 Dominica- Caribbean Island By Susan Sherren- 3/28/21 12:46 PM Imagine working from your new digs in Dominica, a small island in the Caribbean. If you tiring of your home office and want a bit of stunning scenery then check out Dominica's new enticing visa to roaming digital workers. With the recently launched Work in Nature (WIN) extended-stay visa, visitors can relocate to Dominica for up to 18 months. Imagine visiting waterfalls, volcanos, hot springs, and stunning beaches in your downtime. Dominica, the "Nature Isle of the Caribbean", is jumping on the digital nomad bandwagon. Dominica is also home to the Caribbean's first long-distance hiking trail. In addition to the extended visa perk, you'll enjoy high-speed internet and modern health care services. Dominica is situated between Guadalupe and Martinique if you need a weekend away. If you would like further information on Dominica extended stays- Visit: www. couturetrips.com.  Dominica
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By Susan Sherren 3/25/21 6:21PM On March 25, 1821, Greece officially declared its independence from the Ottoman Empire. The event is celebrated annually on March 25 around the globe, especially in Greek Diaspora. Many blue and white Greek flags will be flown to honor the event. The break from the Ottoman Empire was one of the first national revolutions in Europe. Hellenic groups will donn the blue and white to celebrate the bicentennial event. Couture Trips would like to join in the celebrations by presenting our own tribute to Greek independence.  By Susan Sherren, March 21, 2021- 6:50 PM Most of us can guess that a well-planned itinerary is a key component to having a awesome vacation experience. You just don't want to arrive at your destination without any prior planning. Going on the fly may seem adventurous, but you can't really maximize your time with this strategy. A well-planned itinerary is key- but have you considered really adding some local flavor into your trip. Yes, we all want to see the Tower of London and the Queen's jewels, but what about timing our vacation days to coincide with a local event, exhibit, or concert. At Couture Trips, we call this parallel planning. Quite simply, your plans parallel local pre-scheduled events. Several years ago, I planned my London, England trip to coincide with the Queen's Jubilee Celebration at Buckingham Palace! The tickets for this event went on sale six months before the actual event.Yes, it took advanced planning to get into this venue. There was an attire protocol, and I had to go through several steps to obtain a security clearance before even attending. I was handsomely rewarded for all of my efforts. I had an over-the-top night at Buckingham Palace! To mingle with the English on their turf was truly memorable.  While the rest of the trip was fabulous, the highlight was definitely the parallel experience I took advantage of. You, too, can have these memorable and really authentic experiences with advanced planning and forethought. You can start by scouring the internet and reading the local papers like- the UK's The Telegraph to see what's happening in the communities and cities you are planning on visiting. Once you start implementing parallel planning, your vacations will never be the same again! You can also contact Couture Trips for any assistance. We utilize this strategy when we consult with our travelers. Our little "secret sauce" will really spice up your days away. We are constantly scouring the globe for great events and activities that will add that magic touch to your vacation. Contact us today for a free consultation.Visit:www.couturetrips.com for details or email us at inquiries@couturetrips.com.
 By Susan Sherren- 3/20/21 2:12PM This week, Ecuador announced that vaccinated and antigen-negative travelers will be able to effectively enter the country on March 22, 2021. Ecuador is joining a list of countries that have recently opened their borders, such as Iceland. You may freely travel to Ecuador's popular spots- the Galapagos as long as you can show a COVID-19 vaccine certificate/card or a negative antigen test. The antigen testing must be completed 72 hours before arrival. If you previously had COVID-19, you may also present proof that you had the illness. The Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center reports - Ecuador has had over 16,300 deaths and 307,400 COVID-19 cases."Let's not forget that the requirements are the vaccination card and the PCR or antigen test," said Juan Zapata, president of the national COE. He emphasized that valid vaccination cards will be per the vaccines that are authorized by health entities in Ecuador.  According to the National Agency for Health Regulation, Control and Surveillance (Arcsa), the vaccines approved in the country are those from Pfizer-BioNTech, Sinovac, Covax, and AstraZeneca. Ecuadorian authorities have released some guidelines for tourists, including:
 By Susan Sherren, 3/16/2021
Couture Trips loves to give you, our travelers great tips on helping you make the most of your days away. It is often the little details that can make or break a holiday. A key point to a well-planned vacation is incorporating the right elements that will make it a trip to remember. Food Tours are a perfect activity that really can positively impact your vacation. Not all food tours are the same and you should take great care in selecting one. Look at the reviews of other travelers, decide if the proposed food on the tour is something you would enjoy and food you like or would like to know more about. If you don't drink alcohol, then don't sign up for wine-focused tour or visa versa. Also, if you suffer from extensive food allergies, then a food tour probably isn't for you. I was on a food tour that involved sampling pizza in the Trastevere area in Rome when one traveler in the group boldly announced she was allergic to tomatoes! If you have an excellent guide who is knowledgeable about the cuisine in the area and has a relationship with the various restaurateurs you are in for a real treat. Our tip is simply- schedule the food tour in food tour in the first one or two days after arriving in a new locale. You will get fabulous tips on places to eat, plus you will become familiar with the area's most outstanding dishes. It is also a great opportunity to make some friends and get oriented to your new surroundings. One of our travelers told us that during his awesome Tapas Tour in Barcelona, he made some friends on and on a subsequent trip to New York City, he met up with them, and they gave him a tour of their city. Social media provides opportunities to keep up with people you meet on your journeys. It can be frustrating when you arrive at a new destination to decide where and what to eat. A knowledgeable food tour guide can make recommendations and be a great resource for other questions too. I often will ask them what is going on in the town or what areas of town should we avoid. You really can get the low down on many things. On a food tour to Florence, Italy a few years ago, I ended up being the only person on the tour. The guide was so pleasant, and we had a great two hours together. I sampled wonderful cheeses, had great pasta, but more than that, I made a friend and got some insights into Florence and Italy that I probably wouldn't have been able to discover on my own. Schedule your food tour early, so you have confidence roaming your new surroundings plus you will know where the best foodie spots are. When you eat like a local you'll find you've had an authentic travel encounter. Contact www.couturetrips.com to schedule a complimentary consultation or email us at inquires@couturetrips.com to start planning your next getaway.
