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In Asia, where the pandemic was addressed rapidly and radically, many countries have reached the point where they allow cross-border travel. Europe and the United States are far from there. They remain excluded from the economically important region until further notice.
As in Seoul, life is normalizing in many Asian cities and countries.
With the lifting of pandemic restrictions in Europe and the US. On the one hand, and Asia on the other, one thing is clear: the world is steeped in crown ditches, possibly with an impact on travel. Because the new realities of life are now very different:
In Asia, countries such as South Korea and Taiwan started testing and containment programs very early because they had already experienced pandemics. Other countries also reacted quickly and, with more or less severe methods, were able to bring new infections to zero cases per day before opening their economies again.
On the contrary, Europe and the USA. USA They reacted later and therefore must live with more cases on the way to the new normal.
Narrow travel radii
Mobility in individual countries and in Europe as a whole may soon work more or less again, but the situation with intercontinental travel is extremely uncertain.
Different levels of pollution from individual regions could lead to the creation of different travel zones or corridors over a longer period, among which travel is only possible to a limited extent, with effects on the competitiveness of European companies. This is indicated by events in Asia and Oceania.
South Korea in particular is a driving force when it comes to resuming business travel. For weeks, the country has had fewer than ten new infections per day with 51 million residents without imposing a curfew. The government is now negotiating intensively with other countries to enable them to accept Korean entrepreneurs again, and successfully.
According to the Korean daily “Chosun”, 3,000 employees of Korean companies had already left at the end of April. China even agreed to waive the two-week quarantine on business trips between the two countries. Pre-departure and post-entry virus testing, as well as two weeks of health monitoring, possibly with smartphone apps, are enough.
Wise Zone Extensions
Australia and New Zealand are also discussing a “travel bubble” that would even allow residents of both countries to travel back and forth without restrictions. There are also mind games to expand or connect these zones. But first, low-profile Asian countries are likely to open up to regions that have also largely slowed the pandemic. Governments will have little interest in jeopardizing their pandemic success by entering from more polluted countries in Europe or the United States. This in turn provides companies with home-based advantages in these areas. South Korea’s approach could be a guide to the future.
The country was also an exception to entry restrictions. The Koreans allowed Chinese tourists to enter the country even after the United States closed the borders. Even now, the country can be visited for important occasions with a special permit, although most guests must be quarantined for 14 days.
But the obstacle to resuming generally less controlled travel is high. This was clarified by Kwon Jun-wook, general manager of the Koranic Disease Control Center, at a press conference on Thursday. Talking about tourist travel is still premature, Kwon said. The decision will make South Korea dependent on whether there are more sporadic infections in a country or more often incomprehensible infections. “But the situation is still not under control,” said Kwon.
Excluded from business
However, the tolerance threshold is likely to remain high in the future, as suggested by Korea’s approach to reducing social distancing. “We have decided that we can control the situation if fewer than 50 new infections occur per day, of which 10% are not understandable,” said a spokesman for the Health Ministry. European countries are still far from these values. Other governments in the region may be stricter than the Koreans. Governments in Europe should act quickly to ensure that European business travelers are not disadvantaged.
