Issue #59 - A Week of Travel Reopening Drama in South East Asia!
Singapore kickstarts a regional scramble to revive travel.
Hello. Welcome to issue 59 of Asia Travel Re:Set…
Well, what a week that was!
Kickstarted by Singapore on 8 October, governments across South East Asia finally started making positive - albeit, in some cases, confusing - moves to restart travel.
So, today I’ll document the dramatic events of the past week.
It is important to point out that South East Asia is at the very beginning of a travel recovery. For now, it is fragmented and inconclusive.
BUT, developments will move fast, especially as regional destinations – such as India, Fiji and now New South Wales in Australia – prepare to greet travellers once more.
Competition to attract visitors across Asia Pacific will intensify in the lead up to the Christmas and New Year travel period - and, especially, Lunar New Year 2022.
Thoughts and well wishes to everyone affected by Saturday’s earthquake in Bali.
Thanks for being on board,
Gary
The Sunday Itinerary
- This Week’s Top 5
Updates from Australia, Fiji, India, South Korea, the Philippines
- A Week of Travel Reopening Drama in South East Asia!
Singapore kickstarts the scramble to reinvigorate travel after 19 months
This Week’s Top 5
Updates from Australia, Fiji, India, South Korea, the Philippines
More internal discord in Australia as the New South Wales Premier drops quarantine to welcome back tourists from 1 November, but the nation’s Prime Minister says tourists will not be permitted to enter the country.
Travel optimism in Fiji, as the Prime Minister announces vaccinated visitors from selected countries will be able to enter the country from 11 November.
A phased reopening begins in India, as the country permits entry to charter flight travellers from 15 October. Travellers on scheduled flights will be able to visit from 15 November.
European booking frenzy in South Korea as forward flight sales to Madrid rise by 625% in September. Zurich, Amsterdam & Paris are also hot tickets.
Mixed messages in the Philippines as it expands its ‘green list’ of low-risk countries but says it is not ready to welcome back tourists.
A Week of Travel Reopening Drama in South East Asia!
Singapore kickstarts the scramble to reinvigorate travel after 19 months.
So, let’s begin in Singapore – where the government is living up to its promise of reopening its borders gradually after reaching an 80% vaccination threshold, even though the city-state is currently experiencing high daily case and death figures.
Friday 8 October
Singapore announced a Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL), offering quarantine-free 2-way (inbound and outbound) travel for vaccinated travellers, with South Korea, from 15 November.
This was a significant move – being the first meaningful travel agreement between leading travel markets and aviation hubs in North East Asia and South East Asia.
It was Singapore’s 3rd VTL. Similar schemes with Germany and Brunei have been in operation since 8 September.
South Korea is an interesting outbound market as, unlike most nations in the region, vaccinated South Koreans have been travelling freely throughout the summer – mostly to Europe.
Although this was – in itself – a breakthrough, rumours surfaced that more VTLs were imminent.
Saturday 9 October
Those rumours proved substantive.
Singapore broke the regional internet by announcing 8 additional VTLs – with the US and Canada in North America, and 6 European nations: Denmark, France, Italy, Netherlands, Spain & the UK, from 19 October.
A cap of 3,000 daily arrivals (across the VTL markets) will be in place, but the number of COVID-19 PCR tests is reduced, from 4 to 2 – 48 hours before departure to Singapore, and upon arrival at Changi Airport.
Interestingly, Minister of Transport, S Iswaran, said of the VTL countries:
“Collectively, these countries accounted for about 10% of our pre-COVID annual passenger arrivals at Changi Airport. They rank among our top 20 trading partners. They have significant investments, a strong business presence, and sizeable communities in Singapore. It is, therefore, important that we reconnect with them early.”
Sunday 10 October
Attention turned to Malaysia – which was about to deliver on its promise of reopening domestic travel after 9 months upon reaching a 90% vaccination threshold for its adult population (approx. 66% of the entire population).
By Saturday night, Malaysia had hit 89.7%, and on Sunday afternoon Prime Minister Ismail Sabri announced on national TV that from the following day, Monday 11 October, vaccinated Malaysian residents would be free to travel across the peninsula.
In addition, vaccinated residents would be permitted to travel overseas provided they complete a 14-day home quarantine on return. There would no longer be the need to apply for a MyTravelPass, which was state-mandated special exemption to fly overseas.
