Singapore

Travellers on the Malaysia-Singapore land VTL will need to undergo an on arrival antigen test to Singapore, a new requirement in light of the Omicron variant

The PM has said that Singapore is closely observing the Omicron variant, and Singapore “may well be forced to take a few steps back, before we can take more steps forward”

Singapore to restrict entry for travellers with travel history within the last 14 days to Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe, including for transit, after reports of new COVID-19 variant

Singapore has added 6 more VTLs, bringing the total to 27. Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore said the "successful implementation of the VTL without compromising public health" gave it the "confidence" to extend the scheme. VTL with Thailand starts from 14 Dec, while VTLs with Cambodia, Fiji, Maldives, Sri Lanka and Turkey start from 16 Dec. Daily VTL quota will be raised from 10,000 to 15,000

37,001 people have entered Singapore via the Vaccinated Travel Lanes (VTLs), with 20,510 short-term visitors or long-term pass holders. The 27 countries which are now opened via the VTLs comprise of around 60% of Singapore’s daily arrivals at Changi airport pre-pandemic. 79,335 vaccinated travel passes have been issued for travel from 8 Sep-27 Jan. 12,354 of these were from the UK, 10,922 from Germany and 10,213 from the US. Australia, South Korea, Indonesia and India have had more short-term visitor applications than long-term pass holders

Passengers on the Dream Cruises to nowhere in Singapore must now be fully vaccinated if they are over 12 years old, meaning both cruise operators in Singapore now have this requirement. Dream Cruises are working with Singapore to look at increasing their capacity, to be able to cater to the “new emerging domestic markets and international fly-cruise segment”

Singapore’s hotel occupancy remained unchanged in Oct 2021 vs Sep 2021, around 63%, but the international arrival numbers increased +26.2% MoM and +79% YoY to 23,980. RevPAR also climbed to $101.97 SGD in Oct, up from Sep’s $101.97 SGD. Hotel room revenue climbed to $80 million SGD, up from Sep’s $75.9 million SGD

Singapore’s cruises are now open to visitors arriving from Sydney and Melbourne via VTL

Singapore’s economy grew 7.1% YoY in Q3, slowing compared to 15.2% expansion in Q2. The Ministry of Trade and Industry expects GDP to slow down to 3-5% in 2022 amidst “uneven” recovery. Travel and domestic restrictions continue to hinder aviation and domestic tourism recovery, while outward-oriented sectors like electronics, finance, and insurance have been stronger than expected. Accommodation sector fell 4.1% YoY, a reversal from the 15.8% growth in the previous quarter

Unemployment in Singapore totalled 196,400 from Q4 2019 to Q3 2021. The Ministry of Trade and Industry stated “the COVID-19 pandemic simultaneously affected the Singapore economy through five transmission channels” which included the drop in international arrivals, affecting tourism and aviation-related sectors including accommodations sector, in which total employment dropped 12,100

Singapore Tourism Board and Mastercard’s Rediscover Priceless Singapore campaign aims to support domestic tourism businesses and promote local brands through 16 curated local tourism and lifestyle experiences targeted towards families and young professionals, who make up over half of local cardholders. Domestic spending by families held steady during the pandemic, with around 30% of their spend going towards dining, retail, attractions, and accommodation, whereas Young Professionals’ domestic spend grew by 14%, with around 30% going towards dining, retail, and accommodation

Data collected by ForwardKeys has shown that for travel into Singapore: • Flight booking spiked from late Oct, peaking in mid-Dec to reach 18% of 2019 levels • Arrivals in the week before Christmas at an all-time-high since the pandemic • Arrivals from the US have reached 35% of 2019 levels, with Europe at 28%, Australia at 26%, and South Korea at 18% • Global inbound flight arrivals at 5-10% of 2019 levels • Inbound flight tickets issued for Aug arrivals were 107% of Jul, Sep’s issues were 108% of Aug, and Oct’s issues were 285% of Sept • Flight arrivals from the US rose 13-fold in Oct, with the UK improving by 8.6 times and Australia by 3.6 times • Flight bookings for Nov and Dec arrivals see 28% single pax bookings, 31% for two pax, and 41% for more than three • Flight bookings for Nov and Dec arrivals dominated by travelling for leisure at 67%, followed by Visit Friends & Relatives and Expatriate at 14% • Average length of stays has increased to 11.7 days from 6.5 days pre-pandemic, with visitors from Australia spending an average of 7.3 days, and 18 days for visitors from the US and Europe

Potential for vast inbound improvements remain muted due to low daily quota for VTL travellers (10,000 per day for all countries) and cross-border restrictions. President of National Association of Travel Agents Singapore stated that most of the VTLs are long-haul travel markets that usually combine Singapore with another Southeast Asian destination, which is currently not possible due to cross-border restrictions, making a trip to Singapore “a costly attempt”

Hotels see increase in bookings from international tourists from VTL countries like the UK, the US, Australia, South Korea, and Germany, with bookings expected to increase during peak year-end period in Nov-Dec

VTL rule of providing proof of vaccination for people aged 12 and above has caused trouble for UK travellers aged 13-15 looking to enter Singapore, as UK’s proof of vaccination is only issued to people aged 16 and above

Singapore is gradually easing COVID-19 restrictions and expediting the vaccine booster programme with the Health Minister stating that a return to stricter policies will be a “last resort”. He also stated that the establishment of VTLs is important for Singapore to connect with the world as a “small outwardly oriented country” and that VTLs would be the norm for the near future

Pelago, Singapore Airlines’ travel experience platform, has launched coffee workshop with a private museum tour and a Peranakan museum tour led by Singapore Airlines’ cabin crew which will run from 26 Nov to Mar 2022

Use of SingapoRediscover vouchers (SRV) extended until the end of Mar 2022, though bookings need to made by 31 Dec. As of 1 Nov, 1.3 million Singaporeans have used their vouchers at least once, amounting to 1.6 million transactions, with around $256 million SGD spent in vouchers and additional expenditures

Singapore PM suggests that ASEAN and China should “work on progressively reopen borders to one another” as vaccination rate grows, including “developing digital, interoperable and secure solutions to facilitate the mutual recognition of vaccination certificates”

No COVID-19 clusters have been linked to recent MICE events, instilling confidence in the Singapore Tourism Board to gradually ease measures for MICE in the future. STB hopes Singapore will be able to host even larger events in 2022, with big events like Singapore Airshow and Tax Free World Association Asia Pacific Exhibition and Conference already lined up. Demand remains high as more events signed on to be held in Singapore in 2022-2023 over the last few months

Vaccinated Travel Pass (VTP) application portal disrupted due to surge of nearly 35,000 users accessing the website the moment it was opened for travellers from Malaysia and Indonesia. Immigration and Checkpoints Authority stated that no quota is set for passes issued for air travel

Singapore PM looks forward to deepening cooperation with Japan, including the safe resumption of travel

EventX, a software company providing hybrid event management solutions, has launched its Singapore operations

The Johor Chief Minister expects that 1,400 people may cross between Johor-Singapore in the first week of the VTL between the two countries. Singapore has said that it is “optimistic” that an agreement over opening up the VTL for the land border could take place by the end Nov, possible even the same day as that between Changi-Kuala Lumpur. The land border would be allocated a small quota to start with. The governments will conduct a pilot test on 22 Nov, and processes are being finalised

The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) has announced that the Vaccinated Travel Lane with India will start on 29 Nov with 6 designated flights from Chennai, Delhi and Mumbai, after reaching an agreement with the Indian Ministry of Civil Aviation

Demand for cruises remains consistent even with the rapid increase of VTLs, due to an “increased awareness of cruises as a holiday option and stronger market education during the pandemic”. Dream Cruises survey revealed the number of people who would be more likely to take a cruise within the next 12 months is increasing, showing an increase of 30% YoY for repeat cruisers with numbers tripled for non-cruisers. Executive Director of UOB Travel Planner states that cruise requests are mostly from families with younger kids

The government will start to taper off support measures for businesses and individuals as Singapore leaves it stabilisation phase. Wage subsidies for tourism businesses, museums, amongst others, will see their Jobs Support Scheme (JSS) lowered from 25% to 10% from 22 Nov-19 Dec

Singapore’s Stabilisation Phase will finish on 21 Nov, and the country will return to its Transition Phase. The group size will be increased to 5 people, as will the limit on household visitors, and dining in will be permitted for groups of 5 for fully vaccinated people from different households. The government will continue to monitor the situation for the next few weeks, and will look at the next “series of moves” from end Dec

Affinidi Travel’s solution used to digitally verify the validity of overseas vaccination certificates under ongoing pilot programme

Cruises to nowhere seen “minimal impact” despite introduction of vaccinated travel lanes

From 17 Jan 2022, Singapore Airlines to open additional vaccinated travel lane flights. Cities include Amsterdam, Barcelona, Copenhagen, Frankfurt, London, Milan, Munich, New York, Paris, Rome, Seattle, and Vancouver

Singapore and India in talks to restart scheduled commercial services with two daily flights each from Chennai, Delhi and Mumbai

Restaurant Asia 2021, a 3-day food and beverage symposium and trade show, expect 1,000 visitors a day. No pre-event testing required but vaccination required

Singapore gradually easing COVID-19 measure to avoid "unsettling" U-turns, says PM Lee

Increase in interest from Indonesian travellers to Singapore but process not straightforward. Vice president of the Indonesian Tours and Travel Agencies Association says there have been queries but few bookings

Discussions ongoing for new Singapore Grand Prix contract, says Singapore’s Transport Minister

New Memorandums of Understandings signed expected to boost MICE sector

By end Nov, households can dine in hawker centres and coffee shops in groups of 5. Pilot scheme to ease capacity limits and zoning requirements for specific events

Indonesians looking forward to quarantine free travel. Singapore remains favourite Asia travel destination for Indonesians, states deputy chairman of the Indonesian Tour and Travel Agencies Association

Travel lanes between Indonesia and India have limitations; costly PCR tests, unilateral travel lane (only inbound from Indonesia), no direct flights between India and Singapore yet

Singapore to allow vaccinated travel from Indonesia, India. Expected to extend scheme to Qatar, Saudi Arabia and UAE in early Dec

Singapore hoping e-sports can help boost tourism

Industrial Transformation Asia-Pacific and Architecture and Building Services conferences happening in November are set to be among the largest held in Singapore since August

Cartoon series to be launched by Singapore and Korea tourist boards to encourage tourism in both countries

A pilot scheme to ease capacity limits and zoning requirements for specific MICE events has been launched, which will be tested initially for the Singaporean singer JJ Lin’s concert and the Milken Institute Asia Summit

A new antigen test kit, Flowflex, has been authorised for use, which the government hopes can be priced below $5 SGD per test

Inbound travellers from US using travel lanes can now use digital vaccination record as Smart Health Card to more US states

Some Singaporeans returning from US using the vaccinated travel lane facing difficulties getting proof of COVID-19 vaccination

Johor has urged the Federal Government to open up a Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) at the Causeway (land border) with Singapore, as well as the one established between Singapore-Kuala Lumpur by air. They suggested it could start with a small quota of 300-500 pax per day

Sweden and Finland will be added to the Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) scheme from 29 Nov, and Singapore will increase its daily inbound pax quota to 6,000

The SkyHelix Sentosa will open on 15 Dec, ahead of schedule

Sarawak state, Malaysia, is working on a travel lane with Singapore, the Sarawak state government has reported

36,034 short-term visitors and long-term pass holders have received approval to enter Singapore under vaccinated travel lanes

Analysts optimistic for Genting Singapore’s recovery for FY2022, with opening of borders and more vaccinated travel lanes

The Finder’s Travel Index for Oct has shown that 31% of Singaporeans are planning to travel in the next 3 months, up from Sep’s 24%. 20% of Singaporeans are planning international travel, up from 13% in Sep, and 13% are planning domestic travel, up from 11% in Sep

The Singapore-Kuala Lumpur air route in 2019 was the world’s second busiest air route, according to OAG. In 2019, 1.2 million Malaysians travelled to Singapore, whilst there were 10 million Singaporeans who travelled to Malaysia

From 10 Nov, vaccinated households can dine out in up to groups of 5 but does not include hawker centres or coffee shops

Singapore eases COVID-19 rules from 10 Nov: • Vaccinated households can dine out in up to groups of 5 • Soft recorded music allowed in F&B outlets • COVID-19 patients unvaccinated by choice to pay own medical bills • Pilots for resumption of activities for those vaccinated, such as team sports • Resumption of more school activities • Home recovery scheme expanded • Medically ineligible individuals exempt from vaccination-differentiated measures from 1 Dec

From 11 Nov, passengers from Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, and Philippines to present antigen rapid test 2 days prior to arrival. Travellers from 23 countries previously deemed high risk to isolate for 10 days at home or hotel of their choice. New vaccinated travel lanes with Malaysia, Sweden and Finland starting 29 Nov

Pandemic situation in the Southeast Asia region is "fast stabilising". Singapore adjusts risk classification for some of these countries accordingly, said Health Minister Ong Ye Kung

The government has reported that the tourism industry has seen “some exits” since Jan 2020, but the number of new players has kept the number “fairly stable”. The number of hotels remains at 420, despite 13 closing, whilst just 176 tourist guides out of close to 3,000 did not renew their licences. 8% of all travel agents, however, around 157, have closed down, with 30 new ones starting up

Retail sales in Singapore grew by 6.6% YoY in Sep

Around 1 in 1,000 travellers under the Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) scheme tested positive for COVID since the launch. 14 out of 13,731 were detected. Of the entrants, 7,702 were short-term visitors or long-term pass holders, and 5,353 Singaporeans and PRs travelled

The MICE sector have said that the expanded VTL schemes will boost the MICE industry in Singapore, and are “an important signal”. BCD Meetings and Events have reported receiving a dozen new enquiries since 9 Oct. The Singapore Association of Convention & Exhibition Organisers & Suppliers also noted the VTLs were a "huge leap forward", but they are seeking the zoning requirements to be lifted, as well as a clear roadmap and consistent protocols

Shopee Hotel will launch in partnership with Agoda and Booking.com. providing their hotel inventory within the Shopee platform. It will launch in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Taiwan, Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines

Indonesia and Singapore are working together on a Vaccinated Travel Lane, the Indonesian government has stated

To attract more inbound travel, Singapore tourism industry must evolve to provide unique experiences and attract First World markets, according to CEO of Far East Hospitality

Less than half of the adult Singaporeans have redeemed their SingapoRediscovers Vouchers, due to expire after 31 Dec

Singapore working to ease restrictions while keeping human cost as low as possible

From 15 Nov, there will be 19 vaccinated travel lane flights at Changi airport and a daily quota of 4,000 travellers from 13 countries

Reopening of Singapore’s borders done well, rather than too quickly. "We will progressively expand the [vaccinated travel lane] scheme as we gain experience and confidence in reopening our borders safely," said Minister for Transport Mr. Iswaran

Italians hoping to travel to South-east Asia as well as awaiting foreign tourists

The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) is looking at streamlining the processes for the arrival of travellers under the Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) scheme. It is looking at using other arrival immigration halls for travellers, and noted that there was a difference between those entering on automated lanes and who had submitted their declarations online, vs those who used the manual lanes

Grand Hyatt Singapore embark on a 2-year renovation project, starting Oct 2021

STB data has shown that hotel occupancies and RevPAR were at their highest in 2021 in Sep, with $79.1 million SGD generated. It also saw 19,000 international arrivals, -96.6% YoY but +19.7% MoM, with 8,950 alone from China. Arrivals from Germany grew to 769 after the launch of the VTL. Hotel occupancy grew to 63% in Sep, from 55% in Aug, and RevPAR grew to $103.18 SGD from Aug’s $81.86 SGD

Of the 5,134 travellers who have entered Singapore under the vaccinated travel lane scheme so far, only five have tested positive for Covid-19

Australia and Switzerland will be added to the Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) scheme from 8 Nov. Those Singaporeans travelling to Switzerland will be able to enter quarantine-free, whilst those to Australia will need to wait until quarantine requirements are removed by Australia. The government noted that they are in discussion with other countries, “including our regional neighbours”, for more. Singapore will also increase the quota of travellers from 3,000 to 4,000 daily. Singapore Airlines will operate the designated VTL flights from Australia and Switzerland, and Scoot to Melbourne and Sydney

The hotel and tourism arm of China-based Greenland Group, Greenland Hotel and Tourism Group, has picked Singapore to launch its overseas operations centre to provide hotel advisory and management services to real estate entities in the hospitality segment

The protocols for the Bloomberg New Economy Forum, to be held in Nov, are similar to those for any MICE event – participants must be fully vaccinated and have a negative antigen test on a daily basis to be able to attend the forum and meals. It will be the first global conference to be held in Singapore in 2021. The STB said that the event will “reinforce Singapore's position as a business hub”

