As countries in Asia Pacific are stepping up their national inoculation programmes, plans on reopening to vaccinated travellers are coming onto the radar.
Here’s a summary of the latest developments regarding border reopening in Asia Pacific and around the world. Be sure to bookmark this page or check back for updates that will be regularly added here.
Thailand
Thailand is planning to reopen to fully vaccinated tourists without any restrictions in mid-October as a “calculated risk” move to protect livelihoods and the economy, announced Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha.
Meanwhile, Phuket is shifting to high gear to reopen the island destination by 1 July, with the Tourism Authority of Thailand launching the “Phuket is now open” marketing campaign, under the theme of ‘Amazing Thailand, Now even more Amazing’.
Under the Phuket Sandbox model, tourists are allowed to visit the destination without quarantine requirements as long as Phuket remains the single arrival and departure point. They will be allowed to travel to other destinations after a 14-day stay on Phuket.
The Phuket Sandbox model is expected to be a trial to kickstart Thailand’s tourism sector, with other destinations such as Koh Samui, Pattaya and Chiang Mai on the reopening queue.
While Thailand is currently experiencing its third Covid wave, vaccination rates have risen since early June. About 50 million people in Thailand are expected to have received their first Covid jab by mid-October.
Indonesia
Indonesia is eyeing a July reopening for Bali although no firm date has been planned.
The Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy has finalised travel corridor agreements with China, Singapore, the Netherlands, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar.
Further details on the Batam and Bintan travel bubble locations were also confirmed. Three Bintan resorts have been designated as green zones, as well as several golf centres in Batam.
In mid-April, tourism minister Sandiaga Uno also announced that the three Gili Islands off Lombok’s northwest coast would also be connected to the designated green zone of Sanur in Bali.
Cambodia
Cambodia is working towards the possible reopening of the country, starting with Siem Reap, to international tourists by 4Q this year.
In June, the Cambodian Tourism Ministry has rolled out a new tourism campaign to attract foreign visitors by highlighting the visits of 35 world-famous celebrities, including Michelle Obama in 2015, to Angkor Wat.
Cambodia’s current vaccination rate outpaces most other countries in the region.
As of 9 June, 2.3 million people had received both doses under the country’s mass vaccination campaign, which aims to achieve 80 per cent of the targeted 10 million people, reported Phnom Penh Post.
Cambodian authorities expect to achieve herd immunity for the country by June 2022.
Japan
Parts of Japan have eased into a state of ‘quasi emergency’ as the country gears up for the Tokyo Olympics in less than five weeks.
The Covid-19 state of emergency will be lifted in Tokyo and Osaka on 20 June, as cases continue on a downward decline nationwide.
The seven prefectures, including Tokyo and Osaka, would be under “quasi-emergency” restrictions until July 11 to curb Covid-19 infections. The state of Okinawa, however, remains in a state of emergency until 11 July.
Foreign spectators have been barred from the Olympics. As well, the current cap of 5,000 or half of venue capacity, whichever is lower, will be eased next month, with an upper limit of 10,000 people.
South Korea
The South Korean government has accelerated travel bubble talks with regional countries to open up quarantine-free travel for fully vaccinated travellers from as early as July.
Potential travel bubble countries and territories include Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, Guam and Saipan in US’s Northern Mariana Islands.
If the plan materialises, only group tours will be allowed initially with one to two weekly flights, each carrying some 200 passengers per way, according to the transport ministry.
Travellers must test for Covid-19 and produce negative results three days before departure, and test again at their arrival destination. Return to South Korea will be quarantine-free.
Singapore
The twice-delayed Singapore-Hong Kong air travel bubble will be revisited in early July, Singapore’s Ministry of Transport announced in early June.
Meanwhile, Singapore is also working towards an air travel bubble with Australia to resume two-way travel, with Singapore students in Australia expected to be the first to benefit from this travel arrangement if it takes off.
South Korea and Taiwan are also reported to be in talks with Singapore to pursue travel bubble arrangements.
In Singapore, local authorities have begun to ease Covid-19 restrictions in June, following a steady drop in the number of cases in the community.
Hong Kong
The Hong Kong government issued a joint statement with its Singapore counterparts on 10 June, indicating a “strong” commitment to launching the air travel bubble, which will be revisited in early July.
Quarantine for arrivals from countries perceived as low-medium risk, such as Singapore, Australia and New Zealand, have been reduced from 21 days to to 14 days.
From 1 June, Hong Kong has exempted the mandatory 21-day quarantine restrictions for senior bankers if they meet some specific criteria.
Australia
Australia is sticking by its plans to reopen to international visitors only from mid-2022.
Already, Qantas has announced pushing back its planned restart of international flights by October to the end of the year, based on a newly revised Covid-19 vaccine rollout timeline from the Australian government.
The carrier now plans to resume international service in late December, when the Australian government anticipates the country’s vaccine rollout will have been completed.
On 18 April, Australia launched a two-way, quarantine-free travel bubble with New Zealand.
Malaysia
Malaysia, which has extended its national lockdown until 28 June, is not expected to reopen its economy and lift a ban on inter-state travel until end-October.
The country went into a lockdown — its third — on June 1 after daily Covid cases crossed the 9,000 mark.
Macau
Macau has reopened to mainland Chinese tourists without a mandatory 14-day quarantine, with the destination seeing a visitor spike during the recent May Golden Week.
However, border requirements between Macau and Guangdong Province have recently been tightened following a surge in Covid-19 infections in the cities of Guangzhou and Foshan.
United States
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) eased its travel recommendations for more than 110 countries and territories, with Singapore moved to its safest level and the guidance on Japan revised just ahead of the Olympics.
The CDC list, released on Monday, 7 June, has lowered 50 countries and territories to Levels 1 or 2.
Singapore, Vietnam, South Korea, Hong Kong, Israel and Iceland are ranked safest where fully vaccinated travellers from the US can go, while Level 2 — which includes Cambodia, Finland and Kenya — discourages travel for unvaccinated individuals who are at increased risk for severe illness due to Covid-19.
Europe
Europe is beginning to reopen its doors to non-EU travellers.
Spain, France, Portugal and Denmark are among the countries to have reopened to international tourists.
Rules and restrictions, however, differ among individual countries.
Meanwhile, the EU has approved the use of a new travel certificate beginning 1 July, enabling visitors to move between countries.