Timely to set up air travel bubbles with regional island destinations

Over the last one-and-a-half years, Singapore's population of nearly six million has been mostly marooned in the city-state, an ordeal for adventurous travellers used to taking frequent short breaks to nearby island destinations.

To many, this must seem like a melancholic eternity. 

With our Covid-19 vaccination programme in full swing, there is light at the end of the tunnel.

It is time for our authorities to explore other options to speed up the opening of leisure travel for our population safely — for the sake of the mental health and morale of Singaporeans.

Previous attempts to open Singapore’s borders unilaterally, under the Air Travel Pass scheme, to travellers from places such as Australia, New Zealand, Vietnam and Taiwan have not borne much fruit.

This travel channel is one-way, allowing visitors to come in without stay-home-notice requirements.

But the arrangements are not reciprocal and hence do not benefit Singaporeans.

Owing to a rise in Covid-19 cases, the scheme has been suspended for travellers from some of those places.

Singapore’s much-anticipated air-travel bubble with Hong Kong also remains up in the air.

With large populations in these places, any increase in Covid-19 cases will frustrate the best-laid plans and hopes of the travelling public.

These places are also some way to getting sufficient numbers vaccinated, so the likelihood of having reciprocal arrangements is low.

For example, less than 5 per cent of Australia’s adult population of 20 million has been vaccinated to date.

Our authorities should prioritise green, or fast, travel channels with nearby island destinations, which are ready to reciprocate as they have made extraordinary arrangements to guard against Covid-19.

From Thursday (July 1), Phuket reopened to fully vaccinated foreign tourists, the first destination in Thailand to welcome visitors without a quarantine requirement.

The Malaysian authorities also have plans to reopen Langkawi to foreign tourists.

Koh Samui in Thailand and Phu Quoc in Vietnam are expected to follow suit. 

These islands have a controlled environment, including a dedicated airport allowing direct flights, a low density, a sparse and spread-out local population rapidly being vaccinated, and numerous world-class resorts spaced out islandwide.

These are ideal low-risk conditions for holidaymakers, and travel links to these tourist spots will offer some respite for our travel-starved citizens, and a boost to our airlines and travel agents.

Singapore’s authorities should seriously prioritise this as a national project and discuss how to roll it out safely with their counterparts in Thailand, Malaysia and Vietnam, who will surely welcome such a move.

It will be a safe, viable and much quicker win-win option that will be the first step towards the gradual and eventual full reopening of travel worldwide.

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