From 1 Jan 2022, only fully vaccinated employees can return to the workplace, with unvaccinated forced to take COVID tests, which they must bear the cost for

The Australian PM has signalled that an agreement for fully vaccinated travellers between Singapore and Australia could be in place by 23 Nov, and would initially apply to students and business travellers. Tourists could be permitted to enter from Dec

The Ministry of Health says more time is needed for the COVID-19 situation to stabilise; the “Stabilisation Phase” will be extended to 21 Nov. The measures will be reviewed in the coming weeks and may be adjusted depending on the situation

Themed staycations well-received by local residents and will provide an option to those not ready to travel overseas, according to those in the hotel industry

Small Hoteliers need borders to reopen with SEA countries to survive. SingapoRediscovers Vouchers scheme and vaccinated travel lanes have not made significant impact

The STB has suspended Continental Travel Singapore for alleged fraud in the SingapoRediscovers Vouchers scheme

Singapore’s resort island of Sentosa has been named by Green Destinations as one of the Top 100 Destination Sustainability Stories. It was featured in the 6th edition of the Global Green Destinations Days

Singapore Airlines has partnered with Golden Door, a California-based health and wellness retreat. Onboard passengers can expect health-focused meals, exercise, and well-being options. This will be first available in Jan 2022, on the non-stop Los Angeles to Singapore flight

The Shangri-la Dialogue will be held in Jun 2022, after being previously cancelled for 2 years

New countries added to the vaccinated travel schemes which is “a step in the right direction” for the travel market

Website for Singapore Airlines temporarily down and travel agencies see a surge in demand as new quarantine-free travel lanes are announced

From 19 Oct, unvaccinated children aged 12 and under allowed to travel into Singapore from countries under the vaccinated travel lane scheme. Negative PCR test results required

Singapore has announced the addition of 9 more countries to the Vaccinated Travel Lanes (VTLs) from 19 Oct: Canada, Denmark, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Britain and the United States. The scheme will also see changes, including reducing the number of RT-PCR tests to just 4, one pre-departure and one on-arrival. Travellers must arrive on designated VTL flights

Singapore Airlines and Scoot will increase the number of flights to bring in travellers using the vaccinated travel lane scheme

From 12 Oct, travellers entering Singapore from 18 lower risk countries, not using the vaccinated travel lane scheme, will serve a shorter 7 day stay-home notice and undergo 3 PCR tests

Of the 1,926 vaccinated inbound travellers not required to quarantine from Brunei and Germany, 2 have tested positive for COVID-19 on arrival

Singapore and Malaysia both keen to reopen borders as soon as possible; discussions are ongoing. Singapore currently classifies Malaysia as a category IV country (highest risk), with categories reviewed every two weeks. Finance Minister Lawrence Wong also stated the risks from land crossings would have to be considered separately from air travel

A vaccinated travel lane between South Korea and Singapore with commence from 15 Nov. Those visiting Singapore will need to request for a vaccinated travel pass, submit a negative PCR test conducted 48 hours before departure, purchase travel insurance, and test negative upon landing

Bookings of local tours have increased due to lack of overseas travel, the launch of SingapoRediscovers Vouchers, and the introduction of creative products to attract the local market. Local tours have logged double-digit booking growth in the first few months of this year

From 1 Nov all long-term pass holders will have to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 before entering Singapore. Those 12-18 years old must be fully vaccinated within 2 months of arrival into Singapore. Stay-at-home notice will also be shortened from 14 to 10 days from travellers from category III and IV countries

Capacity at hospitals and treatment facilities to be increased to deal with latest wave of infections and potential rise in severe illness. Those who are well will be housed at community care facilities or at home

The Minister for Foreign Affairs has said that Singapore’s priority is pandemic control, and “right now is the time to be careful” when it comes to reopening borders. He stayed that relaxing travel bans with ASEAN countries is being actively discussed, but mutual recognition of vaccine certificates still needs to be in place. Once the healthcare system has stabilised, then Singapore can “sequentially, safely, carefully open up our borders”

There will be a 2-person limit for taxis and private hire cars from 27 Sep-24 Oct

Singapore reported a record high of locally transmitted cases on 23 Sep of 1,504

The Malaysian government has announced that there will soon be a mutual recognition between Malaysia and Singapore’s vaccination certificates, to help ease movement between the 2 countries

The government will impose new restrictions from 27 Sep-25 Oct, due to an increasing number of cases which could overwhelm the healthcare system. This will also allow the government to scale up its home recovery and home care services. The government says that Singapore “remains committed to reopening” but “the journey may take longer so that we can do so safely”. It is getting plans ready to be able to handle 5,000 daily cases – it is currently at 1,500. The government expects that cases will continue to rise, but “hopefully at a slower rate than before”

Home-based learning for all primary and special education schools will be extended to 7 Oct, with children returning on 11 Oct

Work from home will be the default for businesses from 27 Sep-24 Oct, with the 10-day snap work from home requirement suspended. Social gatherings will not be permitted at the workplace, and employees who must be in the workplace should have staggered hours

The Pan Pacific Hotel Group’s Chief Executive has cautioned brands that they must constantly come up with fresh staycations ideas to keep the market excited, and that to attract Singaporeans, it’s about “creating new experiences”

A $650 million SGD support package has been launched for businesses impacted by the latest COVID restrictions from 27 Sep-24 Oct. These include enhanced Jobs Support Scheme of 25% for sectors such as museums, art galleries, tourism sites and retail outlets

The PM has stated that new restrictions will allow the government more time to give booster shots, as well as vaccinate those who are unvaccinated. Singapore will expand its hospital capacity

Once the healthcare system has stabilised, Singapore will continue with its reopening plans, the government has said

From 27 Sep, gatherings will be limited to 2 pax, with many eateries only permitted to serve 2 vaccinated diners per table. Households will only be permitted to receive 2 unique visitors per day, and senior citizens are recommended to stay at home

YouTrip, a multi-currency mobile wallet, will set up an innovation lab in Singapore to accelerate its product development

Tripadvisor’s Seasonal Travel Index for Fall has seen 86% of Singaporeans planning to book a staycation in the next 2 months, 33% book at least 2 trips, and 12% 3 or more trips. 35% plan to spend more on their biggest trip than they did in 2019, with Gen Z the most likely to spend more, at 46%. 59% are looking for a 2-5 day stay, whilst 13% are planning a one-night stay. The average spend for a trip is $487 SGD

The Ministry of Health has asked for understanding from Singaporeans over delays in communication from them over what to do in case of positive tests, as they said that ground operations are “much strained”

The government is closely watching hospital capacity, as well as the number of serious cases

Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts and Haagen-Dazs have partnered to create an ice-cream themed staycation

The government has announced that from 22 Sep, employers must implement a snap 10-day work from home directive for all employees if 3 or more test positive for COVID-19 and have visited the workplace in the past 7 days

Sentosa has extended its free entry to the island until 31 Mar 2022, the fourth time that it has extended its promotion

The Transport Minister has announced that the Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) may be expanded to more countries “in the coming weeks and months”. Just 1 traveller out of 900 so far has tested positive in the first 2 weeks. 2,500 people have so far applied for the VTL. “Several” destinations have expressed interest about joining the scheme, and the countries selected would be based on the incidence of cases, the vaccination rate and testing regime, as well as operational requirements, ensuring that airlines, airports and immigration are prepared

10-15% of Singapore’s COVID patients are expected to require hospital care, whilst 50% are expected to recover at home, and 30% in community care facilities (CCF). The Ministry of Health will establish a new category of enhanced CCFs, which will look after patients who are well but have underlying health conditions and should be monitored

M.I.C.E. Matters have expanded to add an inbound department, Insiders MICE SG business unit

All primary schools will undertake home-based learning for Primary 1-5 from 27 Sep to 6 Oct

2,322 travellers have so far been approved for the VTL between 8 Sep-22 Oct, with 2,241 from Germany and 81 from Brunei. For Germany, 962 were short-term visitors

Younger, fully vaccinated COVID positive patients are being encouraged to recover at home, as A&E departments and general wards in Singapore’s hospitals are “under pressure”

Singapore recorded 934 locally transmitted cases on 18 Sep, the highest since Apr 2020

Travellers from Indonesia in the last 21 days will be permitted to transit in Singapore, after being banned since 12 Jul. They will need to undergo an RT-PCR test on arrival. They will also need to serve a 14-day Stay-Home Notice (SHN). Poland and Saudi Arabia will be added to Singapore’s Category II list, which means that they can serve a 7-day SHN in quarantine facilities or at home on arrival to Singapore. More countries will be added to the Category III list: Czech Republic, Bulgaria, France, Latvia, Portugal and Spain, which allow travellers to serve a 14-day SHN at home

Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC) will launch new ferries to the Southern Islands from its Sentosa Cove Village from Dec. It will also promote “low-carbon leisure experiences”, including bike tours and glamping. By 2025, visitors to Sentosa will travel by electric buses, in SDC’s drive for sustainability. It also launched a new alliance with major Sentosa businesses to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030, the Sentosa Carbon Neutral Network (SCNN)

Those who test positive via an antigen rapid test are urged to self-isolate for at least 72 hours, to be able to safely recover and prevent transmission. 100 vending machines which will dispense rapid tests will be placed at 56 locations across Singapore

The Singapore Health Minister has said that masks will be “one of the last things to go”, and that the next few weeks are critical as Singapore’s cases increase

Singapore saw 2,340 retrenchments in Q2 2021, up from 2,270 in Q1 2021

A Time Out Index survey has seen Singapore voted the world’s cleanest and greenest city in the world

Singapore remains committed to cooperating with the new Malaysian government, the Foreign Affairs Minister has said. Discussions on reopening borders are ongoing, and have “made good progress”

Seriously ill patients in Singapore have doubled

Singapore will change its policies for home recovery for those younger patients who are fully vaccinated and diagnosed with COVID – they will now by default be allowed to recover at home, and the scheme will gradually expand to older age groups. Infected children will also be encouraged to recover at home. The length of quarantine for fully vaccinated individuals infected will also be shortened to 7 days, if they have very low viral loads

Senior citizens and those who live with them have been urged to minimise their social interactions due to the increase in community transmission

The Health Minister has said that Singapore is not “reversing” its opening policy, nor “racing ahead”, but will monitor the situation over the next 2-4 weeks before looking at further reopening steps. The number of new daily cases is expected to increase to 1,000 soon and could be 2,000 within weeks. However, ICU admissions have remained low so far

Up to 500 migrant workers will be permitted back into the community under a pilot program

Resorts World Sentosa will increase efforts to appeal to visitors for whom sustainability is important, and will position itself as a “sustainable lifestyle destination”

The Ministry of Health will change the way that they announce cases, and will not longer report linked and unlinked new cases

The Minister for National Development has said that Singapore must reconnect with its ASEAN neighbours as a priority to recover the economy

The first plane under the Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) scheme arrived on 8 Sep from Frankfurt, with 100 passengers on board. They were made up of 57 short-term visitors, 15 long-term pass holders and 28 Singaporean citizens and permanent residents. The National Association of Travel Agents Singapore (NATAS) called the first flight a breakthrough, and that they hoped it would “give a lot more confidence to those who are still adopting a wait-and-see approach”. From 8 Sep-7 Oct, there have been 1,466 VTL passes issued, 54 for Brunei and the remainder for Germany, with 668 for short-term visitors

: Singapore has reported 15,470 arrivals in Aug, +73.6% YoY

Singapore Tourism Board has launched a new series called SingapoReimagine Global Conversations which highlights how the industry has innovated

Singapore will expand its testing, with workers in more sectors now required to undergo testing once a week. Companies will also receive 8 antigen rapid tests per employee to help facilitate weekly staff testing over 2 months

Singapore’s resident unemployment rate grew to 3.7% in Jul, up from 3.5% in Jun. The growth was attributed to the return of Singapore to Phase 2 Heightened Alert

The government has asked all Singaporean residents to reduce their social interactions to one per day, and reminded residents to regularly self-test. Workplaces will not be permitted to have gatherings, and employers must put in place a 14-day work from home requirement if one of their workers tests positive

A new international design fair will be held in Singapore from 2022-2024, the FIND: Design Fair Asia. The inaugural show will take place from 22-24 Sep 2022

All travellers into Singapore from countries classified as Category II, III and IV will need to have a negative RT-PCR test within 48 hours of leaving for Singapore from 9 Sep – previously this was 72 hours. Several countries have been reclassified, with South Korea added to Category II, allowing arrivals to serve a 7 day SHN at their place of residence. Croatia, Egypt, Finland, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Saudi Arabia and Sweden are now in Category III, which allows them to serve a 14-day SHN at their own place of residence

As of 1 Sep, 1.2 million Singaporeans have used their SingapoRediscovers vouchers at least once, with 1.5 million transactions. This created $178 million SGD in voucher and cash payments. Since 2 Aug, Klook and UOB Travel Planners have offered $40,000 SGD worth of NTUC vouchers

Singapore reported a record number of locally transmitted community cases on 4 Sep, 253

Singapore’s retail sales in Jul grew by 0.2% YoY

The government has said that there will be no further easing of restrictions at the moment, due to an increase of cases, so they want to “take some time to monitor the situation”. The Ministry of Health has said that the increase in locally transmitted cases in Singapore is “not unexpected” as the economy reopens, but there is no need to tighten restrictions

The government has said that everyone, even fully vaccinated residents, should regularly self-test as a matter of “social responsibility”

Citystate Travel has acquired Fortune Travel, one of the largest Singaporean corporate travel agents

755 travellers were approved for the Vaccinated Travel Lanes (VTL) on the first day of applications, 735 from Germany (301 short-term visitors, 434 long-term pass holders), and 20 from Brunei. The first VTL flight will arrive on 7 Sep from Germany

The government is planning the easing of restrictions for migrant workers who work in Singapore, after almost a year of being restricted to their living quarters. The government will also look at revamping the dormitories

The Monetary Authority of Singapore ‘s survey (MAS) has shown that 70% of economists forecast Singapore’s economic growth to be driven by reopening borders to international travel

The Shangri-La Group and Singapore Tourism Board have partnered to create the Savour Singapore in Every Bite campaign in 7 cities and 9 hotels in China

Sentosa has launched a new campaign, “Make Time for More Holidays”, aimed at domestic travellers. The Sentosa Development Corporation will also launch a new series of fitness, arts and educational experiences from Sep-Nov

MICE tourism players still see weak demand for MICE events, despite the increase of in-person meetings to 1,000 pax. Fears from companies of holding events include that restrictions may change, and that they are afraid to commit economically, as the situation is fluid. CWT Meeting and Events have said that enquiries are returning “very steadily”, and they are focusing on smaller, hybrid events

Singapore’s visitors increased in Jul to 18,520, the highest since Apr, and up from Jun’s 6,840. Hotel performance also increased in Jul, with REVPAR growing to $87.50 SGD, up from $75.40 SGD in Jun, +57.6% YoY. Occupancy was at 51%

Singaporeans can now use their NRIC, Singapore passport or National Service ID to redeem their SingapoRediscovers vouchers, as part of a process to simplify the redemption

The STB has partnered with ClassPass to promote Singapore’s wellness products, and as part of its strategy to be a leading urban wellness haven. From Q1 2022, it will encourage Singaporeans to participate in wellness and fitness activities and challenges, highlighting innovative wellness businesses and neighbourhoods

The Singapore PM has said that the country will now refocus on the future, and that it is “no longer about drawing down reserves to keep ourselves on life support. It is about generating new growth, jobs and prosperity for the future". Singapore will continue to open up cautiously and progressively

South Korea and Singapore have acknowledged the need for them both to mutually recognise one another’s vaccination certificates, and a review is underway

Travellers from New Zealand will no longer be able to apply for the Air Travel Pass from 30 Aug, and will need to serve a 7-day Stay-Home Notice at their place of residence. Travellers from Jiangsu province, China, will be permitted to apply for the Air Travel Pass (ATP) scheme once more

The Connect@Changi facility has now been converted into a community care facility, which houses people with mild symptoms of COVID-19. It will stop receiving travellers and facilitating business activities

All households will receive 6 DIY antigen tests, as a way to boost testing efforts. Students and employees of preschools and primary schools will also receive 3 tests for free

Mandatory COVID tests for those vaccinated workers in higher risk segments will continue to be subsidised until the year-end, but companies must prepare to incorporate these costs from 2022

Traveloka has launched a new initiative with Corporate Alliance for Good, encouraging Singaporeans to donate their $100 SGD SingapoRediscovers vouchers to allow beneficiaries from various charities to enjoy local attractions

The Singapore Food Festival will run as a pop-up festival in San Francisco, New York and Las Vegas this year, highlighting the country’s food culture

