Easter Island reopens to tourism after two years

The island of Rapa Nui, also known as Easter Island, reopened on Monday to tourism after more than two years of closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The first flights to the island, located in the middle of the Pacific and five hours by plane from the Chilean mainland, will arrive on Thursday.

At the moment flights will only be operating on Thursdays and Saturdays and a third would be added in September, airport authorities said.

Visitors must present a negative PCR obtained in the 24 hours prior to their arrival and a mobility pass enabled.

They will also need a letter from an inhabitant of the island or a hotel reservation of a maximum of 30 days of stay, as part of the regulations for the preservation of that remote area.