts. “We are excited to reopen the island and welcome travelers back to our tropical paradise. We have a great deal to look forward to here on the island, including the upcoming St. Barts Gourmet Festival in November.”

One of the most varied and upscale islands in the Caribbean, St. Barts is known for its explosive culinary scene, luxury accommodations and convivial atmosphere. The island’s high season kicks off with the annual Gourmet Festival, November 11-15, which brings internationally renowned chefs to the island’s leading hotels for four days of gourmet dining and chic parties.

To welcome visitors back to the island, St. Barts, in accordance with the French government, and partner airlines will implement new entry protocols. New protocols include:

Protocols for Entry
To keep everyone safe, the following safety measures are now in place for anyone visiting St. Barts:

• Visitors will be asked to provide documentation of a negative COVID-19 test performed within three days prior to their arrival.

• If visitors are unable to produce such documentation, they will be required to test for COVID-19 within 24 hours upon arrival to St. Barts. Until their test results are revealed, visitors will be required to observe strict quarantine at their host accommodations. Test results will be released in under 24 hours.

• If a visitor stay exceeds seven days, they will be subjected to a second COVID-19 test on the seventh day following their arrival.

• Children below age 10 are not subject to testing.