18 career conversion programs have been launched for tourism and lifestyle workers, enhancing their digital skills and preparing them for new opportunities. From Jan 2020-Aug 2021, 3,100 workers have enrolled in the programs, and another 1,400 are set to benefit from them for the rest of the year

Dream Cruises will launch new themed cruises, with a Markets of the World campaign. This will feature countries including Spain, Germany, France, Western Australia, Hong Kong, Japan, Thailand and Taiwan, with special foods and activities

The My Community Festival, supported by the STB, will run for 3 weeks and feature more than 60 programs. It will encourage Singaporeans to uncover the “hidden gems of Singapore”

The Ministry of Manpower hopes that tourism workers will stay in the sector, so that their core competencies remain in place for tourism’s recovery

The government has said that Singapore has to take a “step-by-step approach in opening up and controlling the pace of opening”, in a defence of its reopening policy, with some critiquing it for being too cautious, some too fast. The aim should be to “get to the end of this pandemic with as little death and damage as possible, even as we progressively resume most of our normal lives”

The STB has said that it believes recovery in the tourism industry will be “protracted”. As of 1 Aug, more than one million Singaporeans have redeemed their SingapoRediscovers vouchers, with 1.4 million transactions of over $168 million SGD

243 Air Travel Passes have been issued to Hong Kong and Macao travellers since their inclusion in the scheme

The Australian Trade, Tourism and Investment Minister has said that travel bubbles with countries such as Singapore would be possible when Australia reaches an 80% vaccination target

A study from RSIS has found that 80% of Singaporean respondents believed that the government handled the pandemic “very well” or “fairly well” during the Circuit Breaker, and nearly 7/10 agreed with sacrifices to their privacy in exchange for ensuring theirs, their family’s and the wider community’s personal health

Singapore Expo will soon have an outdoor go-kart track, indoor badminton hall and a new foodcourt, which will held it to maintain the business after reporting a 95% drop in physical events since Apr 2020 at the venue

The number of serious COVID cases in Singapore has declined to the lowest levels in over 3 weeks

Some Singapore tourism businesses have been running special promotions for vaccinated travellers, including Oakwood Premier AMTD, which is offering a discount off its BAR rate and a 3-course dinner, KKDay with $250 SGD discounts on cruises to nowhere and Millennium Hotels & Resorts with special promotions in Aug, who saw a 20% increase in staycation bookings MoM

Singapore has said that it will strictly implement rules for dining in, and that those restaurants who do not check vaccination status, or those who falsely declare their vaccination status, could face fines or jail

The government has said that its stance on being open to the world “will not change”, and that the country is “too small to survive on our own and we must tap into global markets”

Chan Brothers have reported receiving enquiries on travel to Germany, but expect that most travellers will be cautious initially. EU Holidays has also said that it is in discussions with its suppliers to establish itineraries in Germany

Singapore and Hong Kong do not plan to launch the Air Travel Bubble between the two countries, as their “strategies differ”. However, Singapore has said that both sides are committed to facilitating travel between one another due to their hub status

Singapore has announced the launch of Vaccinated Travel Lanes (VTL), which will start from 8 Sep to Brunei and Germany. These will allow those fully vaccinated travelling into Singapore to enter with no Stay-Home Notices, and are implemented unilaterally. It will also permit outbound leisure travel from Singapore to Germany and Brunei. The conditions for travellers entering into Singapore include: • Four RT-PCR tests (pre-departure test within 48 hours of departure flight to Singapore, on arrival at Changi Airport, post-arrival test on days 3 and 7 • Must have stayed in either the country of departure/ Singapore for the last 21 consecutive days prior to departure • Must travel on non-stop designated flights which are only to serve VTL travellers • Be above 12 years old • Short-term visitors and long-term pass holders must apply for a vaccinated travel pass to enter Singapore • Travel insurance with minimum coverage of $30,000 SGD for travel to Singapore • Singapore citizens and PRs do not need to apply for a vaccinated travel pass

Singapore will allow travellers from Hong Kong and Macau to enter the country under the Air Travel pass from 26 Aug

The Singapore government has said that a calibrated start to the Vaccinated Travel Lane will allow Singapore to test and learn, before it is expanded, adding "the longer our borders remain closed, the greater the risk of lasting damage to our livelihoods and our status as an aviation hub”

Fully vaccinated Travellers who arrive into Singapore with a WHO-approved vaccine will be eligible for Singapore’s vaccination-differentiated measures. Immigration on arrival will issue tamper-proof sticker on travellers’ passports. By Sep, IT systems will allow vaccinated travellers to also be recognised by Singapore’s SafeEntry Business app through the TraceTogether apps or tokens

Singapore will classify countries into 4 categories, with differentiated measures: • Category I: places with lowest risk of transmission. Travellers can enter Singapore without Stay-Home Notices (SHN), and will have a test on arrival. Current countries include: China (except Jiangsu province), New Zealand, Taiwan (Hong Kong and Macau from 20 Aug) • Category II: places with similar risk to Singapore. These travellers will undergo 7-day SHN, which can be at accommodation of their choice or residence. Countries from 20 Aug include Australia, Brunei, Canada and Germany • Category III: places with higher risk of infection. Unvaccinated travellers to undergo 14-day SHN at dedicated facilities. Fully vaccinated can serve the 14-day SHN at their choice of accommodation/ residence. Current countries include: Austria, Italy, Norway, Korea, Switzerland. From 20 Aug: Belgium, Denmark, Japan, Luxembourg • Category IV: highest risk of infections. Travellers need to undergo 14-day SHN at dedicated facilities. Those who are not Singaporeans or PRs travelling from Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka not permitted to enter

Changi Airport Group has welcomed the opening of the Vaccinated Travel Lanes, saying that it will “help to boost travel demand and improve passenger traffic at Changi”. Singapore Airlines also praised the scheme, as did the National Association of Travel Agents Singapore (NATAS), who said that Germany was one of the top 5 destinations for Singaporeans in Europe

Singapore has further eased its lockdown restrictions from 19 Aug, including: • Up to 50% of employees may return to the workplace, and social gatherings at work will be permitted • Up to 1,000 fully vaccinated attendees permitted for MICE, live performances, spectator sports events, worship and cinemas • Up to 1,000 fully vaccinated attendees for marriage solemnisations at external venues • 50% operational capacity for attractions and cruises • 50% operational capacity for museums and public libraries • Increased capacity for shopping malls • Temperature screening at public premises no longer required

Some fully vaccinated COVID-19 patients who are asymptomatic or have mild symptoms will be permitted to recover at home after spending the first couple of days in a medical facility. This will take place from 30 Aug, under a new pilot scheme. All household members would be placed under home quarantine and have to undergo a daily antigen test

The Karting Arena has opened a new track in Jurong

The Museum of Ice Cream has now opened in Singapore, with 14 interactive installations

The Ministry of Manpower is looking at a new advisory on policies for requiring vaccination in the workplace

The Trade & Industry Minister has said that Singapore is in talks with Germany, Australia, Canada and South Korea to establish pilot programs for business travellers to enter Singapore. This could also possibly be expanded to leisure travel for countries with lower infection rates, which would visit certain places and run with tour groups

The government have reported that 85% of those aged 75 years and above have now received at least one vaccine dose, and 90% of those aged 60 to 69 years old have. They expect the Novavax vaccine to become available at the end of the year in Singapore

The Australian Tourism Minister has revealed that Singapore is “very keen” to open up a travel bubble with them, once targets are met for vaccination and cases

Workers in shopping malls, supermarkets and taxi drivers will also be included in the “vaccinate or regular test” scheme from 1 Oct

Dream Cruises will partner with Singaporean brands to create exclusive shopping collections for purchase on board, as part of the Support Local campaign. Partners will include the 1872 Clipper Tea Co and The Animal Project

Shangri-La Rasa Sentosa will offer staycation guests complimentary COVID-19 tests if they are unvaccinated, so that they can benefit from hotel amenities from 13-19 Aug

The number of contact tracers has increased from 330 to 480, with the increase in cases

The Michelin Bib Gourmand list for Singapore has been released, including 69 eateries, up from 2019’s 58. 42 of these are hawker stalls

The government will impose severe penalties against those who use another’s vaccination certificate to be able to dine-in at restaurants

The Singapore Food Festival will run from 27 Aug-12 Sep, in a hybrid format with live masterclasses, virtual food tours and workshops

Genting Singapore posted a $88.2 million SGD earnings in H1 2021, but said that it did not expect in the short-term any “measurable increase in business sentiment until we have greater visibility of the border reopenings”. It noted that the SingapoRediscovers vouchers have helped, but border restrictions “significantly impact” its performance

Those who have been vaccinated overseas can update their vaccination records at designated clinics in Singapore, where they will undergo a serology test

Singapore’s Q2 GDP grew by 14.7% YoY, faster than Q1’s 1.5% YoY growth. The government have upgraded their forecast for 2021 GDP to 6-7% from its original 4-6% estimate, due to the “better than expected” results in H1. Accommodation in Q2 grew by 13.2% YoY, easing from Q1’s 16.3% growth. The aviation and tourism sector is forecast to recover more slowly than previously expected, as “global travel demand may also remain sluggish amidst the spread of more contagious strains of the virus”

The 2022 school year will start on 4 Jan and finish on 18 Nov, with four main vacation periods: 12-20 Mar, 28 May – 26 Jun, 3-11 Sep and 19 Nov-31 Dec

Unvaccinated people can dine in at F&B outlets if they have a Pre-Event Test result from an approved test provider within the last 24 hours

New easing measures will come into place from 10 Aug, including: groups of up to 5 people permitted to dine in if all are vaccinated, with exceptions for unvaccinated children 12 years and below. Groups of 2 will be permitted at hawker centres and coffee shops, regardless if they are vaccinated. Social gatherings will be increased to 5 people, with households allowed to receive 5 distinct visitors per day, with unvaccinated people “strongly encouraged” to stay in groups of 2 or less. Worshippers will be allowed to gather up to 500 if all are vaccinated, but 50 if unvaccinated. Funerals will be permitted 30 attendees. Live performances can take place with up to 500 pax for all vaccinated, and if not with no Pre-Event Testing (PET), then 50 pax. Staycations can have to up to 5 people per room. High intensity sports classes can resume with caps. MICE events can be held with up to 500 pax if all are vaccinated, and they will be permitted to unmask. If not vaccinated, the limit is 50. Sports events can take place with up to 500 pax if all are vaccinated, if not, 50. Wedding solemnisations can take place with up to 500 if all are vaccinated, 50 if not. Wedding receptions can have up to 250 attendees if all are vaccinated. From 19 Aug, up to 50% of employees who can work from home can return to the office, with workplace social gatherings also permitted. Temperature taking will not be a requirement in public places. Up to 1,000 worshippers will be permitted if all are vaccinated, 50 if not. Live performance audiences can be up to 1,000 if all are vaccinated, 50 if not. Museums will increase to 50% capacity. Tour groups will be permitted in groups of up to 50 for those with transport, 20 if not. MICE can take place with up to 1,000 pax if all are vaccinated, 50 if not. Attractions and cruises can operate at 50%

The Ministry of Manpower will resume approving entry for work pass holders and their dependants with a travel history to higher-risk countries, so long as they are fully vaccinated. The condition to be vaccinated will not apply for those work pass holders and dependants coming from lower-risk countries (Brunei, Hong Kong, Mainland China (including Jiangsu province), Macau, New Zealand and Taiwan), or the Periodic Commuting Arrangement with Malaysia. Fully vaccinated travellers to Singapore from Australia, Austria, Canada, Germany, Italy, Norway, South Korea and Switzerland will be able to serve their 14-day Stay-Home Notice at their place of residence, instead of dedicated facilities from 20 Aug. “Fully vaccinated” means that they have received the full doses of Moderna, Pfizer or any other WHO-approved vaccine, including Sinovac, Sinopharm and AstraZeneca. Travellers who quarantine at their place of residence must wear an electronic monitoring device and use specially designated transport services from the airport to their home, costing around $200-220 SGD

The Health Minister has said that Singapore must expect more people to contract COVID-19 as the economy opens up, as well as the number of severely ill people amongst the unvaccinated, causing the death toll to rise. Singapore will do its “best to minimise the incidence of severe illnesses and deaths”. It will embark on a four stage reopening, the first the “preparatory stage” from 10 Aug, expected to last a month until early Sep, by which time the country should be 80% vaccinated. Then “Transition Stage A”, with a further increase in event size and further easing of border controls, once vaccination rate is high and there is a stable situation, then “Transition Stage B”, a further reopening of the economy, with a differentiation still between unvaccinated and vaccinated people, then “COVID-resilient Nation”, the end-goal

The Ministry of Transport is working to open up “vaccinated travel lanes”, allowing people to travel between Singapore and selected countries without quarantine. Instead, it would be replaced with frequent testing. They said that "our companies cannot grow if businessmen and managers cannot travel overseas to meet clients and partners. MNCs (multinational corporations) will find it hard to invest here if their people are not able to travel in and out of Singapore"

The Singapore Tourism Board called the use of hotels for quarantine facilities “win-win” for the industry, supporting the fight against COVID whilst supporting jobs in the hospitality industry

Workers in specific sectors must either undergo vaccination or regular testing from 1 Oct. Those who are unvaccinated will need to undergo antigen tests twice per week

Marina Bay Sands casino reopened on 5 Aug after it was closed for 2 weeks due to a cluster

More than 90 hotels as of 4 Aug have served as isolation facilities, an increase from May’s 70 hotels

Travellers from Taiwan will be able to apply for the Air Travel Pass once more from 12 Aug, and will not need to serve a Stay-Home Notice (SHN) from 7 Aug

The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) held a virtual fam trip for 200 Indian travel agents, under its SingapoReimagine Virtual Experiences Familiarisation Day. This saw different experiences highlighted, from Wildlife Reserves Singapore to a tour of Brass Lion Distillery

The Tourism Minister for Palau has said that it is in talks for travel bubbles with Singapore

The Standard will open a new hotel in 2023

The Ministry of Health has apologised for delays in people being taken to quarantine facilities, as they said that the number had “increased many fold”, which led to “communication gaps”. Those who are vaccinated are able to serve their quarantine at home, so long as they have suitable facilities

MICE players in Singapore believe that the restrictions easing will help boost the year-end calendar. The Singapore Association for Conventions & Exhibitions Organisers and Suppliers (SACEOS) called it the “glimmer of light at the end of a long tunnel”. The Conference & Exhibition Management Services (CEMS) called for the government to make a firm announcement on reopening, to boost confidence

68 companies have now qualified for the SG SafeEvent Certification

A new area, Orchid Haven, has launched in Gardens by the Bay’s Cloud Forest conservatory

Singapore has tightened its border measures for travellers from Australia, who will need to serve a 14-day SHN at dedicated facilities from 2 Aug. Travellers arriving from Jiansu province, China, will not be permitted to use the Air Travel Pass to enter

Two new trails at Clementi Nature Corridor, are set to be ready from 2023

Singapore Tourism Board reported 10,030 international arrivals in Jun, down from May’s 14,190. Hotel room revenue also dropped to $64.3 million SGD, down from May’s $67.9 million SGD. Average hotel occupancy increased in Jun to 53%

Resident employment increased in Q2 2021, but at a slower pace, due to the lockdown measures put into place. In a June poll, 64% of companies indicated they were planning to hire, compared to 73% in Mar

The Catalonia Tourist Board organised its first in-person event in Singapore, in conjunction with the ILTM and the Spain Tourism Board, with 14 MICE and luxury buyers

Constellar Holdings have made 21 employees redundant in Singapore as part of a rightsizing exercise

Both the National Association of Travel Agents Singapore (NATAS) and the Singapore Hotel Association (SHA) have greeted the news of the potential easing of travel restrictions for vaccinated travellers positively, and that their members are ready for the transition

Dream Cruises have reported a 75% increase in suite bookings vs pre-COVID times in its Singapore cruises. Royal Caribbean have seen an increase of new cruisers, as well as demand for its Royal Suite Class rooms. Oceania Cruises have reported a “positive response” from Singaporeans for their 2022 and 2023 sailings in Asia

Singapore hopes that once 80% of the population is vaccinated, expected by Sep, more easing measures can be put in place. This would include larger crowds of fully vaccinated people. If the number of severe cases remains low, nearly all social and workplace restrictions could be lifted, but indoor mask wearing could still be a way of life. However, if hospitalisation rates increase, then Singapore would have to “be prepared to slow down, or even pull back”

Singapore will look at its current restrictions in early Aug, but any easing would only apply to vaccinated people

$2 billion SGD will be allocated to support workers and businesses impacted by tighter measures

