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SINGAPORE – Could the Taiwan-Palau travel bubble provide a role model for Singapore, paving the way for leisure travel to take place between sunny islands?
The answer is not that simple. According to experts, travel bubbles with other islands are not likely to be inherently safer than similar deals with any other country. Instead, much depends on whether governments are in control of the Covid-19 situation within their borders.
Last Wednesday (March 17), Taiwan said it will open its first travel bubble with the Pacific island nation of Palau next month, with tour groups following a government-approved schedule and visiting only certain tourist sites. They must also respect the rules of social distancing and will not be able to venture out on their own.
Taiwanese Health Minister Chen Shih-chung said a day later that Singapore could be the next country with which the island could establish a travel bubble, and that the two sides are discussing such an arrangement.
While it may be easier for local authorities to regulate the entry and exit of an island, rather than policing long stretches of land borders, success still comes down to a country’s ability to closely monitor its territory, said the professor. Teo Yik Ying. Dean of the Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health at the National University of Singapore.
“If the surveillance was lax at first, it will still be possible for travelers to enter and leave an island without proper documentation,” he said.
Infectious disease expert Paul Tambyah, president of the Asia Pacific Society for Clinical Microbiology and Infections, added that most of the serious transnational outbreaks in recent years have spread by air rather than by land.
Given this, establishing a travel bubble with an island nation rather than a larger country is unlikely to make a significant difference in terms of risks, he said.
“Right now, the key has to be effective vaccination,” added Professor Tambyah. “It has been proven, time and again over the years, that it is effective in containing and controlling infectious diseases, from smallpox to polio to yellow fever and many more.”
Vaccination will also be key in helping Singapore regain its appeal as a tourist destination, said assistant professor Michael Alexander Kruesi, who teaches in the hotel business program at the Singapore Institute of Technology.
Unlike visitors to Taiwan and Palau, who will be able to participate in nature-based activities while avoiding crowds in major urban centers, Singapore’s main draws are its densely populated urban locations, he noted.
Without a high percentage of the local population vaccinated, strict safe distancing measures cannot be loosened and tourists may not visit, said Professor Kruesi. He added that opening the doors of the country to visitors would likely involve some kind of disruption, for example, zoning certain parts of the attractions or imposing staggered hours.
“I don’t think there are many, if any, of the great attractions, such as Marina Bay or Sentosa, that tourists can visit without a major disruption to the operation of the attraction.”
Regarding the challenge of keeping tourists at bay, Professor Teo noted how some restaurants in Singapore were already facing difficulties trying to enforce rules that prevent them from mingling between local guests at different tables.
“Extrapolate this to a situation where you are dealing with hotels and resorts, restaurants and gift shops, but now include the additional variable that the customers are citizens of another country who are here to support their local tourism,” said the professor. Teo. “You will quickly realize that the ability and willingness to monitor these visitors will be greatly reduced.”
And will Singaporeans be interested in such tours, even if they have to abide by strict rules? Dynasty Travel’s director of public relations and communications, Alicia Seah, thinks the answer is yes.
“I believe that clients will take those trips with restricted itineraries, as long as the travel agent can customize them according to their needs,” he said.
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