After more than two years of closure due to the Covid, Easter Island reopens its doors

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After more than two years of closure due to the

Easter Island, or Rapa Nui, located in the middle of the Pacific, reopens its doors to travelers this Thursday, August 4. Known for its legendary Moaï, its statues carved in stone by Polynesian peoples several hundred years ago, the island remained sealed off for nearly 900 days to preserve its heritage and its population. But its economy being based more than 80% on tourism, the consequences of this confinement have been devastating: nine out of ten tourist companies are now bankrupt or in debt. Also the return of international travelers is vital for the Chilean island.

With our correspondent in Santiago, Naila Derroisne

Before the Covid, the island received 145,000 travelers each year, this figure fell to zero with the pandemic. “ The consequence was poverty says the mayor of the island, Pedro Edmunds. ” There are people who had nothing to eat. So we had to create a local development plan, and help each other, those who had the most shared with others. »

With the reopening, the big challenge will be to ensure that travelers do not enter the island contaminated, continues the mayor. A negative PCR test of less than 24 hours and the Chilean health pass will be required before boarding the plane.

►Also listen: Easter Island statues in danger

Two weekly flights

” In Chile and around the world, people have relaxed with the sanitary measures, but on the island they will have to be very attentive “says Maeva Riroroco, who runs several tourist establishments. She had to part with around a hundred employees and is now preparing to resume the activity little by little: “ We organized tours with 200, 300 people a day. Today we will receive 200 people per month. We go back to when mass tourism did not exist and that is also good in a way. »

For the moment only two flights per week will land on the island compared to one or two per day before the pandemic.



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