The government has said that the return to Phase 2 Heightened Alert is not expected to impact its GDP growth of 4-6% in 2021

Data has shown that vaccinated people made up to 74% of cases in the last month, but that none were hospitalised

From 22 Jul-18 Aug, Singapore will return to Phase 2 Heightened Alert, and measures will be tightened, including: social gatherings limited to 2 pax, with 2 distinct visitors per household per day. The 2 pax limit will also apply to staycations, unless all are from the same hotel, working from home remains the default, dine-in will be banned, as will strenuous group indoor exercise classes. Wedding receptions will be allowed to continue, with a maximum of 5 per table, but pre-event testing will be required for all attendees. Attractions and cruises’ capacity will be reduced to 25%, whilst shopping malls have to reduce their maximum capacity limit

The Singapore Tourism Board recognised 34 tourism businesses at its virtual Singapore Tourism Awards 2021

The number of increasing unlinked cases may be down to a slower identification of linkages, rather than widespread transmission, experts have said

The government will launch a $1.1 billion SGD package to help those businesses and consumers affected by the return to Phase 2 Heightened Alert restrictions. This includes enhanced Jobs Support Scheme (JSS) of up to 40% for tourist attractions, hotels, cruise and ferry operators, MICE organisers, travel agents, museums, art galleries and other family entertainment centres, up from 30% until 18 Aug

Singapore’s National Day Parade on 9 Aug has been postponed until 21 Aug due to the new measures in place

The Health Minister has said that Singapore has returned to Phase 2 Heightened Alert because of the Jurong Fishery Port cluster, rather than the KTV one. Because workers at the Jurong Fishery Port also worked at different markets across Singapore, more cases were “seeded” within the community. These markets are also often visited by senior citizens, who still have a lower rate of vaccination. Once Singapore hits 64%, it is close to being in a “much stronger and confident position”

Marina Bay Sands casino will be closed from 22 Jul-5 Aug after 11 cases linked to a cluster there were detected

Physical business events will be reduced from 22 Jul-18 Aug. 100 pax will be allowed at business events with pre-event testing (PET), and up to 50 pax without testing

Differentiated measures between vaccinated and non-vaccinated residents will be on hold during Phase 2 Heightened Alert, as there is currently rising levels of transmission in the community

Singapore reported a record high of 182 new locally transmitted cases

The government has said that Singapore is on track to living with endemic COVID-19, but it must remain flexible and adjust to the situation as it evolves

All in-person co-curricular activities will be suspended from 22 Jul, but schools will continue to be open

The Singapore- Hong Kong Air Travel Bubble will restart discussions once the COVID situation allows in “late Aug”

The Association of Muslim Travel Agents of Singapore (Amtas) has said that 2 of 3 Muslim travel agents have ceased to exist, due to financial difficulties. They are calling for the government to increase the amount of Jobs Support Scheme funding to 50%

Unvaccinated residents are being “strongly” advised to stay at home as much as possible over the coming weeks

A travel tech company, Smoove Xperience has launched an AI app which will provide curated guides, UGC and local deals

Singapore will tighten its restrictions after the KTV cluster. From 19 Jul-8 Aug, unvaccinated residents will only be able to dine in in groups of 2 maximum, whilst fully vaccinated will be able to dine out in groups of 5. If the diner is unvaccinated but has a pre-event test, they would be permitted to dine out, as will those who have recovered from COVID. Members from the same household with unvaccinated children aged 12 or below will be permitted to dine out in a maximum of 5. Smaller groups sizes at gyms and fitness studios will also be imposed

The STB has launched a new campaign for the Indian market with Voot Kids and Green Gold Animation, which features iconic Indian comic character Chhota Bheem

The Ministry of Health is taking a 4-ring approach for the latest KTV cluster which has broken out, with 120 cases linked to it, including those who were identified from the SafeEntry and TraceTogether data, those who have come forward as visiting the outlets, those in contact with confirmed cases and those who have visited the locations of the affected outlets

The KTV cluster could have been caused from an initial community spread

The KTV cluster could have been caused from an initial community spread

The KTV cluster is a “major setback” for Singapore’s recovery, the government has said. The country’s ICU usage will be a major factor in deciding the country’s measurements with just 1 person in the ICU out of a total of 1,000 beds

Despite a positive case being detected on the World Dream cruise, Genting Cruise Lines has reported minimal cancellations for other cruises, with Jul bookings almost sold out. Royal Caribbean have also said that cancellations have not been received, and new bookings are still coming in. The STB have said that the quick response from the World Dream crew for contact tracing and isolating close contacts shows that the emergency plans are effective

Travellers from Myanmar in the last 21 days will not be permitted to enter Singapore from 15 Jul due to the increasing number of cases

An announcement which was expected on the Hong Kong-Singapore travel corridor plan on 13 Jul was cancelled last minute. Singapore has said that discussions are continuing, and an update will be given in “due course”

Singapore and Estonia are working on cross-border vaccine certificate recognition, which could allow it to “plug into” the European Union’s digital vaccination certificate system

A Dream Cruises ship returned to port earlier than scheduled, after detecting a COVID positive case on 14 Jul. The passenger was fully vaccinated, and linked to the KTV cluster. Information on close contacts was identified within an hour

Singapore’s Q2 GDP grew 14.3% YoY, due to a low base in 2020. In absolute terms, it remained 0.9% below pre-pandemic levels of 2019. The services sector, including accommodation, overall grew by 13.4% YoY

Passengers on board the World Dream liner with the COVID-positive patient will receive a free cruise

A pilot program to allow more foreign maids to enter Singapore will start mid-Jul, with maids coming from Indonesia and the Philippines. They will undergo a 14-day onboard facility in their home country, followed by a 14-day Stay-Home Notice on arrival in Singapore

The National Heritage Board has launched a new heritage trail, covering Sembawang and its naval history

A Singapore experiences booking platform, Seek Sophie, wants to support small local travel businesses through content creation and free photography. This has resulted in a 20-30% increase in bookings. They are calling for content creators to apply to go on the trips for free, so long as they share their experiences through social media

Hotels near to Marina Bay are seeing an increase in occupancy over the National Day long weekend

The Australian Trade & Tourism Minister has said that a travel bubble with Singapore is unlikely to happen towards the end of the year, as Singapore and Australia have different plans. However, they saw that “ground-breaking work” could be done with Australia to ensure inter-operability between vaccine passports

Entry approvals for travellers from Indonesia who are not Singaporean or PRs will be reduced from 10 Jul, due to the increasing cases. All travellers from Indonesia will need a negative RT-PCR test within 48 hours of departure

There were no locally transmitted cases reported on 10 Jul, the first time since 25 Apr

Resorts World Sentosa has said that international arrivals to Singapore are “unlikely to return in the near term”, as it reported a net profit -73.7% YoY in Q1 2021

Hilton will launch a new flagship hotel in Singapore, the largest in APAC, in Jan 2022, Hilton Singapore Orchard

Hong Kong lawmakers have asked the government to give up the idea of the Air Travel Bubble with Singapore, as Hong Kong must retain its goal of zero local infections to be able to open up travel with mainland China, and Singapore’s new strategy of living endemically with the virus may not match their own strategy

Singapore has said that the decision not to officially recognise Sinovac would not be an issue for establishing a travel bubble with Hong Kong. The government continues to wait for China and New Zealand to reopen, and is monitoring the situation in the US and Europe before it can reciprocate and allow travellers to enter Singapore. It hopes that the “Singapore-Hong Kong can materialize, can become a way forward and be a model for reference, but really we [Singapore] need to open up to more parts of the world”

Singapore has reported 452 suicides in 2020, the highest number since 2012, and a 13% increase YoY

Pan Pacific Singapore has launched a hybrid studio with a green screen set up or LED video wall

Royal Caribbean has extended its Singapore season until Feb 2022. To date, more than 82,000 pax have sailed on more than 60 cruises. The cruise liner noted that as more Singaporeans become vaccinated, they may start to sail with fully vaccinated crew and passengers aged 12 or older

Once 50% of the population is fully vaccinated, the government will introduce different measures to allow those fully vaccinated to gather together in larger groups for activities such as gathering in groups of 8 for indoor dining, whilst unvaccinated would be limited to 5 pax. Employers may also be able to allow more vaccinated employees in the office, but work from home would remain the default. Cinemas, conferences, places of worships, exhibitions, live performances, spectator sports and wedding solemnisations could admit up to 500 vaccinated attendees – non-vaccinated would be able to attend, but would need to go through Pre-Event Testing (PET). The government expects 50% to be vaccinated by end Jul – as of 7 Jul, 39% are fully vaccinated

From 12 Jul, groups of 5 can dine out together, and social gatherings of 5 in workplaces can also resume. Work from home will remain the default. Gyms can conduct indoor high intensity fitness classes in groups of 5, and exercise classes can have up to 50 people. Wedding receptions can take place with a maximum of 250 people if Pre-Event Testing (PET) takes place

Migrant workers from India will start to be brought into Singapore under a “calibrated” pilot program

Hong Kong will relook at how Singapore’s strategy for handling the virus will impact on its possible Air Travel Bubble agreement, and if vaccination should be a requirement for Singaporeans to Hong Kong

Singapore’s economy is expected to grow 4-6% in 2021, the government has said, but it is dependent on the world outlook in general

Singapore’s priority is to accelerate vaccinations before further opening the borders, the government has said

Retail sales in Singapore increased 79.7% YoY in May, coming from a low base in 2020

SMEs will continue to receive assistance from the government with additional support measures and 2 finance schemes, the Temporary Bridging Loan Programme and the Enhanced Enterprise Financing Scheme – Trade Loan, which will be extended for 6 more months from 1 Oct-31 Mar 2022

The Connect@Singapore initiative continues to be suspended, since it was initially stopped in late May

Finder’s June Travel Index has seen interest in travel fall to 20.26% vs May’s 22.4%. Domestic travel interest was down to 12.18% from May’s 13.23%, whilst international travel fell to 9.68% vs May’s 10.93%

A survey from the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) think-tank has shown that more than half of respondents are concerned about job security, employment possibilities and their children’s future

The Health Minister has said that the Hong Kong Air Travel Bubble would be known as the Air Travel Corridor from now on, and that both Hong Kong and Singapore are now in a good position to reassess its implementation

Singapore’s unemployment rate for residents in May fell to 3,8% from 3.9% in Apr. Overall unemployment rates were 2.8% in May, down from 2.9% in Apr

The government has said that mask wearing will play an important role still, and may be one of the last measures to be lifted

The government has said that it sees a three stage transitioning to the new normal. It may allow more opening up for dining together from 12 Jul, then from the second phase may see a National Parade in early Aug. Transitioning will be “progressive”, and end-August/ early Sep could be a realistic framework to transition to the new normal

The government has said that they share Singaporean’s aspirations for leisure travel to restart by the end of the year, with possible destinations including the European Union and the United States. As vaccination rates increase and there are 2 or 3 infections per 100,000, those countries could become possible targets for reopening

KKday is giving discounts of up to $250 SGD for vaccinated Singaporean residents

The Transport Minister has promised that the government will “grow Changi back once again and bring it into a new phase of life” as it celebrated its 40th anniversary

Haw Par Villa reopened on 1 Jul, after being closed for a 9-month renovation, whilst its Hell’s Museum will reopen on 28 Oct, later than scheduled

From 2 Jul, travellers from Australia within 21 days of departure to Singapore will not be able to apply for the Air Travel Pass (ATP), and will need to serve a 7-day Stay-Home Notice (SHN) at their residence. Travellers from Guangdong province from 2 Jul will be permitted to apply for the ATP once more from 7 Jul

The Monetary Authority of Singapore has said that Singapore’s 2021 GDP growth could exceed the “upper end” of its 4-6% forecast. It estimates there will be some setbacks to growth from the restrictions imposed in Q2, but these were “significantly less severe” than those from last year. Travel-related industries will continue to see a delay in recovery

Velocity Ventures, a hospitality and travel focused VC based in Singapore, has announced closing its first round of funds for travel startups

ITB Asia has announced that it will be held virtually in October 2021 after planning to hold it as a physical event

The Conrad Centennial has now launched a virtual studio

Orchard Hotel has been fined and made to suspend bookings for 30 days after a gathering of 11 people took place in the hotel room

Singapore will tighten measures for travellers arriving from New South Wales, who will no longer be able to use the Air Travel Pass (ATP) and will need to undergo a 7 day Stay-Home Notice at their place of residence. However, travellers from Victoria will now be able to apply for the ATP with immediate effect

Agoda’s Travel in 2021 survey has shown of its Singaporean respondents: • The top ways for travel are exploring local destinations never visited before, using OTAs to search for travel deals and looking for experiences such as added perks and themed travel stays • 34% of Singaporeans are likely to use OTAs to search for travel deals • 13% are taking frequent local trips • 16% are willing to splurge on accommodation • F&B benefits, early check-in/ check out and experiences are the top-rated benefits for accommodation packages

The government have set out a vision of how Singapore could adjust to COVID-19 as endemic, including: • Vaccination is key to recovery, and procurement of doses and administration will be sped up. Booster shots may be required • Testing will be needed, with “rigorous” testing at the border to detect variants of concern, but domestically, it will be used to ensure that events, social activities and overseas trips can take place and reduce transmission risks, rather than to quarantine those exposed to infected people. Tests need to be fast and easy • Ensuring procurement of effective medical treatments • Social responsibility – staying away from crowds when unwell • A focus on outcomes, rather than the absolute number of cases – how many are very sick, ICU bed usage, intubation • Large gatherings can be resumed progressively

The limit for dining-in is on track to be raised to 5 people from 2 by mid-Jul, as vaccinations ramp up

Temasek Foundation will give one oximeter to every Singaporean household so that blood oxygen levels can be regularly checked

Singapore and Vietnam are discussing how to relax restrictions on business travel and “selected tourist sites” travel over the next few months between the 2 countries, “hopefully by the end of the year”. However, Singapore has said that Vietnam needs time to accelerate its vaccination program first

SingEx-Sphere Holdings has launched its new brand, Constellar, for the merged entities

10 companies are now undergoing the process for the SG SafeEvent Certification Programme, with 6 already certified

More hotels in Singapore are securing green loans, to boost their sustainability

Credit Suisse forecasts that the number of Singaporean millionaires may increase by over 60% in the next 5 years

297,000 students should be vaccinated with at least one dose before schools reopen on 28 Jun, the Ministry of Education has reported, around 96% of those eligible to do so

Singapore has reduced the Stay-Home Notice period for new travellers from higher-risk countries to 14 days from the previous 21 days from 27 Jun. New travellers will need to be tested with antigen rapid tests on days 3, 7 and 11 and an RT-PCR test on day 14. Travellers from Taiwan and Israel can apply to serve the SHN at their place of residence

A $3 million SGD fund will be dedicated for training programs for lower-skilled and older workers in the aviation sector

The government has said that its cautious phasing of measures is to allow more people to get vaccinated

The government has said that the defence measures Singapore has put into place against the virus should prevent the country having to implement a Circuit Breaker again, but for F&B businesses and travel to resume, vaccination rates need to be higher

The Delta variant is the most common in Singapore now

Northeast Singapore has brought potential clusters under control thanks to mass testing

: Singapore’s recent census results have shown that Singapore residents’ monthly incomes have risen since 2010 and that households have shrunk

From 25 Jun, non-EU citizens from Singapore and Thailand will be permitted to enter Germany for any reason, but the travellers must be fully vaccinated at least 14 days prior to their arrival

Singapore’s youth unemployment rate was higher in 2020 than during periods such as the Global Financial Crisis or SARS, at 10.6%

Work from home will continue to be the default option in Phase 3 (Heightened Alert) over the coming weeks. For employees who must work at the office, start times should be staggered, with flexible working hours. Staff who work in high-risk settings with unmasked customers will need to undergo 14-day testing cycles from mid-Jul

Singapore will allow dine-in at F&B outlets from 21 Jun, but for groups of 2, not 5 as previously planned. Wedding receptions will also be banned until mid-Jul

The Ministry of Manpower’s latest report showed that about 2 in 3 of retrenched residents found a new job in Q1 2021, with an improved job vacancy to unemployed person ratio of almost 1:1

More than 2,500 workers at Jewel have been tested, and rental waivers will be given to tenants for an additional week to 21-27 Jun

Self-administered tests started to be sold at pharmacies in Singapore from 16 Jun, with prices ranging from $10-13 SGD per kit

Some attractions such as Skypark Sentosa have seen an increase in bookings since the transition to Phase 3 of restrictions, whilst Gardens by the Bay saw a 12% increase. Hoteliers have reported a cautious optimism as the number of enquiries pick up

Singapore Airlines’ Pelago booking platform has expanded its activities, including rainforest expeditions, recreating Singapore Slings and cooking classes