Later in the week, Malaysia removed a pre-flight antigen test requirement for the trial “domestic travel bubble” to Langkawi.
The state of Sabah in East Malaysia (Borneo) said it would permit travel for vaccinated residents to/from Peninsular Malaysia from 1 November.
For now, inbound general travel to Malaysia would not be permitted.
Monday 11 October
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-Cha made Monday all about Thailand.
He announced live on TV that Thailand would remove quarantine for vaccinated visitors from 10 ‘low-risk’ countries starting on 1 November - although only 5 were named: UK, Singapore, Germany, China and the US.
This was, however, far from a fait accompli. It would require approval by Thailand’s Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA), which would meet later in the week - chaired by the Prime Minister.
His stated objective was to start opening up Thailand from 1 November for fully vaccinated visitors. A second phase would commence on 1 December “to support the revitalisation of the tourism and leisure sectors, especially over the New Year period.”
This was a tacit admission that the Phuket Sandbox strategy had failed.
It was too complex, too restrictive and the rollout beyond selected islands to the mainland was confusing. The Certificate of Entry remains hugely unpopular.
The timing was apposite. Before the Phuket Sandbox commenced on 1 July, the Prime Minister had pledged to reopen Thailand within 120 days - ie, by the end of October.
Also on Monday, media in Vietnam tentatively reported that the government is “developing a roadmap to fully open up to international visitors.” From November, Phu Quoc could welcome vaccinated foreign visitors, followed by Nha Trang, Ha Long, Hoi An and Da Lat in December.
No further details as yet.
CLICK HERE to listen to The South East Asia Travel Show’s incisive analysis about the regional implications of a dramatic week in ASEAN. What is the outlook across South East Asia and Asia Pacific for the Festive & Lunar New Year travel periods?
Tuesday 12-Wednesday 13 October
Fevered media speculation, particularly in Thailand and Indonesia, about the next steps to be taken to revive inbound travel.
On Wednesday, Indonesia published a list of 19 countries whose vaccinated citizens would be able to enter Bali from the following day, 14 October.
These are China, India, Japan, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, UAE, New Zealand, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Liechtenstein, Italy, France, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Poland, Hungary & Norway.
Thursday 14th October
Today was trailed as the date for reopening Bali to vaccinated international travellers.
The inbound quarantine period was cut from 8 days to 5, BUT there were no inbound flights scheduled - and no arrivals.
The situation was (and is) immensely confusing.
Without international flight slots filled at Bali airport, reports surfaced that 100% landing fee discounts are available through 31 December. A 50% discount will apply from January through June 2022.
As The Jakarta Post reported “Bali Reopens to Eerie Hush.”
Meanwhile, the Prime Minister was back on TV in Thailand.
After chairing a CCSA meeting, he announced that Thailand is “ready for the reopening.”
Vaccinated visitors from 5 countries (!) would be allowed to enter selected provinces if they pass a PCR test before they arrive.
The number of Thai destinations will expand on 1 November from the 4 Sandbox provinces to 15 “provinces of economic significance” - including Bangkok and Krabi.
As it currently stands, 16 additional provinces are slated to open from 1 December.
Friday 15 October
Malaysia cut its home-quarantine period from 14 days, to 7 - as from 18 October.
Cambodia’s Khmer Times led with the following headline:
“Opening move: Ministries mull quarantine-free entry for international visitors.”
No concrete details were stated, except that “an Inter-Ministerial Committee is studying ways to reopen the Kingdom without quarantine for fully-vaccinated visitors from low-risk countries.”
The kicker followed in the 2nd paragraph.
“This comes on the heels of a recent announcement by Thailand that it is opening up the country to fully-vaccinated international visitors from low-risk countries on November 1, without the need for quarantine.”
Saturday 16 October
The next day, Cambodia - rather confusingly - published a stratified list of reduced quarantine periods for different types of travellers. Tourists aren’t yet permitted entry.
Meanwhile, Thailand is introducing “Swab Hubs” and “Blue Zones” for tourists.
Who knows what the next week will deliver!
And, that’s a wrap for Issue 59.
Until next Sunday, find me on Twitter, LinkedIn and the Asia Travel Re:Set website.
Meantime, Tuesday’s The South East Asia Travel Show will discuss the outlook for Bali’s reopening with Melina Caruso & Simona Chimenti of the Bali Hotels Association.
Have a great week,
Gary