Singaporeans Keen To Travel Despite Risks And Higher Costs

Travel agents see surge in inquiries for leisure travel following VTL announcements, but they urge caution

- Clara Lock, Travel Correspondent

Amid the excitement over new destinations under the Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) scheme, there are precautions to take and potential pitfalls to avoid in leisure travel during a pandemic, said Mr Steven Ler, president of the National Association of Travel Agents Singapore.

Travel agents said that trips in the new normal will entail higher costs from insurance, Covid-19 tests and the whittling down of group sizes.

And under Singapore’s rules, those who test positive overseas will not be able to board a plane for home until 14 days after they were first diagnosed and after they have fully recovered from Covid-19.

But there has been no lack of interest as Singapore, in its biggest move to restart leisure travel since the pandemic, announced nine new VTL countries last week, in addition to Germany and Brunei.

Fully vaccinated travellers can travel quarantine-free to the United States, Britain, Denmark, France, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands and Canada from Oct 19, and to South Korea from Nov 15.

The pent-up demand saw customers flocking to the Singapore Airlines (SIA) service centre in Orchard Road on the same day.

Travel agents, too, reported an uptick in inquiries.

The Government followed up on Monday with an announcement that unvaccinated children under 12 will also be allowed to travel quarantine-free from Oct 19.