The Finance Minister has said that there will not be “open and free travel” anytime soon, as vaccination rates for other countries regionally are “still not high enough”. However, some travel bubble arrangements could be made, but these would not equal pre-COVID numbers. He confirmed that there is a lot of interest in travel bubbles from other countries, and the government will announce these once confirmed

Singapore is “evaluating” the transition of Stage 2 reopening scheduled from 21 Jun, due to fresh outbreaks and the number of unlinked cases rising

The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) have launched music videos with drone footage of Singapore, focusing on the city’s iconic sites, as part of the #SingapoReimagine campaign

Royal Caribbean has clarified that Singaporean guests will not need to be vaccinated

Between Feb 2020-end May 2021, 137 travel agents ceased business, but only 38 of those said it was down to the pandemic. The National Association of Travel Agents Singapore (NATAS) has seen more than 80% of its members renew their membership, but have said that they don’t expect to see “strong signs of recovery in a while”. They have said that further delays to border reopening are “detrimental”, and the next 6-9 months will be “crucial”. Pacific Arena have also noted a “good take-up” of cruises to nowhere, saying that there is a “lot of pent-up demand”

Travellers to Singapore from Fiji will now have to undergo a 21-day stay-home notice at dedicated facilities, whilst those from Israel will be permitted to serve a 14-day SHN at dedicated facilities and the remaining 7 at a place of residence

Malaysia and Singapore have said that they are looking forward to reopening travel when they can to one another

Singapore and Australia are working to pilot an air travel bubble to allow students in Singapore to return to their studies in Australia. It could form the basis for a wider bubble, and will allow systems to be tested. No timetable has been given as to the implementation. Australia also emphasised that Singapore is the next country other than New Zealand is plans to have a travel bubble with, as both sides have sophisticated systems

The Singapore-Hong Kong Air Travel Bubble start date will be evaluated in early Jul, and the governments have both said that they are “strongly committed” to getting it in place

Singapore has said that they have no firm plans to open up a travel bubble proposed by Korea yet, as its concept is different to that of Hong Kong, needing vaccinated travellers. It noted that this may be for the “medium term”

Singapore has now approved the Tracie X breathalyser system for testing COVID-19. It has a sensitivity of 95% and a specificity of 97.8%

Dream Cruises have announced that from 14 Jun, up to 5 pax can travel together in a group, and from 21 Jun, dining in and live performances on cruises will take place once more

From July, workers who are in “higher risk” occupations which involve masks not being worn, will undergo more regular testing for COVID-19. Mandatory testing will be for larger businesses first, then expanded to smaller businesses

Singapore citizens aged 12-39 years old will be able to register for vaccines from 11 Jun, around 1.5 million people. As of 9 Jun, Singapore has vaccinated 2.5 million people with a single dose and 1.9 million are fully vaccinated. This means that at least 44% of Singapore’s population has received at least one dose. They are currently vaccinating 49,000 on a daily basis

The government has said that “further relaxations” for travel, amongst others, will be introduced once a sufficient proportion of the country has been fully vaccinated

Working from home will remain the default option, even during Phase 3 (Heightened Alert). Employers must ensure that those employees who can work from home do so, to minimise movement. Start times should also be staggered and flexible working hours allowed

Antigen rapid self-tests will be available for sale at pharmacists from 16 Jun

Singapore will move back to Phase 3 (Heightened Alert) from 14 Jun. Groups of 5 will be permitted, and 5 distinct visitors per household will also be permitted, with social gatherings limited to twice per day. Tourist attractions, including cruises, will be permitted to operate at 50% capacity from 14 Jun, as will museums. From 14 Jun, MICE and live performances will be allowed with a maximum of 250 attendees with pre-event testing, up from 100. From 21 Jun, dining-in will be permitted, as will wedding receptions with up to 100 attendees and marriage solemnisations with up to 250 attendees with pre-event testing. Gyms will be permitted to reopen from 21 Jun. In-person tuition will also be permitted to reopen from 21 Jun

The government has said that only once the local situation has stabilised will it start to look at relaxing borders

Under Phase 3 (Heightened Alert), groups of up to 5 will be permitted to staycations, and if all guests are from the same household, the limit is the room’s capacity. Tour groups of up to 50 people will be permitted for conveyance tours, whilst others will still be limited to 20 people

Singapore has found that the Delta variant of the virus is the most prevalent amongst those local cases with variants of concern

South Korea hopes to speed up travel bubble talks with Singapore, pushing to allow vaccinated travellers on group tours into the country. Its first phase that it sees would allow only selected package tours and travellers must follow an itinerary

Singapore and China are looking at how to reopen borders with one another when the situation improves. They are working on bilateral recognition of vaccination certificates and other travel protocols

The Express and Excursion Bus Association in Singapore has said that 10-15% of its 50 members are on the brink of collapse due to the yearly interest on their loans for tour vehicles

Singapore reported just 5 new locally transmitted cases on 7 May, the lowest since 16 May. All were linked to other known cases

Booking.com’s 2021 Sustainable Travel Report has shown that: • 70% of Singaporean respondents think that COVID-19 has influenced them to travel more sustainably in the future • 73% want more authentic experiences when they travel • 84% believe that the preservation of cultural heritage is crucial • 78% want to ensure that the economic impact of their trip is spread through society • 70% will avoid popular destinations to ensure that they aren’t contributing to overcrowding • 90% want to stay in sustainable accommodation in the next year

The Singapore Grand Prix will be cancelled again in 2021. Ticketholders for the 2020 GP will be given refunds

Singapore will tighten restrictions for travellers in the last 21 days from Guangdong, China, who will no longer be able to use the Air Travel Pass from 5 Jun

The SkillsFuture CEO has said that tourism workers should use this downtime period to upskill their technology skills

Singapore on 4 Jun reported just 7 new locally transmitted cases, its lowest in 3 weeks

Singapore has been named as a potential travel bubble partner with South Korea, according to sources

“Hidden” cases in the community remain a concern, the government has said, after a care home saw 27 infections

Princess Cruises have launched their 2022-2023 Asian cruise itineraries starting from Singapore, starting in late 2022

IHG will open its first voco branded hotel in Singapore in 2022

Singapore’s unemployment rate for citizens and residents dropped in Apr, to 4.1% for citizens and to 3.9% for residents. The unemployment rate overall remained at 2.9%

Over 26,000 students signed up for the vaccine on the first registration day

The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) has said that airlines are responsible for ensuring that returning Singaporeans and PRs have a negative test before flying

The Singapore Tourism Board has launched a new campaign for Japan where Ultraman meets the Merlion. JTB will also launched virtual tours with recorded performance of the Singapore Symphony Orchestra, and Japanese media celebrities living in Singapore will feature in YouTube clips

The PM has said in a live broadcast that Singapore should be able to ease its current restrictions after 13 Jun, so long as the number of community cases falls further

DIY COVID-19 kits will soon be available at pharmacies, to help boost testing

Testing will become routing, the PM has said, with more extensive testing of people who even appear well or in community settings. Testing will be part of the new normal

Whole households will be put in isolation if one member is identified as a close contact of a COVID-19 patient, to be able to ringfence clusters quickly

The PM has said that COVID-19 is likely to become endemic, and Singapore has to adapt to live in this state where people can attend large-scale events, and not wear masks outdoors, but must accept small outbreaks occurring from time to time

Pilots of large-scale testing in student hostels and malls will gradually be rolled out, using antigen rapid tests

Singapore will take a risk-based approach to reopening over the next few months, with those coming from countries designated as safe not needing to quarantine. As infection rates go down and vaccination goes up, the list of these countries will expand. The country is hoping to resume outbound travel without restrictions, but the government has said that “the truth is we don't have enough data to decide whether lifting all those restrictions is possible as of now”

The Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE) has reported that the travel industry received the most number of consumer complaints in 2020 at 1,800, three times the usual amount. Cancellations cited being unable to claim back deposits or prepayments, or being given travel vouchers instead of cash refunds. It helped consumers recover $300,000 SGD in prepayments from airlines, travel agencies and travel portals

Singapore will give a one-off financial grant to low-mid income workers, including self-employed workers, to compensate for the Heightened Alert phase

Singapore will give rental support for SMEs, as well as hotels, serviced apartments, MICE venues, tourist attractions and cinemas. The Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore will give 2 weeks of rental relief in cash as part of the Rental Support Scheme

The government has said that the new prevention measures are working, and there is no need for further tightening right now. The government will give a detailed update on 31 May on the current progress. They said that Singaporeans need to be “mentally prepared” that outbreaks will happen

Singapore will not allow short-term travellers on the Air Travel Pass with a travel history of Victoria in the last 14 days to enter the country. Returning Singaporeans, PRs and long-term pass holders will need to have a test on arrival and a 7 day SHN at their residence

Singaporeans and PRs will need to submit a negative RT-PCR test within 72 hours of their departure before returning to Singapore from 29 May, except for those returning from lower-risk countries including Australia, Brunei, mainland China, New Zealand, Hong Kong and Macau

Private museums are struggling to make revenue, with ones such as The Intan and the Singapore Musical Box Museum making less than 50% of their revenues in 2019, even with the SingapoRediscovers Vouchers

Klook has stated that “tens of thousands” of its bookings have been impacted by the new Phase 2 Heightened Alert restrictions. Accor have seen around 30% of its rooms booked from May-Jun be cancelled or postponed

Economists believe that the Singapore economy may still reach 6% GDP 2021 growth, despite the new restrictions imposed, whilst the government has maintained its forecast growth of 4-6%. Its Q1 2021 GDP was +1.3%, higher than the advanced estimates of 0.2%

Singapore has said that reaching a digital agreement between itself and the EU could align standards for digital vaccine certificates

The Architecture and Building Services 2021 event, which was meant to be held from 30 Jun-2 Jul, has been postponed to Nov. It expected to have 2,500 attendees physically, and 5,000 virtually

Singaporean hotels are launching more F&B deliveries, now that staycations are limited and dining out banned

Singapore Airlines Group have pledged to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. Part of their strategy will be to retire older aircraft with new aircraft which are 30% more fuel efficient

Singapore has approved a breathalyser test with results in less than 60 seconds from company Breathonix. They will be initially trialled to screen incoming travellers from Malaysia. It has so far seen a sensitivity of 93% in trials and will sell for 5-20 SGD

Changi Airport’s passenger terminals and Jewel will remain closed to the public until the end of Phase 2 (Heightened Alert), and all arrivals from “very high-risk” countries will have additional testing, with an on-arrival antigen rapid test, as well as the RT-PCR test

Singapore’s cruises to nowhere have seen heavy cancellations due to the new restrictions under Phase 2 easing, with Dynasty Travel recording up to 80% cancellations and just 20% postponing to later in the year

Hotels have seen cancellations and amendments to bookings, particularly those which involved 2 households. They are seeing family staycations be postponed to later in the year, whilst couples are going ahead with their bookings. Some are also not seeing the “usual demand levels” for new bookings, but there is “still demand”

The Shangri-La Dialogue, scheduled to take place on 4-5 Jun, has been cancelled, despite on Monday saying that it remained on track. The organisers said that "the prospect of further tightening cannot be ruled out, all of which creates uncertainty" and with the global situation deteriorating, it has said that a physical event is “unviable”

Brunei is temporarily suspending the Reciprocal Green Lane (RGL) with Singapore from 20 May

The Korean Tourism Organisation (KTO) Singapore has launched a new video series, SinKor Escape, which features Singaporeans taking part in Korean-themed activities whilst in Singapore

The Health Minister has said that vaccine passports will still not allow travellers to travel abroad easily, and countries will need to reach agreements to recognise one another’s vaccine certificates

The Emerging Stronger Taskforce have recommended 5 areas for Singapore to improve upon to strengthen the economy: creating new virtual frontiers, seizing sustainability opportunities, enabling Singaporean companies to succeed with training and upskilling, industry led alliances and strengthening international partnerships

The World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting due to take place in Aug in Singapore has been cancelled. The organisers pointed to global uncertainties, “despite the excellent support provided by the Government of Singapore”

The Air Travel Bubble between Singapore and Hong Kong has been postponed, due to the rising number of locally transmitted cases in Singapore. As of 17 May, the 7-day moving average of unlinked cases had grown to 6, whilst the threshold was 5. The governments said that a further announcement on the resumption date would take place “on or before 13 Jun”

Singapore citizen and residents with a recent travel history from Taiwan will need to serve a 21-day SHN, with 14 days at a dedicated facility followed by 7 days self-isolation at home. Short term travellers with an Air Travel Pass from Taiwan will not be permitted to enter Singapore

The government need to further monitor the situation to decide if a second “Circuit Breaker” is needed

All schools must start home-based learning from 19-28 May, whilst the school holidays will run from 29 May-27 Jun

The government will subsidise pre-event testing (PET) for arts and culture companies who are performing live. Weddings can take place with up to 100 people without PET, or up to 50 people without PET, but wedding receptions will not be permitted. Museums can continue at 25%, whilst tours in museums can be conducted for up to 20 pax, with a maximum of 2 pax in sub-groups. Worship services will be limited to 100 pax with PET, or 50 without

Mass participation sports will not be permitted from 16 May-13 Jun

From 16 May-13 Jun, the government have announced stricter measures, including limiting gatherings to 2 pax, and closing dine-in services at restaurants and hawker centres. Work from home will be the default, and employers must ensure that those staff who can work from home do so. The government is concerned that there may be some hidden locally transmitted cases from the Changi Airport terminal. The PM urged people to stay at home as much as possible, only going out for essential tasks

5,000 inmates at Changi Prison will be tested for COVID-19 after a cook who worked there tested positive

The Wildlife Reserve Singapore are launching a new package, Zoo Explained! which will host Zoom sessions which allow viewers to see behind the scenes

The STB have announced stricter measures for tourism businesses from 16 May-13 Jun. These include limited capacity at attractions and cruises to 25%, indoor/ outdoor shows and MICE can take place with up to 100 attendees with PET, 50 without PET. Hotels will only be permitted 2 pax per room unless all are from the same household. No dining-in at hotels is allowed. Those who booked hotels using the SingapoRediscovers Vouchers can have the voucher refunded, and the validity date for attractions and tours tickets will also be extended

Singapore has said that it cannot rely on herd immunity to control COVID-19 infections, and will need to continue to maintain social distancing, contact tracing and ring fencing

The organisers of the Shangri-La Dialogue say that they “remain committed” to holding an in-person event on 4-5 Jun, despite the tighter safety measures

Rapid antigen testing will be used on any patient seeking treatment for respiratory issues, on top of the RT-PCR testing

The Transport Minister has said that “it is very likely that Singapore will not be able to meet the resumption criteria” for the Singapore-HK Air Travel Bubble, and will “critically review the start date” early next week

Visitors arriving from Vietnam to Singapore will need to serve a 21-day SHN at dedicated facilities, instead of 14-days at a SHN facility followed by a 7-day self-isolation period at home

Jewel Changi Airport and all the passenger terminals will be closed to the public from 13-27 May, after a cluster was detected from the airport. The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore has also urged airport workers not to go out except for essential work or activities over the next 14 days or until they have tested negative for COVID

Hong Kong has reassured the public that the Air Travel Bubble with Singapore will be launched as per schedule on 26 May, despite the rise in Singapore’s local infections, as Singapore’s 7-day moving average of unlinked local cases remained between 1.6-1.8

DayAway has launched as a B2B2C platform aiming to help hotels optimise their ancillary space, including F&B, spa, gym and MICE for daytime use by non-guests

The Ministry of Health is working with health staff who have been asked to move out from their accommodation by landlords at short notice due to the growing hospital cluster. They have made arrangements with hotels and accommodation providers

Genting Singapore has posted a 26% drop in net profit to $34.5 million SGD for Q1, with revenue dropping 32%. It does not see international visitors returning in the near term. It continues to revise designs of Resort World Sentosa’s $4.5 billion SGD expansion

The government has said that Singapore is “now on the knife’s edge and our community case numbers can go either way over the next few weeks”, but that the country has the chance to get the virus under control by the end of the month. They also warned the public to be “mentally prepared for a long road ahead, with many curveballs and many more twists and turns”

The government has said that “trade and travel are our lifeblood. For us, these are not just good-to-have. They are existential issues. In other words, we can keep our borders closed for a short time but not over a prolonged duration”

Singapore’s events such as the World Economic Forum in Aug, the Shangri-La Dialogue in Nov and Bloomberg New Economy Fortum in Nov are still slated to proceed as planned

Applications for cross-border travel between Singapore and Malaysia are now open. Only 2 visitors per case are allowed for situations such as death or critical illness. Malaysia also announced that all travellers from Singapore must undergo a 14-day quarantine, instead of 10 days

