As COVID vaccinations become more prevalent and countries open up their borders, the travel industry will continue to rebound. Andovar can help travel and hospitality businesses maximize their ROI with a translation management system that streamlines workflows. We also have travel translation services that include both human and machine translators working to quickly translate your websites, booking tools, customer reviews and other content travelers want to see in their own languages.
To maximize the ROI of your travel translation efforts, consider the following factors:
- Which countries are getting vaccinated the fastest? These countries will have the most travelers who meet the entry restrictions of countries opening up post-COVID.
- Of these countries, which have high, medium and low English proficiency? These are important translation and localization targets for resorts, theme parks, med spa destinations and tourism businesses.
- How can Andovar help you improve your SEO and conversion rates for non-English speaking travelers and the 65% of travelers who want to consume research information in their own languages.
This information can help travel industry professionals and companies determine what languages and regions to invest in for localization purposes.
Which Countries Are Getting Vaccinated the Fastest?
Despite the logistical complexity of ramping up the manufacturing of approved vaccines, records from the University of Oxford and national records of various countries indicate worldwide vaccinations are growing exponentially. More than 789 million people have received one of the seven approved vaccinations administered around the world.
Here are some of the countries that have vaccinated the largest number of people:
- US: 291.8m
- China: 639.2m
- India: 208.7m
- European Union: 244.8m
- UK: 65m
- Brazil: 67.1m
- Turkey: 29m
- Germany: 50m
- Indonesia: 27m
- France: 36.1m
- Russia: 28.4m
- Italy: 34.5m
- Chile: 18.5m
- Mexico: 30.3m
- Israel: 10.6m
- Spain: 26.1m
- UAE: 12.8m
You can view the whole chart (with daily updates) here to look up target countries.
What Countries Will Generate High Numbers of Travelers the Soonest After COVID?
Here are the countries with the highest number of travelers pre-COVID (most data from 2018 or 2019):
*in millions
- United States 157.873
- China: 154.632
- Germany: 108.542
- Hong Kong SAR. China: 94.715
- United Kingdom: 93.086
- Mexico: 82.752
- Italy: 62.207
- Poland: 50.6
- France: 49.276
- Russian Federation: 45.330
- Canada: 37.846
- South Asia: 36.715
- Malaysia: 30.761
- Ukraine: 29.346
- Korea. Rep.: 28.714
- Saudi Arabia: 27.196
- India: 26.915
- Hungary: 24.860
- Romania: 23.066
- Spain: 22.816
- Netherlands: 20.871
- Japan: 20.080
- Switzerland: 19.797
- Sweden: 19.061
- United Arab Emirates: 18.903
Impact of English Proficiency on Travel Research and Conversion
More than 167 million Chinese citizens have received their vaccinations. China and Hong Kong have a moderate English proficiency but most travelers prefer to buy products and services in their own languages. With over 167 million Chinese traveling in 2019, it makes translating content into Chinese a priority for travel industry professionals.
Also consider countries with fast vaccination programs such as Arabic-speaking countries, India and Turkey. These countries generate a large number of travelers, many of whom have low English proficiency but deep pockets. So, if nothing else, make sure your service pages and reviews translate into these target languages.
European Union countries have high vaccination rates and high proficiency in English. However, people still prefer to research and book trips with companies that have localized content in their native languages.
While an OK translation is better than no translation, travelers tend to give their money to companies with content localized in their native languages.
Countries Opening Up to COVID Vaccinated or Tested Visitors
No matter how well a country is doing with vaccinations, it won’t make much difference to travelers who can’t get in.
According to Frommers, many countries now welcome either vaccinated or non-vaccinated visitors. Non-vaccinated visitors must show proof of a negative COVID test and typically have a quarantine period that varies from country to country. This list makes a great starting point for travel industry professionals wondering what content to prioritize in the expected swell of travel activity in 2021 and beyond. It’s also useful for those in the travel industry researching the best target markets for localization campaigns for travel apps, websites and software.
- Belize welcomes visitors who show proof of vaccination two weeks before their arrival.
- Croatia does not require a quarantine if visitors have completed their final vaccination within two weeks of traveling.
- Cyprus plans to allow visitors from Britain and the European Union starting sometime in May. Travelers from the United States and other nations are currently excluded.
- Ecuador will allow visitors with proof of vaccination to enter the country and visit the Galapagos Islands. Non-vaccinated visitors must show a negative COVID-19 test taken within the last 72 hours.
- Estonia allows visitors who have been vaccinated in the past six months. It also welcomes visitors who have recovered from COVID-19 within the last six months.
- Georgia began admitting vaccinated travelers in February. They do not require proof of a negative COVID-19 test.
- Greece requires a vaccination, proof of antibodies or a negative PRP test.
- Iceland admits vaccinated visitors but has a pre-approved list of vaccine formulations.
- Lebanon no longer requires a quarantine period for vaccinated guests. However, it does require a negative COVID-19 test within 5 days of traveling for all visitors.
- Lithuania allows vaccinated travelers to enter the country without any isolation.
- Mauritius is an island nation in the Indian Ocean that plans to admit vaccinated tourists soon. They will not require a quarantine but have not announced the start date of the new policy. It even offers free COVID vaccinations to qualified visitors.
- Poland admits vaccinated visitors without a quarantine. However, some of the countries surrounding Poland have not yet opened up to visitors, which could make traveling there difficult.
- Romania accepts vaccinated visitors traveling at least 10 days after their final dose. It still requires visas for many tourists.
- Seychelles is a group of islands in the Indian Ocean that has opened its borders to visitors who can provide a negative COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours. There are no quarantine or vaccination requirements.
- Slovenia lies on the Adriatic Sea and attracts many tourists. The country has a rather complicated approval system that depends on the type of vaccine travelers receive. Generally, it's safe to wait at least three weeks before traveling there.
Travel industry professionals hope to book excursions, hotels and transportation services for these destinations. Partnering with Andovar to translate travel apps, websites and promotional materials for an international audience can increase bookings and revenue.
Why Choose Andovar?
Andovar overs bespoke travel translation services tailored to the needs of travel professionals and companies seeking localization solutions. We handle all the world’s most commercial languages - 200 language pairs.
Contact Andovar for localized translations and assistance with customized and automated translation solutions for apps, website and software targeting the post-COVID travel boom.