By Susan Sherren, Founder Couture Trips If you have been longing for a Grecian holiday, it might be just around the corner. May 14th, 2021 is the magical date when Greece opens up its borders to tourists longing for some amazing views of the Aegean. Gloria Guevara, President, and CEO of the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) stated, “the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) and its Members praise the Greek government for its tremendous efforts and strategic steps taken to restart international travel from 14 May.” It is quite a bold step in the right direction to revive Greece's tourism industry that has been devastated by the pandemic. This move could be duplicated in other countries longing to ramp up their tourism economy.  Greek Tourism Minister Harry Theocharis announced the country’s plan to bring tourists back to Greece by May 14, with one unnegotiable qualification. He stated, "Greece is ready with a complete protocol for summer 2021," Theocharis said, according to Reuters. "Tourists will be welcome if before travel they are either vaccinated, or have antibodies, or test negative (for COVID-19). All tourists will be subject to random testing“. Guevara further reiterated that." Greece has a clear roadmap to recovery could reopen the door to a bumper summer of travel for sun-starved holidaymakers looking to get away to Greece, and provide a significant boost to the country's economy,” she said. “It also lays out the pathway which other countries could follow, in a bid to kickstart safe travel and help revive their own stricken economies.”Greece is hoping to attract around 15 million tourists this year about half of their pre-pandemic numbers. Visit Travel.State.Gov prior to making any travel plans to Greece.Please visit www.couturetrips.com or email us at inquires@couturetrips.com for assistance in planning your next great escape to Greece.
 By Susan Sherren-President of Couture Global Trips
Italy's citizens were struck down early on during the pandemic suffering a huge loss of lives; to date, there have been over 100,00 deaths in Italy. It comes as no surprise that Italian officials would institute conservative measures and practices to open up their beautiful country to tourists. We have become accustomed to COVID- free flights, pre-travel testing requirements, and quarantines. It is quite logical that COVID-free trains will become the new norm. Gianfranco Battisti, CEO of state-owned Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane, has said, "We will launch a covid-free train at the start of April." "We have chosen the Rome to Milan route for the initial testing phase. Then we will implement this for tourist destinations for the summer." "It will be a unique opportunity which will allow people to visit destinations such as Venice and Florence." On these popular routes, the staff and passengers will be tested for COVID-19 before boarding the train. To accomplish this, passengers will need to arrive an hour before the departure time. The goal is to use these new policies to jump-start tourism in Italy once borders are reopened. Tourism is 14% of Italy's economy, and many people in Italy rely on tourism as their primary source of income. The Red Cross and the Italian Civil Protection sponsors of the coordinated government efforts will oversee testing at 11 primary train stations. The major stations include Rome, Milan, Florence, Naples, Venice Mestre, and Bari, for those wishing to access Puglia. Termini station in Rome is slated to become a major point for vaccine administration. Giovanni Rezza, Director of Prevention of Italy's Health Ministry, predicted it would take between seven and fifteen months to return to some type of normality within the country. Unfortunately, Italy currently is battling with the third wave of Covid-19, and health services remained strained in some areas. While Italy is currently closed to U.S. tourists, we remain committed to keeping you updated on the latest testing requirements abroad. Once Italy opens its doors, you will likely face either presenting proof vaccination or COVID-19 testing requirements to travel on Italy's trains. Please visit www.couturetrips.com or email us at inquires@couturetrips.com for assistance in planning your next great escape. |
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