Travellers from Singapore into Malaysia under the Periodic Commuting Arrangement (PCA) will need to serve a 14-day quarantine at government facilities from 13 May, after Singapore has been listed as a country with variants of concern being locally transmitted

Over 12,000 are serving SHN at hotels as of 8 May. Hotels have stated that they will provide more case to travellers serving the notice, including expanding their F&B menu to provider more variety

Singapore will not close borders to all work pass holders and their dependents, but it will reduce the number of arrivals. It will not accept new applications for work pass holders from high risk countries

The Singapore Hotel Association have expressed concern that new travel restrictions will mean a slower tourism recovery, and they hope for recovery in early 2022. Singapore’s Q1 arrivals were 68,680, -97.4% YoY. Room revenue for Q1 fell to 202 million SGD, -70.2% YoY

5 more hotels will be added as stay-home notice facilities at short notice, which will mean that they must turn away leisure guests

Singapore passports from Oct will be issued for a 10-year validity instead of 5

The Bloomberg New Economy Forum will be held in Singapore this year from 16-19 Nov, with 400 pax

Inbound travellers are facing higher costs for SHN stays at dedicated facilities, thanks to the increase in quarantine days. This will cost around $1,000 SGD extra. Some hotels have also been forced to cancel staycations due the additional room requirement for SHN facilities

MICE players, including the Singapore Association of Convention and Exhibition Organisers and Suppliers (SACEOS), have said that the new tightened restrictions for MICE are necessary, but difficult. Players see a limited impact for now, as many organisers were still in the planning stage of changing the number of pax for events, with the majority below 250

ADARA data has shown that searches for Singapore-Hong Kong flights have dropped 90% between 27 Apr-4 May, when clusters started to be detected, a massive drop compared to the 1400% increase following the announcement on 26 Apr

Guests with pre-booked attraction tickets from 8-30 May will be permitted to enter, despite the operating capacity being limited

Some indoor sports facilities will be closed temporarily from 8-30 May

Tour operators are prepared for a decrease of up to 20% in bookings thanks to the tighter COVID-19 measures, with attractions cutting capacity to 50% and tour group sizes reduced to 20 pax from 8 May

The government announced a tightening of prevention measures, essentially returning to Phase 2 of Circuit Breaker easing from 8-30 May, due to the number of unlinked cases increasing. The new measures include limiting social gatherings to 5 people, reducing the proportion of workers at the office to 50% from the current 75%, with staggered start times and flexible working hours, attractions and museums must reduce capacity to 50%, tour groups reduce the number of pax to 20 and a limit of 250 for MICE events. The TraceTogether-only SafeEntry at high risk venues will be implemented from 17 May, brought forwards by 2 weeks

Singapore’s retail sales grew in Mar, the 2nd consecutive month, with 6.2% growth YoY

The government has said that Singapore cannot afford to shut its borders for long, as it is a small country

The government has said that there is no need to impose such strict measures as last year’s Circuit Breaker, as the country has more testing and contact tracing capabilities

Singapore will extend its Stay-Home Notices (SHN) to travellers with a recent history to higher-risk countries to 21 days at dedicated facilities from 8 May. Those who are currently serving their SHN and have not completed it will need to extend another 7 days at the end. Higher risk countries include all except Australia, Brunei, Mainland China, New Zealand, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau. The border measures will be in place until end of May

The Transport Minister sees some safe opening of air travel in 2021 as possible. He acknowledged that it is a difficult time to start negotiations with countries about reopening, but that it must happen in the short-medium term, despite the face that there is the chance of “setbacks”. Four key steps to reopening safely include only opening to countries which have successfully controlled the virus, testing, bubble wrapping travellers and vaccinations

Singapore and Malaysia will facilitate cross-border trips for compassionate reasons from 17 May, after a visit from Malaysia’s Foreign Minister to Singapore. They also agreed to work towards resuming essential cross-border travel, and announced that the meeting between the 2 PMs would be delayed, as it was not the “right environment” to discuss resuming cross-border travel on a larger scale given the rising number of cases in Malaysia. Both countries are also working towards the mutual recognition of their vaccine and test certificates

Malaysia hopes that the Singaporean government can be flexible on allowing Malaysian workers under the Periodic Commuting Arrangement (PCA) to quarantine at their own residence. They also hope that the RGL can be resumed as possible

The government has put stricter measures in place after an increase in locally transmitted cases. These include limiting social gatherings to twice per day, employers should allow employees to work from home if possible, with flexible working hours, reducing the occupancy level of malls and standalone stores from 1 pax per 10sqm to 1 pax per 8sqm, imposing odd and even entry restrictions for popular shopping malls, closing outdoor barbecue pits and campsites and attractions must reduce their capacity from 65% to 50%

All travellers who have been to Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka in the last 14 days from 1 May will not be permitted entry to Singapore, nor to transit via Singapore. Travellers from Thailand in the last 14 days must serve a 14-day SHN at dedicated SHN facilities

The SingapoRediscovers vouchers validity has been extended until the end of 2021, a 6-month extension. Over 1 million Singaporeans have used their vouchers, creating 1.3 million transactions, and contributing $200 million SGD to tourism related businesses, generating $147 million SGD in vouchers and top up spending and $55 million SGD on spend such as retail, transport and F&B. Attractions made up the highest number of transactions, but hotels have accounted for the highest transaction revenue. STB has said that those who cannot access their SingPass accounts will be able to visit a community centre and use their ID to redeem the vouchers instead, from Q3. They will also create redemption counters at attractions

30 Apr: The Singapore-HK Air Travel Bubble will not start if the 7-day average of unlinked community cases surpasses 5. The government has warned that Singaporeans should be mentally prepared for such schemes to be suspended or interrupted

The Singapore PM has said that Singapore’s economy likely will reach pre-pandemic levels in 2021

Singapore will hold the Singapore HeritageFest from 3-30 May, alongside the Singapore International Festival of the Arts from 14-30 May, with live shows and events

ITB Asia has announced that it will be held as a physical event from 27-29 Oct

The Transport Minister has said that Singapore can consider allowing vaccinated residents to travel to low-risk countries without needing to undergo quarantine. He has said that if the Singapore-Hong Kong ATB works, then Singapore can think of adding more flight sand more travel bubbles with other countries

The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) has said that Singapore’s GDP in 2021 could “exceed” 6%, but have warned that growth will “remain disparate across sectors”, with hopes for substantial border reopenings in the short term diminished. It expects air transport to continue operating at less than 50% of pre-COVID levels even by the year-end, and leisure travel will only gradually increase in H2. Domestic tourism will provide a “thin lifeline” for accommodation, arts, recreation and entertainment sectors, but will not be enough to offset the losses of international travel

Bloomberg reported that flights for the initial phase of the Singapore-HK ATB have almost sold out in both directions

The total number of people employed in Singapore has expanded in Q1 2021 by 4,800. In Mar, unemployment fell to 2.9% from Feb’s 3%

Singapore has topped Bloomberg’s COVID-19 resilience ranking in Apr for the first time

Hotels and attractions are looking forward to the launch of the Singapore-Hong Kong ATB, although some have cautioned that it will not necessarily bring in high visitor numbers. STB and the Hong Kong Tourism Board are offering special gifts for the first batch of travellers, and the first month of flights will see a special inflight menu with local favourites. STB will also work with trade partners in Hong Kong to drive awareness and travel through joint campaigns

Travel agents have greeted the announcement of the ATB warmly, but see initially few benefits, with the first customers likely to be the VFR market

Singapore has submitted a proposal for an ATB with Taiwan, as well as a plan to mutually recognise one another’s vaccination certificates. The Transport Minister said that Taiwan is studying the proposal, and they hope to get a response “soon”. The Minister also said that Singapore wants to set up ATBs with Australia, New Zealand, Brunei and China, which are “natural partners” given the fact that they are under the Air Travel Pass arrangement already. He has also said that the most important factor for an ATB was not vaccination, but whether the partner destination is a safe place

Sarawak’s Trade and Tourism Office Singapore (STATOS) is running a “We Love Sarawak Kolo Mee” promotion in 7-Eleven chain stores in Singapore

The Chinatown Heritage Centre will remain closed indefinitely for a review. The STB will be taking over its management

Singapore and Hong Kong announced the launch of the ATB for 26 May, after it was previously postponed in May. Travel for any purpose is permitted, under the following conditions: • Those who have stayed in Singapore/ Hong Kong for 14 consecutive days prior to departure, excluding quarantine periods • One flight per day each direction with up to 200 pax per flight, from 26 May-9 Jun. From 10 Jun, this will increase to 2 flights daily. Flights will be allocated equally between Cathay Pacific and Singapore Airlines • Travellers must test negative 72 hours prior to departure, and take a test on arrival • Hong Kong residents must be fully vaccinated before their flight to Singapore • Travellers must download their destination’s contact tracing apps • Should the 7-day average of daily number of unlinked local COVID-19 cases exceed 5, the ATB will be suspended for at last 14 days

The Ministry of Health has recommended antigen rapid testing for pre-event testing, as they are faster and cheaper – it estimates that 13 staff are needed to administer rapid tests for 250 people in 2 hours

Hotels are concerned about being able to accommodate pre-event testing requirements, due to constraints on space – the site must be big enough to maintain social distancing for staff and participants, separate entrance and exits and sufficient ventilation

Johor is working on a plan to allow vaccinated Malaysians working in Singapore to be able to return to Malaysia for Hari Raya

Hong Kong and Singapore will announce a 26 May start to the Air Travel Bubble, Bloomberg has reported, with an official announcement coming as soon as 26 Apr, sources say

The Shangri-La Dialogue will be held from 405 Jun, with an event “bubble”, which will allow meetings and discussions to take place with minimal restrictions

Taiwan has confirmed that Singapore has been enthusiastic about establishing a travel corridor between the 2

Singapore has quarantine 1,100 migrant workers after discovering a cluster of cases in a dormitory amongst workers who had recovered from the virus

All long-term pass holders and short-term visitors with a travel history to India in the last 14 days will not be permitted entry from 24 Apr, including those who transit in India. In addition, all travellers who have arrived with a recent travel history to India, but yet to complete their 14-day SHN will need to undergo an additional 7 days SHN at dedicated facilities

The National Heritage Board has launched a Street Corner Heritage Galleries scheme in Kampong Glam, where shops are transformed into mini museums. By 2022, the scheme will be expanded to other historic districts, including Little India, Kreat Ayer and Chinatown

Australia sees Singapore as its next travel bubble target, after the Trans-Tasman bubble took off

The date for the Singapore-HK Air Travel Bubble has not yet been confirmed, the Ministry of Transport has said, after media reports that the announcement of the details was called off this week. It should be announced “hopefully soon”

STB Malaysia has launched a “Hello from Singapore” docuseries into how Singaporeans are reimagining their businesses, positioning Singapore as an aspirational destination

The Singapore- Kota Kinabalu travel bubble is under discussion, a Sabah minister has said

GlobalTix, a Singapore ticketing platform, has raised $3 million SGD

7 in 10 Singaporean employees have reported feeling stressed over the past 6 months due to the pandemic, a survey has found

The SHN period for travellers from Hong Kong will be reduced to 7 days. Travellers arriving from the UK and South Africa will also be permitted for short-term visitors and long-term pass holders for entry and transit. It will also permit fully vaccinated travellers who have to travel to higher-risk countries as part of an official delegation to self-isolate for 7 days upon their return, so long as they strictly follow a controlled itinerary whilst overseas and are tested on the 3rd, 7th and 14th day of their return

Johor is set to propose measures for Malaysian workers who cross the border to work in Singapore, ensuring that they receive the vaccine, and potentially limiting their movement within Singapore

Singapore is still in 2nd place for the world’s most powerful passport in the Henley & Partners’ global index

The Singapore-HK Air Travel Bubble could be in place by mid-May, sources have told the South China Morning Post. Cathay Pacific and Singapore Airlines would still be the airlines operating the flights initially. Hong Kong has again said its residents would need to be vaccinated before flying to Singapore

Tours for walking, cycling and kayaking are allowed to operate at 50 people, an increase from 20. However, groups must still be split into cohorts of 8 pax, with no intermingling between the groups. Tour operators no longer need to gain approval for each tour itinerary

Singapore reported better than expected Q1 results of 0.2% growth, with economists calling it the “green shoots” of recovery. It is the first quarterly growth since the pandemic. The Monetary Authority of Singapore has said that the economy is likely to finish 2021 on its upper scale of 4-6% growth

The Singapore Transport Minister confirmed that Hong Kong and Singapore are in “active discussion” over the Air Travel Bubble scheme, which they hope to announce soon

Malaysia and Singapore will discuss the border reopening during the Malaysian PM’s visit to Singapore on 4 May

Riau Islands governor has proposed that the Travel Corridor Arrangement with Singapore start on 1 May or 1 Jun, as they are still considering whether vaccination can be achieved, if COVID-19 is under control and the response of the Singaporean government

More than 18,200 people have entered Singapore on the Air Travel Pass (ATP) since it launched on 21 Aug 2020, with 12,800 from China, 2,400 from Australia, 1,100 from Vietnam, 800 from Brunei, 800 from Taiwan and 300 from New Zealand. The Transport Minister continued to call the ATP a “standing invitation”, so that when countries do open up, Singapore will be top of mind when they are ready. He said that the country needed “a mindset of generosity, required of a hub”

Not all tour operators have said that the SingapoRediscovers vouchers scheme has aided them, with just 2/5 interviewed by an online portal saying that it made a significant difference. Many merchants believe the low redemption rate is due to the complicated redemption conditions

Singapore’s unemployment rate fell for the fourth month in a row in Feb, to 3%

Adara has seen an increase in searches for Singapore from Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia and Taiwan from 15-28 Mar vs 1-14 Mar, after talks of travel bubbles. The most significant searches were from Australia, which saw a 34% increase in market share

Hong Kong has cut the quarantine period for Singaporean travellers to 14 days from 21 days from 9 Apr

Singapore and the US will look at reviving international travel, including recognition of one another’s vaccination certificates

Singapore will launch 3 new tourism products in 2021/2022, including the Museum of Ice Cream, a thrill ride, the Slingshot, and SkyHelix at Sentosa, an open-air attraction with views over the island. STB has said that these will help the island “get ready for recovery”. They are also working with the Orchard Road district to scale up Christmas celebrations and Black Friday events

,500 delegates are expected to gather for a trade show at Marina Bay Sands from 30 Jun, the largest pilot yet. The event organisers also expect 5,000 virtual attendees. Physical participants will be zoned, and robots will be used which will record the SafeEntry of guests and take temperatures

Business sentiment is at the highest since the start of the pandemic, according to the Singapore Business Federation (SBF) and Experian. It registered 49.9 out of 100 for the next 6 months, vs 48.2 for Jan-Jun

The government has announced that there will be 5 long weekends in 2022, one more than in 2021

The STB has launched the Tcube, an innovation space at Tourism Court which will help tourism stakeholders to improve their digital capabilities. A 3-step framework will be implemented: learn, test, build. Businesses will be able to explore cross-industry trends, enter an accelerator program, and even participate in design-thinking workshops for customer-centric solutions

Singapore accounts for one third of the world’s cruise travellers, the STB have calculated. More than 120,000 Singaporeans have embarked on the cruises

Singapore’s unemployment rate dropped again in Feb, to 3% from Jan’s 3.2%

In STB’s annual conference, the Minister for Trade and Industry believes that the next growth for tourism will come from “creating quality end-to-end experiences, curated to the needs of travellers.” STB also announced that their accelerator program will be extended for another 2 years, until Sep 2023. They will also develop a new Tourism Sector Capability Development Roadmap to ensure that tourism workers have the right post-pandemic skills. Singapore wants to become a test bed for sustainable solutions, and a roadmap for destinations sustainability will be developed. STB acknowledges that a ‘strong’ MICE industry is needed, and is planning to set up offices in Brussels and San Francisco to promote high quality business events for Singapore

The government has no plans to change the mechanism to redeem SingapoRediscovers vouchers. Instead, the STB are working on making it easier for those who are not digitally savvy to redeem vouchers, whether through physical counters or platforms. STB have noted that some people are “waiting for the next better deal” before redeeming their vouchers, but there was a “healthy increase” in the redemption rate in March thanks to the school holidays and ramped up marketing efforts

Singapore has launched a new certification scheme for the MICE sector, SG SafeEvents Certification. The measures go beyond the SG Clean and STB’s safe business events framework. Organisers have to have a risk management plan, use contactless technology where feasible, and venue operators need a routine cleaning and disinfection plan

Singapore will put $68.5 million SGD into a Tourism Development Fund, which will allow businesses to explore areas such as sustainability. STB will also look at positioning Singapore as a niche urban wellness haven

