Hotels and attractions in Singapore are looking forward to welcoming foreign guests following the relaunch of a long-awaited air travel bubble with Hong Kong, which they described as a “positive step forward” for the battered tourism industry.
But the impact will likely be a “more qualitative” one, instead of a big boost to visitor numbers, with the air travel bubble set to begin cautiously, some players said.
The much-delayed air travel bubble between Singapore and Hong Kong is set to take off on May 26, authorities announced on Monday (Apr 26). There will be one flight a day in each direction and capped at 200 passengers per flight for the first two weeks.
Stricter conditions will also be in place. This includes travellers having to remain in Singapore or Hong Kong in the last 14 days prior to departure, excluding any time spent in quarantine or stay-home notice.
Dr Kevin Cheong, chairman of Association of Singapore Attractions, said operators of local tourist attractions are “very prepared” to open their doors to foreign visitors given the safe management measures that are in place for nearly a year.
“Attractions in Singapore can easily accommodate 10,000 people a day, which means about 40 flights. We are starting with one to two flights a day so it’s not going to move the needle,” said Dr Cheong.
“But in terms of qualitative and symbolic impact, the travel bubble is an extremely important step.”
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