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Written by: Ouyang Dehao
2021-04-26 20:13
The last update date: 2021-04-26 20:14
The new crown pneumonia epidemic in Hong Kong has eased. The Hong Kong government reached an agreement with Singapore last year to establish an "air travel bubble". However, the fourth wave of the epidemic suddenly broke out in Hong Kong before sailing, and the plan was reluctant to stop.
However, the government announced today (26th) that it will restart the tourism bubble on May 26th (Wednesday).
Yuan Zhenning, executive director of Cross-Bound Travel, said that after computer tickets and other costs, he is now planning a five-day group of 12,000 yuan, which can form a group with 8 people, and provides quick testing for group members before returning to Hong Kong.
If the "fuse mechanism" is unfortunately touched, travel agencies will also be responsible for handling the arrangements. It is expected that more than 100 people will sign up every month.
Yao Boliang, the convener of the Hong Kong Travel Agency's Alliance for Alleviation of Poverty, believes that citizens who are eager to travel and work have already been vaccinated. He believes that the requirement of two doses will not create obstacles to the "tourism bubble."
However, he also emphasized that only by resuming local travel, high sea cruises, and even interoperability with the neighboring Greater Bay Area as soon as possible, the tourism industry will see real hope.
▼Details of Singapore Tourism Bubbles in 2020▼
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It is expected that the air ticket will be the "seafood price" for some time to come
Yuan Zhenning, executive director of Wing Games, said that the current situation is no different from that in November last year. As airline tickets are only available in limited supply, airlines tend to sell them on their official websites.
He estimated that the air ticket will be the "seafood price" for some time to come. "Maybe it will be 6,000 or 7,000 today, or 8,000 if the day is heard. Suddenly, if someone cancels the seat, it will change to 5,000 or 6,000."
Rumor has it that airlines return to Singapore during summer vacation
Although it is expected that a ticket is difficult to find, Yuan Zhenning continues to launch Singapore tours. For example, he is planning a five-day tour of 12,000 yuan, which includes hotel accommodation and meals.
He revealed that "because I want to take the pros to form a group," the previous Singapore group 15 people can form a group, but now it is changed to 8 people form a group.
During the summer vacation, the 5-day itinerary may be extended to the 7th. "If you take the customer’s point of view, all tickets are expensive. Why not go there?"
At present, only Cathay Pacific and Singapore Airlines provide "travel bubble" flights, but Yuan Zhenning revealed that some airlines have heard that they are considering returning to Singapore routes in July or August. It is estimated that the ticket prices will fall by then.
He even laughed and pointed out that the "tourism bubble" with Singapore is not to help the travel industry, "it is the aviation industry, and the tour guide leader."
There is a shortage of seats, and more than 100 people can form a group every month
However, in the past, Singapore was only one of the destinations of the "Sing-Math Thai Tour Group", and tourists did not stay there for a long time.
Yuan Zhenning said frankly that there are still many tourist attractions in Singapore, such as Sentosa, Universal Studios, Sands Sky Garden, etc. There are also laksa, Bak Kut Teh, etc. on the food. "There may be activities in the city center, and Hea will live and play. "
Yuan even revealed that since the government announced the news this morning, it has received many inquiries from the public, and the webpage has significantly increased by about a few thousand hits.
However, he pointed out that it still depends on the situation in the next few days, because the public may discuss with friends and family members before applying for the delegation after consideration.
He even predicted that due to the shortage of seats, there are not many groups formed every month. "Maybe a few groups a month, with about a hundred and dozens of people."
Cooperate with local testing agencies to provide rapid testing for group members
However, before the outbreak of the epidemic, the Singapore group for the same itinerary only charged about 3,000 yuan. Will the high price deter the public?
Yuan Zhenning believes that participating in a tour group has a certain degree of protection compared to free travel. If the "fuse mechanism" is suddenly activated, then the travel agency will be responsible for dealing with the relevant issues. On the contrary, travelers who travel freely will need to solve it by themselves.
At the same time, Yuan revealed that he has cooperated with local testing agencies to provide quick testing for group members before returning to Hong Kong, that is, the cost of one inspection of the tour package, and the group members will pay for their own wallets for the pre-departure and landing tests.
He also pointed out that since the outbreak of the epidemic, citizens have been trapped in Hong Kong for many days hoping to travel abroad. "There is no way to go to the border. All tourists are concentrated in one market. How many thousands of people are there?"
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Yao Boliang: The rising number of vaccinations in Hong Kong does not create obstacles to the "tourism bubble"
Yao Boliang, the convenor of the Hong Kong Travel Service Alliance, also said that according to 2018 data, Singapore had 650,000 visits to Hong Kong, and Hong Kong had 470,000 visits to Singapore. "It is very popular in the industry to see that it can be opened." It is pointed out that more than 400,000 Hong Kong people have received the second dose of vaccine, and the number is still rising.
Furthermore, citizens who are eager to travel abroad and work will decide to vaccinate earlier, thinking that the requirement for vaccination is not an obstacle to the "tourism bubble".
However, Yao Boliang emphasized that the recovery of the tourism bubble does not mean that the industry is out of the predicament. "It will take some time to solve the difficulties." He explained that Singapore has not always been a popular tourist destination for Hong Kong people. At the same time, there are about 1,700 travel agencies in Hong Kong that are of different nature. Some specialize in local travel. Sell travel packages, etc.
Therefore, he believes that as soon as possible the restoration of local travel, high sea cruises, and even interoperability with the neighboring Greater Bay Area, will be the real dawn for the tourism industry.
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