In another creative attempt to get people travelling again during the pandemic, Hong Kong and Singapore are attempting to inflate their own exclusive travel bubble, a bilateral arrangement for citizens of each city to visit the other without quarantine. However, in just the latest sign that COVID-19 can’t yet be controlled, the project has been postponed for at least two weeks as cases rise in the Chinese city.
Originally scheduled to launch on Sunday (Nov. 22), the “Hong Kong-Singapore Air Travel Bubble (ATB)” initiative continues to be heralded as a milestone for the global tourism industry in paving the way for a safe resumption of international travel.
However, after Hong Kong reported 43 new coronavirus cases on Saturday, the city’s minister of commerce and economic development Edward Yau announced, “In light of the situation in Hong Kong, I think it’s the responsible way to put this back for a while, and then sort of relaunch it at a suitable juncture.”
Singapore’s transport minister, Ong Ye Kung agreed, adding that the postponement is a “sober reminder that the COVID-19 virus is still with us.”
Under the initial agreement, the air travel bubble was to be suspended if the number of untraceable local infections in either Singapore or Hong Kong exceeded five on a seven-day moving average. The current average of unlinked cases in Hong Kong is nearly four, but in a measure of caution the bubble was postponed anyways.
Hong Kong Tourist Board Executive Director Dane Cheng had said earlier that the travel bubble “is a hugely important moment that shows the world that safe international travel is possible, and paves the way for us to bring tourist flights to and from other markets.”
Singapore Tourist Board CEO Keith Tan commented, “The Air Travel Bubble is a significant milestone that demonstrates the deep connections and close friendship between Singapore and Hong Kong. Singapore is well-equipped to handle the COVID-19 crisis, and with our strong track record, we are confident that Hong Kong travellers can explore Singapore with a peace of mind.”
The project marks the first partnership between the tourism boards of the two cities and is accompanied by the corresponding launch of respective visitor offers, including hotels and attractions and value-for-money deals.
Both destinations have already put in place citywide certification programs for hygiene and safety. The HKTB has rolled out the Anti-Epidemic Hygiene Measures Certification Scheme to ensure that every touch point of a visitors’ journey is covered with anti-epidemic measures, while Singapore’s SG Clean is a national mark of excellence awarded to businesses across Singapore – including tourism establishments – that meet high standards of hygiene and sanitization.
As part of the partnership, the tourism boards of the two cities will undertake joint promotional activities such as coordinated social media content.