A survey has found that 61% of Singaporeans socialise less frequently with those outside of their immediate family, whilst 52% found that their workload had increased since the circuit breaker began, potentially due to a blurring of home/ work boundaries. 36% also said that their mental health had worsened

The STB will launch the second season of the SG Stories Content Fund, to encourage tourism businesses and content creators to develop authentic Singapore stories which inspire visits

The STB is revaluating its KPIs for MICE events, moving away from tourism receipts and number of international attendees to total attendance, local business spend to the whole industry, and knowledge and thought leadership value

The Tourism Minister has said that Thailand and Singapore are discussing a travel bubble, and they are also looking at countries such as Vietnam and Laos. They hope to start travel bubbles in Oct

Sports events with mass participation will be piloted, with up to 250 participants a session in waves of 50. Spectators are still not invited to watch the sports

Singapore has said that more information is needed before changing border measures for vaccinated travellers, including whether different measures will be needed for different vaccines

Retail sales grew 5.2% YoY in Feb, mainly due to Chinese New Year

Travellers to Singapore by air from 1 May will be able to use the IATA Travel Pass to share their pre-departure RT-PCR tests with their airline during check in and on arrival to immigration at Changi Airport

760,000 Singaporeans have used their SingapoRediscovers vouchers as of 28 Mar, leaving 2.2 million who have still not redeemed them. $108 million SGD has been generated in spend so far. The government does not plan to change the deadline of 30 Jun to use the vouchers yet

The barring of Singapore Airlines from flights to Hong Kong will not impact the travel bubble negotiations between the two countries, Singapore’s Transport Minister has said, as travel bubble flights would not carry transit passengers

Almost $1 million SGD worth of SingapoRediscovers vouchers have been donated to sponsor trips on the Singapore Flyer for migrant workers

Almost $1 million SGD worth of SingapoRediscovers vouchers have been donated to sponsor trips on the Singapore Flyer for migrant workers

The National Orchid Garden has opened its new facilities after enhancements

SACEOS have welcomed the increase in MICE attendees for events, and have revealed that SingEx-Sphere Holdings have received steady enquiries for events with more than 250 pax since the government announcement. However, they cautioned that bigger capacity created different operational environments, which may have greater costs, including pre-event testing. Aspen Event Planners estimates the cost will increase 20-30%. STB have said that some events, such as the Hotel Investment Conference APAC and the Insuretech Connect Asia, are looking at increasing the number of attendees

Since opening the travel bubble in Sabah for domestic travellers from the state, Sutera@Mantanani has seen 60% occupancy from locals, reaching 90% on the weekends

More than 120,000 have sailed on the cruises to nowhere since they were launched. Royal Caribbean International announced they will extend their cruises until Oct 2021, as will Genting Cruise Lines. Other cruise liners have now also expressed interest in joining the program. Royal Caribbean have said that they have sailed 30 cruises and carried 50,000 guests since Dec

The STB have organised CruiseWorld India 2021, to reconnect with the Indian market, who were the top source market for cruise tourism pre-pandemic

Singapore and China are working on resuming travel between the 2 countries, and are looking to have a system which mutually recognises one another’s health certificates. Singapore has said that “this goes beyond just vaccines, but into serology to PCR, nucleic acid tests, and then the rest of it. There will need to be verifiable, authorised sources of this information. And again, we need to be able to exchange relevant subsets of this information in a way that would facilitate safe travel". No timeline was given, but it was “moving in a positive direction”

Singapore’s international arrivals in Feb were 17,950, -97.6% YoY

The Transport Ministry have said that mutual recognition of vaccine certificates is the first step towards waiving SHN/ quarantines on arrival to Singapore. Singapore is looking to set up travel arrangements with countries and regions who have "successfully controlled the pandemic through surveillance and testing, contact tracing and social distancing measures"

Electricity tariffs for households will increase by 8.6% for Apr-Jun, compared to Q1

STB, Singapore Airlines and the Royal Brunei Culinary have teamed up to launch a Singapore Food Festival at Brunei International Airport on 29 Mar-11 Apr

Hong Kong has said that a prospective Air Travel Bubble with Singapore would need to include vaccination as a requirement, as well as pre and post departure tests. Singapore is said to be studying the proposal

The Nanyang Technological University has developed a new COVID-19 rapid test which can detect virus variants, with results within 30 minutes which are 10 times more accurate than rapid antigen tests

A 15km trail will link Gardens by the Bay East towards Changi in 10 years’ time. Singapore also saw a new tourist attraction open on 28 Mar, Coastal PlayGrove, with outdoor play, water play and a nature playgarden for families

The Singapore Foreign Affairs Minister has said that Singapore and Indonesia should have the “same level of control” over COVID-19 before allowing travel to resume between the 2

The government is not planning to expand the number of people allowed at social gatherings beyond 8 for the time being

Singapore’s Foreign Minister has said that they are in talks with Indonesia for a “gradual and safe reopening of travel arrangements”, whilst Indonesia’s Tourism Minister has said that the 2 countries will “continue to increase the discussion to a more detailed level. Hopefully, in the next few weeks we can convey the progress” on the travel corridor plan

Singapore is trialling the use of movement dongles to ensure that MICE participants keep a safe distance

From 24 Apr, weddings will be allowed 250 attendees, grouped into zones or time slots of 50 pax, and pre-event testing will be mandatory for those above 100 pax. Live performances of up to 750 pax will also be allowed with pre-event testing, or 250 if they do not. MICE events will be allowed up to 750 attendees with pre-event testing, and in zones of 50 people

The government will allow 75% of employees to work in the office at any one time, up from 50%. Split teams will no longer be mandatory, but work related gatherings must still be limited to 8 pax

Singapore is not looking at solely vaccination for travel considerations, including possible antibody tests to check that the vaccination has been successful

Avis Singapore has launched a 6-month car leasing scheme

Local residents who completed their full vaccination after 2 weeks of their last shot will be exempted from pre-event testing

Singapore is actively discussing travel corridors with other countries, with agreements on a bilateral basis, something which they think will continue for a while. They also noted that previously negotiated RGLs did not include vaccination terms, and discussions will be needed before they can be resumed

Singapore’s core inflation rose to 0.2% in Feb 2021, the first time it has been positive for a year

Singapore and Malaysia are working towards recognising each other’s vaccine certificates, as well as will permit cross-border travel on compassionate grounds. They also vowed to “progressively restore” cross-border travel

The ILTM Asia Pacific will be run virtually on 20 Jul, with the organisers stating that Jul is “too early for an in-person event of our size in Singapore.”

STB is running livestream taxi tours for US customers on Twitch: Singapore by Stream, allowing viewers to experience the landmarks and hidden gems of Singapore through the online tour. Viewer engagement with the driver is encouraged

The IBTM Asia Pacific conference has been postponed again to Apr 2022, due to the “fragile” situation

Hong Kong’s tourism industry called for re-establishing travel links with Singapore

The Tourism Minister has said that Batam and Bintan are more ready to be opened to international tourists than Bali, so a Travel Corridor with Singapore could happen for Nongsa tourist area in Batam and Lagoi in Bintan from 21 Apr. Travellers entering would need to have a negative RT-PCR test, as well as the GeNose on arrival, and download an app to track their movements. The government is targeting vaccinating 30,000 people in the two areas before opening Apr. Currently 3,500 have been vaccinated

Singapore and New Zealand are in talks to recognise one another’s vaccination certificates

Singapore and Taiwan have one more confirmed that they are in discussions on travel bubbles, but that no formal policy has yet been proposed

Singapore will hold the Free Fire World Series 2021 e-sports tournament in May, the 3rd such event of the year

Louis Vuitton will hold its first physical fashion show in Singapore in the new normal on 23 Mar

Hotels and travel websites have reported an increase in bookings for the March school holidays, with InterContinental Singapore stating its occupancy levels had doubled compared to it average this year, and 30% of its stays from 13-20 Mar were using the SingapoRediscovers vouchers. To handle the volume of check-ins, hotels assign guests check-in time slots

STB will engage with the Sri Lankan tourism industry to update them on Singapore’s tourism recovery efforts

100,000 guests have sailed on Singapore’s cruises to nowhere program since its launch

Dream Cruises is offering a 3-night Hari Raya themed cruise on its World Dream ship at the end of Ramadan. It will have halal cooking demonstrations, as well as massages with alcohol-free products. Demand has been high for these cruises. They are also offering a Ramadan spiritual experiences for those guests who travel during Ramadan, including communal prayer sessions, spiritual lectures and meals to suit fasting schedules. World Dream has had around 5,000 Muslim travellers since its launch as the first halal-friendly cruise ship in APAC on 11 Dec

The Once Upon A Time on the Orient Express exhibition at Gardens by the Bay has opened in Singapore

Singapore’s 2020 employment fell by 166,600 workers, the sharpest drop in more than 20 years. The bulk of the drop was felt by non-resident workers. Overall unemployment was 3% in 2020

The JW Marriott Singapore has launched its Studio Britannia, a broadcast studio which allows hybrid and virtual events

The PM has said that he hopes Singapore could reopen its borders by the year-end, as more countries have substantially vaccinated their populations

Only around 530,000 Singaporeans have redeemed their SingapoRediscovers vouchers, leaving more than 75% of the $320 million SGD credit unused as of 1 Mar

Australia has said that it is in talks with Singapore on a travel bubble deal which would allow both countries to travel without quarantine. They are also in discussions on mutually recognising one another’s vaccination certificates, and to resume travel for business travellers and students. The potential start date could be Jul

Singapore and Indonesia have discussed establishing a travel bubble to help the tourism sector in both countries

More senior-friendly activities are being launched for the SingapoRediscovers vouchers, including wheelchair friendly activities and those without long walks

The government will revamp its Job Redesign Reskilling program, with 16 roles in the hospitality industry identified which would benefit from technological skills. Hotels can receive 90% of the course fee funding, and salary support for the duration of the training, limited to 3 months

The Indonesian envoy to Singapore has said that the proposed travel bubble between Indonesia and Singapore could help tourism recovery. An initial travel bubble could involve Singapore and Bintan, Riau Islands

Taiwan has said that it is in talks with establishing travel bubbles with Singapore and Vietnam

More than 70 hotels welcomed 160,000 guests serving SHN in 2020

France will ease its restrictions for Singaporean travellers from 12 Mar, meaning that they will no longer have to provide a “compelling” reason for travel

Economists have upgraded their 2021 GDP forecast for Singapore, predicting 5.8% growth – the previous survey was 5.5%

Singapore will trial MICE visitors using wristbands to track movements and petitioned meeting pods with microphones at the Geo Connect Asia 2021 event on 24-25 Mar

The Connect@Changi facility welcomed its first travellers. A spokesperson said that it had received interest from Asia, Europe and the US, and it is looking into tying up with travel networks and airlines to have special room rates linked with airfares

The Westin Singapore has opened a dedicated virtual studio, as well as deliver meals to offsite attendees

The SingapoRediscovers MICE Virtual Show revealed that Singapore is planning to organise events with up to 2,000 attendees

The Transport Minister has said that the government will help revive the aviation sector through 4 ways: “bubble wrapping travellers” to keep them separate from the community, opening up to countries which have controlled the virus, COVID-19 testing and studying the implications of vaccinations. The government is still waiting for evidence on the extent to which vaccinations can reduce virus transmission

The Transport Minister has said that the air travel bubble with Hong Kong will be opened “when conditions are right”, and that they will “not give up on the idea”. He sees Air Travel Bubbles playing a crucial part in recovery in 202. They will also “do our best to make these arrangements bilateral so Singaporeans can travel outwards too.”

Retail sales in Singapore fell by 6.1% in Jan, vs. Dec’s -3.3%

The National Parks Board have said that the first stage of a cross-island 62km trail, from Changi to Tuas, will be finished by 2025. An 18km Eastern Corridor route will be ready by Q4 2021

More than 82,000 people have sailed on Singapore’s cruises to nowhere. Royal Caribbean has said that it has carried 35,000 guests over 25 sailings, with demand strong both from cruise first-timers, and repeat customers. 47,000 have sailed with Genting’s World Dream cruise liner, with 45 sailings completed. Both will continue their sailings until Jun. Cruise capacity remains at 50%, although Royal Caribbean did say in Feb that its capacity could be increased to 65% soon

Sentosa will become a carbon neutral destination by 2030 as part of its sustainability plan. Its priorities include decarbonising energy systems, reducing food waste and green travel options

Singapore’s unemployment fell in Jan to 3.2% from Dec’s 3.3%

Discussions with travel bubbles between Singapore and Australia are ongoing, Australian media has reported

Almost 50 MICE events have been held in Singapore since MICE activities were permitted to reopen, including the Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) Convening Leaders, which was held as a hybrid event in Singapore, the first time that the event had been held outside of North America. The STB has expressed optimism about the future of MICE in Singapore

The IQcert portal for clinics to issue pre-departure COVID-19 test certificates has been launched, as part of the HeathCerts scheme

Travel agents, hotels and tour guides will have their licence fees waived for the rest of 2021. The government has also said that the SingapoRediscovers campaign and vouchers will be “critical” for the sector, and they are looking into improving the scheme

Singapore is not planning that travellers must be vaccinated to enter. However it is working with other countries to ensure mutual recognition of one another’s certificates

The Singapore Association of Conference and Exhibition Organisers and Suppliers (SACEOS) has seen its membership grow 15-20% when it allowed event technology, festival organisers and lifestyle and sports companies to join. SACEOS said that a change mindset is essential to survive

Singapore’s Jan 2021 international arrival numbers were 23,150, a MoM decline of 3.6% from Dec 2020, and -98.6% YoY. The number of arrivals from China and Indonesia declined, whilst those from India increased

Far East Orchard saw a loss of $8.9 mil for FY 2020, down 94% YoY

The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) and Sport Singapore will launch a new community game, GameOn Nila!, which will be part of the SingapoRediscovers campaign. It encourages Singaporeans to explore Singapore on foot, earning points as they visit over 60 places of interest. It follows on from the heritage trail partnership, Jejak Warisan, which saw 150,000 people participate from 1 Jan-28 Feb

The government is looking at different SHN facilities for different preferences and budgets

Singapore has developed a new “globally inter-operable” standard, HealthCerts, using blockchain technology for the cross-border verification of health documents, including COVID-19 TEST RESULTS. The government will also look at expanding this to vaccine certificates. From 10 Mar, travellers who have a pre-departure COVID-19 test at authorised clinics in Singapore will receive a digital certificate, which can be uploaded to a website called Notarise, which will allow the certificates to be endorsed by the Ministry of Health so that they can be recognised internationally, and a QR code will be generated. Immigration will be able to scan the QR code and check the authenticity via a separate platform

Singapore is not expecting to move from Phase 3 of its Circuit Breaker easing “anytime soon”. It will last until there is sufficient evidence on vaccine effectiveness and a substantial part of the Singaporean population is vaccinated

Singapore will host a new reality TV show, “The Apprentice: ONE Championship Edition”, with the support of the Singapore Tourism Board (STB). It will premiere across Asia on 18 Mar, and be launched globally in Jun 2021

Travel agents in Singapore have seen a 59% drop in sales, according to Euromonitor data. According to the National Association of Travel Agents Singapore (NATAS), travel agents are rethinking their operational structure and scalability during the downtime

Singapore and Hong Kong are discussing “additional safeguards” for the air travel bubble scheme, in addition to the arrangements finalised last time

Singapore and Hong Kong are in “close discussions” on the air travel bubble once more, as Hong Kong’s number of unlinked cases is decreasing

The Accor group will open a 300-room Mondrian hotel in Duxton Hill by 2023. Other new hotels which are set to open in the next 2 years include the Clan by Far East Hospitality, the Citadines Connect City Centre and the Citadines Connect Rochester Singapore

The Rapid Transit System Link (RTS) between Singapore and Johor should be completed by Dec 2026

Singapore will keep its stricter Chinese New Year measures in place for a few weeks

The Connect@Changi scheme believes that it will see big demand from the US, Europe and Asia

The Singapore Medical Group have seen a 36.1% decline in net profit in 2020, partly down to a decline in medical tourism. It said that “it is uncertain as to when or if pre-Covid-19 levels of medical tourists will return to Singapore”

InterContinental Singapore has launched a hybrid event studio, The Green Room, which allows hybrid events and studio lighting facilities for virtual meetings

The extension of the Job Support Scheme (JSS) for the tourism industry as part of its Budget 2021, is a move which has been welcomed by the Singapore Hotel Association, who said that Singapore’s hotels are in “critical condition”

The government has said that holding the World Economic Forum will send a “strong signal of confidence” in Singapore and it holding major events. Rigorous testing for both local and foreign attendees will negate the need for stay-home notices to be served, as will mandatory use of the TraceTogether app

The government has said that less than 1% of arrivals into Singapore since Apr have tested positive for COVID-19. The majority of the arrivals came from Malaysia (import proportion vs total country arrivals = 0.04%), China (0.01%), Indonesia (1.6%) and India (3.7%). They said that they need to “adopt a risk management approach to the inflow of these travellers, rather than to close the borders to them entirely.”

