EXPERIENCE ASIA NEWS UPDATE FOR SEPTEMBER 2021

Welcome to our ‘Experience Asia’ News Update for September 2021

As Covid vaccinations increase around the south-east Asia region and more hotels re-opening, we are seeing more confidence in travel to our part of the world

Please see below is an outline of which destinations will be opening and the timelines

THAILAND OPENING

· The opening of Thailand’s capital, Bangkok, for tourism, has been postponed from 1 October to 15 October, it has been announced

· Almost 90% of Bangkok residents have received their first vaccine shot against Covid-19, according to the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA).

· A further five areas, including Chiang Mai, Pattaya and Hua Hin, are expected to follow a ‘Sandbox’ model of the type piloted since July in the Southern-island of Phuket.

· Three more Thai islands have also reopened: Koh Samui, Koh Tao and Koh Phan-Ngan, with certain restrictions, such as tourists having to stay within a certain area for seven days after arrival, and then take covid tests.

· Later in October, 21 more destinations will be added to the re-opening list including Chiang Rai, Sukhothai and the seaside resort, Rayong

· The Tourism and Sports Ministry wants to open the whole of Thailand without quarantine by January next year, depending on nationwide herd immunity.

· For more information, please check: https://thailandinsider.com/travel-to-thailand/

VIETNAM OPENING

· According to the Vietnam News Agency, Phu Quoc will start receiving the first tourists under the pilot project this October, and the experiment will continue with two phases lasting three months each for evaluation purposes. During phase one, an estimated 3,000 to 5,000 international visitors per month could join the scheme flying in on charter flights, with visitors’ activities limited to specific beaches and sites decided by local authorities. Phu Quoc island stands off the southern coast of Vietnam in the Gulf of Thailand

· Vietnam’s capital Hanoi will further ease its coronavirus restrictions by the end of September, the government said, with new cases on the decline and the majority of its adult population partially vaccinated.

· Visitors from countries with high safety records in Covid-19 prevention and control in regions such as Northeast Asia, Europe, the US, the Middle East, and Australia will need to book package tours exclusively through travel agencies and fly direct to Phu Quoc Island.

· To enter the country, visitors must meet certain requirements, including a certificate showing full vaccination, or recovery from Covid-19 not more than 12 months from the date of their release from the hospital to the date of entry in Vietnam. They also have to present a negative Covid-19 test result within 72 hours of their flight departure from their home country.

· On arrival at Phu Quoc airport, they will need to install the Vietnam Safe Travel or the Healthy Vietnam apps and make a medical declaration through those apps. In case visitors do not meet all the necessary requirements, they may be denied entry and bear the cost of returning to their home country or transit.

CAMBODIA OPENING

· With Phnom Penh on track to become the most vaccinated city in Southeast Asia, moves are afoot within Cambodia’s tourism industry to work towards a possible reopening of borders for fully vaccinated international travelers by November this year

· Cambodia is currently the second most vaccinated country in Southeast Asia after Singapore. The Kingdom has already inoculated over 60% of its 16.5 million people, while over 95% of its residents in the capital Phnom Penh (2.1 million) are already fully vaccinated. The country anticipates it will reach herd immunity with 75 percent of its population double vaccinated by the end of September this year.

· The Cambodian tourism ministry recently announced that fully vaccinated international tourists with proof of their inoculation could be allowed into Cambodia as soon as November 2021. To make travel more convenient, Cambodia is also considering lessening or the full removal of the 14-day quarantine policy for fully vaccinated tourists, barring certification showing a negative COVID test 72-hours before travel and another negative COVID test upon arrival at Phnom Penh International Airport.

· More information can be found at: www.tourismcambodia.com

BALI OPENING

· Government plans to reopen Bali to tourism have been pushed back to October 2021.

· Latest figures on new COVID cases in Bali show a definite decline in new infections, affirming the success of official restrictions on public movements, strict enforcement of health protocols, and an aggressive Island-wide inoculation program.

· South Korea, Japan, Singapore and New Zealand, are among countries the Indonesian government is considering accepting foreign nationals from first, given the low virus spread in those nations

The above entry conditions to our destinations can change due to decisions made by local governments, but at the moment there seems to be a strong desire to have international tourists back

Our tariffs are now available for 2022, so if you wish to receive a password to access our products, please contact me at stephen@experiencetravel.asia

Warm Wishes and Safe Travels

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