Dutch vacationers depart for Greece in first Covid-free test holiday

Nearly two hundred people flew to Rhodes on Monday morning for an out-of-the-ordinary trip to the Greek island. Fieldlab organized a “coronavirus proof” vacation for the 189 passengers in an all-inclusive, five-star resort.

The experiment is meant to find a model of if travel can be restarted safely during the slow European rollout of Covid-19 vaccines.

Nearly 25 thousand people applied to take part in the trip. Two of the lucky ones chosen were Amy Smulders and her sister. “We really needed a vacation”, she said to NOS Radio 1 Journaal.

Travelers need to fulfill certain requirements to embark on their journey. “We had ourselves tested on Saturday and will soon undergo a second test”, Smulders said. “We also have to fill out a daily questionnaire and researchers analyze our behavior. But I don’t care too much about that.”

The tourists will be taken to the hotel immediately upon arrival. They will not beallowed to leave the resort. A day trip to an adjacent beach is therefore not possible.

The Dutch tourists will still have full access to the resort's outdoor pool and sports facilities. Temperatures on Rhodes are set to be between 18 to 20 degrees Celsius in the upcoming days.