The island is very quiet – too quiet and new regulations are introduced by France.

The French government has simply over-ruled the local governments and issued a “ban on accommodation” for American hotel guests on the French Side for the moment. The local government had vehemently opposed this, but the French state led to the conclusion that the risk of high hospital capacities here in Marigot and in Guadeloupe were too high.

Also the entry regulations have been changed and are now different for each of the two airports on the island: those who enter via Princess Juliana International Airport (SXM) can have done the PCR test 120 hours before landing, but those who enter the island in Grand Case (SFG) can only show a 72 hours old test.

The island of Martinique was sent into a lockdown again. The flights between the 3 French Caribbean islands have been reduced.

A complete disaster for the beginning High Season on this island, because the hotels on the French Side will probably not reopen at all. Since the lockdown in spring, they are already closed continuously, the employees laid off and had hoped for a reinstatement for the High Season, but now the hotels will have no guests and therefore they do not hire any employees.

European guests do not come at present anyway, because of their own Lockdowns and their travel restrictments, while American travelers may enter, they may go also on the French Side to the beach and into the restaurants, but the hotels are not allowed to take them in over night… the private villas and Airbnb accommodations can though.

The airlines measure flight capacity by the number of hotel beds and if 50% of them are eliminated, flights are eliminated.

This measure, imposed from the European mainland, is tantamount to an economic lockdown of the French Side, because not only the hotels, but also the car rental companies, the restaurants and all other businesses here will suffer. This measure only destroys jobs on the French Side and now the American travelers could feel as if they are not welcomed on the French side of the island, when the opposite is absolutely the case.

This is the current situation, but we all know that this can also change flux again – even in a better direction! We hope for the year 2021!

#one iceland #onelove