As of last week, vaccinated travelers from the U.S. can once again visit Singapore. Here's what Rachel Loh, senior vice president of the Americas for Singapore Tourism Board, wants clients to know before they go.
Vaccinated Americans can now visit Singapore via the Vaccinated Travel Lane. What do travelers need to know about these safe travel lanes?
We are excited to introduce our Vaccinated Travel Lanes to help support the resumption of tourism into Singapore after 1.5 years of borders being closed. Singapore’s borders have been reopening through a phased approach, to allow safe travel with the necessary safeguards in place to ensure public health considerations are addressed. Those visiting Singapore should reference local measures in advance of their trips, to keep fellow travelers and residents safe.
As part of Singapore’s efforts to reopen borders safely, fully vaccinated travelers (including Singapore citizens and permanent residents) can now travel to Singapore via the Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) [and bypass quarantine]. To enter Singapore via the VTL, a traveler (who is not a Singapore citizen or permanent resident) must apply for a Vaccinated Travel Pass (VTP). Travelers should note that applications for a VTP must be made between seven and 30 calendar days prior to their intended date of entry into Singapore. There will be no charge for each application, but there will be a charge for the on-arrival PCR test. Canada and the U.S. are in Category II of our VTL program, so a pre-departure test will be required.
What applies to families that are traveling with unvaccinated children (under 12)?
We are pleased to share that under the current guidelines, the whole family will be able to travel to Singapore together. Unvaccinated children ages 12 and below in the calendar year are now eligible to enter Singapore on the VTL. They are not required to apply for a VTP. However, they must comply with all other VTL conditions and be accompanied by a fully vaccinated VTL traveler.
What constitutes a “VTL country” or “VTL Traveler”?
VTL countries are countries that the government has deemed safe enough to allow entry through these vaccinated travel lanes. Guidelines and approval on which countries are allowed to be a “VTL country” largely rely on the given country’s vaccination rates and current rate of COVID-19 transmission.
Rachel Loh, senior vice president of the Americas for Singapore Tourism Board
Credit: 2021 Singapore Tourism BoardWhat should clients expect (in terms of Singapore’s COVID-19 protocols) once they are on the ground in the country?
There are several COVID-19 protocols in Singapore that travelers should be prepared to follow upon touch down at Changi Airport. The main COVID-19 protocols in Singapore include wearing a mask in public areas (except when dining or exercising); maintaining at least 3 feet apart from others; and social gatherings in no more than groups of two (as of Sept. 27th). When getting around, checking-in to different places through the TraceTogether app is required, as well.
Most Asian countries have been largely closed to Americans since the pandemic. Do you think Singapore’s reopening will pave the way for other countries in Asia to follow suit?
Singapore is one of the first Asian destinations that has reopened its borders to several different countries, and is setting the stage for what the return to long-haul travel will look like.
Singapore has been a leader during the pandemic with its SG Clean initiative, along with other digital advances and safety measures. We believe Singapore will continue to lead other Asian countries through this next phase and have them follow suit.
What impact will this reopening have on Singapore’s larger economy in the coming months? Any other predictions for how things will change?
We are optimistic about the future and are excited for the resumption of tourism and its positive impact on Singapore’s economy overall. The safety of the community and visitors alike has been the key priority to jumpstart the tourism recovery.
What applies to travelers who are transiting through Singapore (and not staying there)?
Only passengers traveling with an airline whose transfer route via Singapore has been approved by the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) will be allowed to transit/transfer at Singapore’s Changi Airport. Travelers are advised to confirm arrangements with the airlines they intend to fly with before purchasing their flight tickets.
Travelers can find more details on restrictions and testing procedures online.
How has the Singapore Tourism Board adjusted its marketing and communications strategies since the onset of the pandemic? Are there any other new campaigns in the works now that the country is opening back up?
Last July, we launched a campaign called SingapoReimagine. It aims to reimagine travel for Singapore and the rest of the world by sparking conversations, stories and ideas to collectively shape the future of the sector. It’s also about creating a new standard for travel.
We kicked off the SingapoReimagine campaign with Global Conversations, a thought-leadership series that convenes influential business leaders and industry spokespersons, from Singapore and beyond, to share their perspectives, exchange ideas and trigger conversations and collaborations.
A four-episode series recently launched called Reimagine Experiences. Each episode cast its focus on a specific theme and featured a diverse range of traveler-first innovations, newly emerged business models and useful insights, with the aim to inspire and encourage change for the new pandemic environment, as we collectively welcome tourism back to Singapore.
While we are focused on Singapore’s VTLs and keeping residents and travelers safe, we do have some exciting new initiatives in the works, [so travel advisors should stay tuned].
What local measures are in place to keep travelers— and residents — safe?
The safety of the community has been the key priority. I’d like to highlight three main areas that Singapore has focused on to enhance precautionary measures against COVID-19:
- Increased levels of cleanliness and sanitation: While already a very clean city (voted the cleanest and greenest city in the world, according to the 2021 Time Out Index Survey), Singapore rolled out SG Clean last year to raise the hygiene standards in Singapore. This allowed residents to look out for SG Clean Quality Marks at establishments, such as restaurants, and receive quick assurance that they were adhering to a stringent level of hygiene, sanitization and Safe Management Measures (SMMs).
- Adoption of new technology: The shift toward contactless technology solutions has been developing for years, and the pandemic accelerated this trend. For example, Changi Airport now has proximity sensors to eliminate the need for travelers to touch the electronic screens when they check in or drop their bags. Singapore also developed a suite of digital tools, such as the TraceTogether app (the world’s first national digital contact tracing tool), and Space Out, which allows users to check how crowded malls, supermarkets and post offices are before going.
- Vaccination rates: With more than 80% of the country fully inoculated against COVID-19, Singapore is one of the world's most vaccinated countries.
What advice do you have for U.S. travel advisors if they have clients thinking of traveling to Singapore?
We advise all travelers to look at individual entry guidelines set on our government page to ensure they are fully prepared for their trip and have the necessary documents and testing requirements in place to aid in a seamless and stress-free travel experience.
We also suggest creating an itinerary for your trip to maximize your time in Singapore, and experience everything it has to offer. From Michelin-starred restaurants to zero-waste bars, generation-old hawker centers, live entertainment, arts, and museums, we recommend getting a little bit of everything in. Some facilities are still operating at limited capacities, so advance reservations are recommended.
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