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Singapore and Malaysia Agree on Cross Border Tourism

Travelers from Singapore and Malaysia can now move between the countries. The governments of the two countries have agreed on the opening of the borders. For now, only certain categories of travelers are eligible – the governments underline that business guests and people with official visits have a priority. It looks like Singapore hotels, as well as hotels in Kuala Lumpur, still need to wait a little longer for the mainstream visitors.

The cross-border travel is available through the Reciprocal Green Lane (RGL) scheme. This means that travelers need to undergo a PCR (polymerase chain reaction) swab test that proves the negative Covid-19 result. The countries had to close their borders yet in March 2020 due to the spread of the coronavirus. Once the first stage of the cross-border travel proves itself to be successful, the countries will start discussing leisure tourism.

To be able to move between the countries, it was decided to resume flights between Singapore and Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia. Airlines are preparing for this one-hour flight that is widely recognized as one of the busiest flight routes in the world. The Foreign Affairs Minister of Singapore asked people to be patient and assured them that the government was actively working on the resume of international travel.

To allow international travel and limit the spread of the disease, the countries think of the creation of “travel bubbles” and “green lanes” that are first available for residents of Malaysia and Singapore, and later – to citizens of countries with low infection rates. This is crucial for the revival of the global economy. One in ten people around the world works in tourism, and the industry is responsible for 10% of the global GDP. Additionally, the aviation industry provides jobs to more than 65 million people worldwide and contributes 4% to the global GDP. Without these industries, it is impossible to hope for any recovery or economic growth.

AirAsia already offers flights between the countries. Starting from August 17, 2020, the air carrier will make daily flights between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. Additionally, there will be once-a-week flights between Singapore and Kota Kinabalu, Ipoh, Penang, and Kuching. Other international destinations haven’t been approved yet and are under consideration by the governments of the two countries.

10.08.2020

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