Issue #73 - Singapore, Super-Charging VTLs and the Road to a Full Reopening

The City State signals the way forward for inbound and outbound travel.

Feb 20, 2022

Welcome to issue 73 of Asia Travel Re:Set…

Two years ago this week, I took a day-return trip to Singapore. The purpose was to speak at a seminar about the potential economic impacts of the Novel Coronavirus.

I have not travelled outside of Malaysia since.

At the tail end of February 2020, social distancing was already in place in Singapore, though there was no mask mandate. The appropriately spaced audience asked some of the best questions I have faced over the past 2 years. It was an enjoyable evening.

Racing to catch the last flight, my cab driver to Changi asked me to where I was flying. I said Kuala Lumpur.

Without haste he replied (with a smile):

“Go further, get far away from here. The virus is spreading.”

One of my Singapore seminar slides outlining the novel coronavirus impact as it looked on 26 February 2020.

The Sunday Itinerary

- This Week’s Top 5

Updates from Vietnam, Singapore, Australia, Malaysia, Japan

- Singapore, Super-Charging VTLs and the Road to a Full Reopening

The City State signals the way forward for inbound and outbound travel.

This Week’s Top 5

Updates from Vietnam, Singapore, Australia, Malaysia, Japan

Two years after shutting its borders, Vietnam will welcome back vaccinated visitors from 15 March. As always, check the visa/entry regulations.
Singapore re-upped the daily quotas for 24 quarantine-free VTLs, will launch postponed VTLs with Qatar, UAE & Saudi Arabia, add Isreal, Hong Kong, the Philippines & more Thai cities to the list, and ease arrival testing regulations.
Western Australia will finally join Australia’s reopening party. The rest of the country will greet vaccinated visitors on 21 February. WA has chosen 3 March.
As discussed in Issue 72 last week, Malaysia has confirmed that it will not yet confirm a reopening schedule until further “study” has been undertaken.
Internal pressure intensifies on Japan’s government to go further than permitting foreign students and business travellers to enter the country.

Singapore, Super-Charging VTLs and the Road to a Full Reopening

This week, the City State signalled the way forward for inbound and outbound travel.

One of the pleasures (and benefits) of hosting a weekly podcast is speaking to in-the-know people in travel. People who intimately understand their market and the region as a whole - and saw both develop over time, long before the advent of COVID-19.

This week, Hannah Pearson and I had the pleasure of chatting with Singapore-based Karen Yue, Group Editor at TTG Asia, a leading regional travel trade publisher.

The timing was exquisite. Our discussion took place on Thursday, a day after Singapore announced a scaling up of its Vaccinated Travel Lane programme - with strong hints of much more to come. (Read full details of the new VTL schedule here.)

So below, I have set out some of Karen’s thoughtful insights in a Q&A format.

NB: For space reasons, these are selected extracts from the interview, and these are not the complete answers. See the links below to listen to Karen’s interview in full.

Part 3 of The South East Asia Travel Show’s 8-part series called Two Years of Travel Disruption takes us to Singapore. We chat with Karen Yue, Group Editor of TTG Asia about the impact of COVID-19 on the Singaporean inbound and outbound sectors. Plus, what’s the reopening outlook for the rest of 2022 as the government edges towards transition from Vaccinated Travel Lanes to a normalisation of travel?

Listen here:
🎧 Website 🎧 Spotify 🎧 Apple

Or search for The South East Asia Travel Show on any podcast platform.

Singapore Key Travel Stats:

In 2019, Singapore Changi was South East Asia’s busiest airport
Passengers handled in 2019 = 68.3m / 2020 = 11.8m / 2021 = 3.1m
Inbound arrivals in 2019 = 19.1m / 2020 = 2.7m / 2021 = 0.3m
Resident outbound departures in 2019 = 10.7m / 2020 = 1.5m / 2021 = 0.83m

Interview with Karen Yue

Asia Travel Re:Set: Singapore has taken a unique route with its Vaccinated Travel Lane concept. At what point will the VTLs be phased out for a comprehensive reopening?

Karen Yue: This question is red-hot right now for 2 reasons. Firstly, some governments in Asia Pacific have only just started to reopen without cumbersome terms and conditions. India, the Philippines and Australia are good examples. Others may follow in March. This means there’s greater pressure on Singapore to reopen to all vaccinated travellers, not just those in VTL markets. And secondly, the nation’s Health, Trade and Transport Ministers have all come out and said that Singapore must move towards a full reopening soon without relying on VTLs.

ATR: When do you think Singaporeans will we be able to ‘Buy and Fly’ again?

KY: People’s ability to just ‘book and fly’ needs the coordination of all governments. More countries need to open without restrictions to facilitate the ease of travel. If Singaporean residents still need to rely on the VTLs, we should still see demand spike during the June school holidays. Some of the current and new VTLs are with countries that Singaporeans favour for holidays, and the simplified testing regime on return definitely will help convince people to just pack and go. However, I think we still need to be alert when planning travel. Asian governments around the region will retain the flexibility to temporarily restrict travel should a new risk emerge.

“The vulnerability of the tourism industry is laid bare for all to see.”

ATR: What are the current perceptions about overseas travel among Singaporeans – are they itching to travel, or is there a sense of ‘wait and see’ for now?

KY: When the Singapore government first announced an ‘endemic’ transition last July, and then in August introduced flexible home-quarantine when returning from selected destinations, like Germany and Switzerland, there was a spike in enquiries and outbound bookings. Then, when new VTLs came along a little later, they spiked even more. Singaporeans are desperate to travel. This is no surprise. We are a small country, and Singaporeans are avid travellers. But the Omicron wave did eat into travel confidence for some people. There will be different types of travellers with different risk appetites.

ATR: You mentioned the June school holidays could deliver a strong travel surge in 2022 - so where will Singaporeans be heading on vacation?

KY: If the current VTLs remain, most likely families will head to places like Europe, Hong Kong, the Philippines and South Korea. These are destinations that Singaporean’s loved pre-pandemic, and the VTLs make things easier and more accessible.

“Young folks avoiding professional education in travel, tourism and hospitality today will leave a dent in the talent pool years down the road.”

ATR: What could be some of the deeper impacts on the tourism economy wrought by COVID-19 - both for Singapore and South East Asia as a whole?

KY: The loss of hospitality talents will be a real headache. Many people lost their jobs over the past 2 years, some choosing to exit the industry completely and may never return. The vulnerability of the tourism industry is laid bare for all to see. That is shaping some people’s view about pursuing a tourism career. Young people avoiding professional education in travel, tourism and hospitality today will leave a dent in the talent pool years down the road.

ATR: What are your own personal and work travel plans and aspirations for 2022?

KY: With borders reopening, I guess tourism boards are starting to plan fam trips and other trade engagements, so I expect to see more invites flowing in by April and May. As for my personal plans, I am looking for a cold holiday at the end of the year - if not Japan, then probably Switzerland.

And, that’s a wrap for Issue 73.

Until next Sunday, find me on Twitter, LinkedIn, the Asia Travel Re:Set website and The South East Asia Travel Show.

Have a great week.

Gary