International travel destinations are opening up again as the summer travel season shifts into higher gear — but not without hurdles or headaches.
Delta Air Lines is ramping up its schedule of routes to Europe, including starting flights from Atlanta to Athens, Venice, Barcelona and Madrid starting in July and August.
Most foreign carriers have restarted flights from Atlanta, including Qatar Airways and Lufthansa relaunching service earlier this month. Mexico and much of the Caribbean have been welcoming tourists for months.
Tourism is still heavily restricted in much of Asia, though. Same for Canada, the United Kingdom and many other destinations.
Would-be international travelers from Atlanta also have to navigate a confusing, constantly shifting maze of restrictions as governments around the world try to gauge the spread of COVID-19 variants and whether visitors have been vaccinated.
Countries are reopening, “but it’s not something that’s black and white. It’s a very fluid situation,” said Claire Murdock, a travel specialist at AAA.
There could be one requirement in place today, but “it might change tomorrow,” she said, adding it’s never been more challenging in her 25 years in the industry.