The government maintains its 2021 GDP forecast of growth of 4-6%. It also revised its 2020 GDP estimate, saying that it declined by 5.4%, the worst ever recession the country has experienced

The Singapore Tourism Board held a virtual travel trade engagement with the Indian trade, with over 48 Singapore tourism stakeholders attending as sellers

The River Hongbao event at Gardens by the Bay has been extended by 4 days until 20 Feb. Around 23,000 people attended the first 4 days of the event – last year, it drew 800,000 over 10 days

The government will extend its JSS to tourism companies, too, with 30% support from Apr-Jun and a 10% support each in Jul and Sep. Training schemes and attachment opportunities will also be extended

Fort Siloso will open up to special tours to mark Singapore’s 79th anniversary of its fall, as part of the Battle of Singapore program, with 17 tours around the country put together by the National Heritage Board

The Singapore Hotels Association (SHA) has said that the SingapoRediscovers vouchers did boost the staycation demand, with Pan Pacific recording occupancy of 60-70% in Dec. However, SHA stated that the hotel occupancy will decrease after the Chinese New Year, once school resumes

Singapore’s economy is expected to recover in 2021, although aviation, transport and tourism may take longer, the PM has said. However, the bounce back will not likely be back to 2019 levels. He sees that it would be “several years” before people would just be able to book last minute weekend trips, and airlines will “have to make adjustments”. Even once most Singaporean residents are vaccinated, he does not think things will go back “completely to normal”

The Singapore Tourism Board will deploy more safe distancing ambassadors to ensure that tourism businesses comply with safety measures during Chinese New Year. Attractions such as Resorts World Sentosa and Jewel are expecting more visitors over the long weekend

On average, each member of a Singaporean household received $2,000 SGD in support in 2020

The Ministry of Finance have estimated that Singapore’s economy could have contracted by 12.4% in 2020 if the government had not rolled out its financial measures

The SingapoReimagine MICE Virtual Show is expecting 700 participants to attend, and will feature live cultural tours, masterclasses by a Michelin star chef and a virtual 3D showfloor

Singapore has launched its Green Plan 2030, which will strengthen its sustainable development plans

Household income for Singaporean families has dropped for the first time in 2020 since 2009, falling 2.5% in nominal terms, and 2.4% in real terms taking inflation into account

More than 280,000 Stay-Home Notices (SHN) were served in 2020, with just 22 people charged with violating the rules

The Connect@Singapore programme, which will allow business travellers quarantine-free travel, has been delayed until at least 21 Feb, as the first dedicated facility for these type of travellers is expected to open only then. The government have not said why the pilot scheme has been delayed

The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority has said that more than 42 million travellers cleared entry and departure at Singapore’s border checkpoints in 2020, a drop of 80.6% YoY

Travellers on the Business Travel Pass scheme will need to undergo an additional RT-PCR test on their return to Singapore, and will need to be isolated until they obtain a negative test on return. They will also be required to undergo RT-PCR tests on the 3rd, 7th and 14th day of their return, to minimise community transmission. Business travellers must also avoid events with more than 8 attendees within 14 days of their travel

Singapore will tighten its border restrictions for people who have travelled to Vietnam, changing requirements from no SHN notice to having to take an RT-PCVR test on arrival and serve a 14-day SHN at dedicated facilities. Those who have an Air Travel Pass (ATP) with travel history to Vietnam within 14 days will not be allowed entry to Singapore. Travellers from New South Wales will be allowed once more to enter Singapore with no SHN through the ATP, provided they test negative on arrival

Singapore is ramping up its COVID-19 testing capacity by partnering with the private sector for tests, allowing it to conduct 21,000 daily tests in worker dormitories and regional screening centres

The Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry are looking at setting up travel bubble arrangements with Brunei, Singapore, Thailand, other ASEAN nations and countries such as Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand. However, it is subject to bilateral discussions

The Transport Minister has said that it is seeing “the light at the end of the tunnel” for border controls, and was hopeful that more travel corridors could be established in 2021 as more people are vaccinated. It will not be a full recovery, but finding “a new norm”

The postponement of the World Economic Forum will not put off other high-profile meetings from being held in Singapore, with the Shangri-La Dialogue still set to run from 4-6 Jun

Singapore’s 2020 international arrivals dropped by 85.7% in 2020 to 2.7 million visitors, with tourism spend dropping 78.4% to $4.4 billion SGD in Q1-Q3 2020. The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) has said that “mass international travel is unlikely to resume in a major way in 2021” and “we expect tourism arrivals and tourism receipts to remain weak in 2021”. As of 31 Dec 2020, 33 cruises with 42,000 pax have been sailed with no incidents of transmission on board. It has also held 29 MICE event pilots

Dream Cruises will introduce new themed cruises for its cruises to nowhere, including a Korean themed one in conjunction with the Korea Tourism Organisation, and a Thai themed one in conjunction with the Tourism Authority of Thailand

The pilot scheme to reopen some bars and pubs will be extended by 2 months to 7 Apr, but will not be extended to more outlets

Chinatown’s Chinese New Year lights will not be turned on from 5-7 Feb, as well as 11 Feb, to discourage crowds

The Singaporean government has said that it will continue to help businesses, but not “indiscriminately”, and that help would be more focused and targeted, allowing businesses to seize new opportunities

The Park Hotel Group will plant a tree for every booking at its hotels, under a new scheme, Room for Trees, in partnership with Eden Reforestation Projects

The Singapore Tourism Board has partnered with Vietnamese celebrities to share their memories of Vietnam, under the SingapoReimagine campaign

Expedia’s 2020 Vacation Deprivation Study has shown that: • 71% of Singaporeans are “very/ somewhat” vacation deprived, an increase from 2019’s 67% and the most deprived globally • Singaporeans took just an average of 10 vacation days in 2020, compared to the usual 15 • Singaporeans are ready to spend big once travel returns • 44% of Singaporeans say that future planning will depend on the success of the vaccine • 39% of Singaporeans are waiting to book until H2 • 33% of Singaporeans will only book 100% refundable travel • 20% of Singaporeans will only travel to places where they can socially distance • 62% of Singaporeans expect to spend more on their bucket list vacation than originally planned, and 67% say their budget has increased due to the pandemic

The World Economic Forum will postpone their date from May to 17-20 Aug, to “reflect the international challenges in containing the pandemic”, with different global quarantine and air transport requirements making it difficult

Starburst, an aerospace and defence accelerator, will launch its inaugural aviation accelerator program in Singapore

81% of SMEs do not expect their business to grow in 2021, with 39% planning to cut manpower, and around half relying on the government’s financial relief, according to a study released by QBE Insurance

30 to 70 hotels are being used for the Stay-Home Notice designated facilities at any one time, the government has confirmed. This allows for flexible arrangements. Out of 177,000 pax who have arrived into Singapore between 1 Jul to 31 Dec, 1,179 had tested positive

Temasek and Singapore Press Holdings will merge their MICE subsidiaries, SingEx Holdings and Sphere Exhibits, to create SingEx-Sphere Holidays. It aims to be the regional MICE leader for hybrid events

The STB have said that some tourism businesses are using the downtime to renovate attractions, such as the Haw Par Villa and selected hotels

Singapore and Malaysia have reached an in principle agreement for travel in cases of family bereavement

The STB is aiming to engage with 15,000 UK travel agents through 7 UK trade partnerships in 2021

Singapore will soon launch a Green Plan to address climate crisis

The decision to continue hosting Singapore’s F1 Grand Prix will depend on Formula One’s direction, not the pandemic

The River Hongbao, an iconic part of Chinese New Year celebrations in Singapore, will be held at Gardens by the Bay this year. Visiting will be free, but slots must be booked

Singapore will gain an edge due to its “safety premium” for hosting sporting events, but STB estimates this advantage may only last 3-4 years

Johor state wants the Reciprocal Green Lane (RGL) agreement between Malaysia-Singapore to continue

The Reciprocal Green Lane arrangements with Malaysia, Germany and South Korea will be suspended for 3 months from 1 Feb, due to the high case numbers

12 money changers have closed down permanently, with 37 temporarily ceasing operations, due to the lack of travel

Singapore Tourism Board (STB) is planning to hold a 2-day virtual roadshow, SingapoReimagine MICE

Marina Bay Sands’ Q4 revenue was $345 million USD, down from $853 million USD in 2019, but still making it the Las Vegas Sands group’s most profitable casino. Full-year profit was down 76% YoY

The Singapore PM has called for countries to work together to develop a standardised system to verify the authenticity of vaccines and tests

Singapore’s Dec tourist arrivals grew to 24,010, up from 14,680 in Nov, but still -98.6% YoY. Singapore’s full-year arrivals were just 2.74 million, -85.7% YoY. Top arrivals were Indonesia, China and Australia

Findings of a TripAdvisor report, The Year of the Travel Rebound: 5 Traveller Trends to Watch Out for in 2021, showed: • 11% of Singaporeans have already booked an international trip for 2021 • 90% are more likely to travel internationally if they receive the vaccine, 87% more likely to travel domestically • 26% of Singaporeans say they will only travel to destinations which require a pre-travel vaccine

Employment for Singaporeans and PRs increased back to pre-pandemic levels by the end of 2020, whilst unemployment fell again in Dec to 4.4%. The number of retrenchments also fell

Contact tracing has become a lot faster thanks to the TraceTogether app, halving the time necessary

Singapore Tourism Board and KrisShop, Singapore Airlines’ retailer, have announced a 3-year partnership to promote local brands and create a seamless experience. They will launch a domestic campaign to highlight home-grown brands, then roll out globally. They are also looking at integrating STB’s VisitSingapore mobile app with the Krisshop.com’s features

COVID-19 tests will be offered to some airport workers at Jewel Changi and at Changi Terminal 3 after it was revealed some of the cases who have contracted the UK variant of COVID-19 visited those areas

Singapore has been added to the ‘green list’ of quarantine-free countries for visits to Abu Dhabi

Riau Islands hope that a travel bubble can be set up with Singapore to boost tourism arrivals, with exclusive resorts being designated with a segregated travel lane, such as Nongsa, Lagoi, Cempedak Island, Nikoi Island, Kepri Coral and Telunas resorts, as there are no residents there. The local government also hope to obtain SG Clean certification to convince travellers they are safe

NATAS has said that it is working with agents to discover how to create more local tours, as well as virtual tours. They are also looking at cross-business collaborations

Royal Caribbean’s Quantum of the Seas cruise ship will stay in Asia rather than head to Alaska for cruises, due to the success in resuming cruises in Singapore

Only 50% of Malaysian workers have come back to Singapore for work since the borders reopened 5 months ago

Singapore passport renewals were down more than 50% YoY in 2020

The government is tightening up restrictions over Chinese New Year to prevent community transmission, including a cap of 8 visitors per household per day, avoiding physical visits as much as possible, keeping masks on when not eating and drinking, and during tossing the traditional yusheng food, as well as no shouting during the tossing. Companies should not organise gatherings for Chinese New Year either. Lion and dragon dances will also be restricted

There were queues at the Singapore-Malaysia border after the mandatory tests were imposed by Singapore for entry

The Singapore government is looking at introducing further restrictions over Chinese New Year to stop cases spreading

Indonesia has asked Singapore to discuss a partnership to set up a travel bubble between the 2 countries

A TripAdvisor survey has shown that 80% of Singaporeans say that they will spend more time choosing their next destination due to the pandemic, the highest of all countries surveyed

The Health Minister has said that international travel will remain difficult, even for vaccinated Singaporeans, and when it does resume it will be progressively, through bilateral arrangements, which could then expand into regional ones. The government warned it could be a “four-year affair” to see the aviation industry recover

The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) is looking at piloting “bed-safe” itineraries for delegates arriving into Singapore for MICE events

40% of all Singapore-based employers are planning to add to their headcount this year

Singapore’s next Budget is expected to have very targeted support measures, and focus on sustaining jobs

The Sun Yat Sen Memorial Hall has refreshed its gallery

The pilot for reopening nightclubs and karaoke outlets has been postponed due to the increase in community cases

Conference and Exhibition Management Services (CEMS) are aiming for a 70% subscription rate for its physical and virtual events

CherryLoft Resorts & Hotels in Pasir Ris received a fine and has been ordered to suspend its bookings for a month after it breached safety management measures

Trip.com is continuing with its efforts to encourage Singaporeans to donate their SingapoRediscovers vouchers for those less fortunate

Some Singaporeans are using their SingapoRediscovers vouchers to be donated to underprivileged, allowing those in need to visit attractions they otherwise would not be able to afford

Visitors entering Singapore from 31 Jan via the Air Travel Pass and Reciprocal Gren Lane agreements will need travel insurance for their trips, with a minimum coverage of $30,000 SGD for COVID-19 related medical treatment. The insurance can be purchased from Singapore-based companies

All Singaporeans or Permanent Residents returning to Singapore will need to take an RT-PCR test on arrival from 24 Jan. From 18 Jan, all Singaporeans or Permanent Residents returning from the UK or South Africa would need to self-isolate at home for an additional 7 days, on top of their 14-day Stay-Home notice served at dedicated facilities

Singapore Art Week will take place from 22 Jan, with exhibitions, art installations and a symposium

Sojern have discovered that domestic hotel searches increased by 73% YoY, and that Singaporeans are already planning Chinese New Year, Valentine’s Day and the Mar school holidays

The Gift of Gardens, a scheme which allows underprivileged individuals to visit Gardens by the Bay for free, have had $250,000 SGD in donations, the largest amount yet

The World Economic Forum targets around 1,000 delegates and wants the Marina Bay Sands to host the event, sources have said

Green Day have cancelled their planned concert in Singapore

Japan has suspended its Business Track and Residence Track programs to allow overseas business travellers to visit the country, including from Cambodia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam

The Hotel Investment Conference Asia Pacific (HICAP) will be held in Singapore from 20-22 Oct, and the Alternative Ownership Conference Asia Pacific (AOCAP) from 19-20 Oct, as in-person events

The Reciprocal Green Lane and Periodic Commuting Arrangement between Malaysia and Singapore will continue during Malaysia's MCO period

More merchants have been added to the SingapoRediscovers $100 SGD scheme. There are now 206 hotels, 146 tour operators and 43 attractions eligible, with over 440 products as at 1 Jan

Concerns over privacy of data for users of the TraceTogether app have been somewhat allayed by the news that the law would be amended to limit the use of data to 7 serious criminal offences

The Singapore PM has received his COVID-19 vaccine

Singapore’s unemployment rate fell in Nov for the first time in 2020, down to 3.3% from Oct’s 3.6%

Around 2,500 travellers have entered Singapore using the Reciprocal Green Lane arrangements from 8 Jun-25 Dec 2020, with just 2 testing positive. 835 came from Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia, whilst 1,640 came from China, South Korea and Japan, and 15 from Germany

The Crowne Plaza Changi Airport will close for 2 weeks from 8 Jan due to a “precautionary measure” as 2 unlinked cases of workers from the hotel are investigated

Being able to travel unhindered is what Singaporeans are most looking forward to for travel in 2021, according to a new survey from Agoda. Travelling at a slower pace is also important

More than 300,000 Singaporeans have used their SingapoRediscovers vouchers, with bookings amounting to $35.9 million SGD in vouchers and payments as of 1 Jan 2021

30% of employers in Singapore are not planning salary increases in 2021

Japan will likely cut off reciprocal business travel agreements with Singapore due to the state of emergency in Japan

The cost of rapid COVID-19 tests has now been brought down to under $50 SGD, from its previous cost of $80 SGD

12,000 travellers from high-risk countries entered Singapore from 18 Nov-27 Dec 2020 without pre-departure tests, and just 0.85% of these tested positive, with no cases resulting in local transmission

Selected karaoke outlets may be allowed to open without the need for a swab test, as part of a pilot program

Gardens by the Bay will resume its light and sound show from 8 Jan, with 10 shows lined up for this year

Retail sales fell 1.9% YoY in Nov 2020, an improvement from 8.5% YoY in Oct

All hotel staff who are in contact with people under stay-home notices will now be tested every 2 weeks, to provide an additional safeguard in hotels

Singapore will introduce a vaccine injury financial assistance program for anyone experiencing a serious adverse effect of the COVID-19 vaccine, to give peace of mind to the public

Singapore’s economy declined by 5.8% in 2020, preliminary data has shown, its first contraction since 2001, and the worst recession since independence. Q4 2020 saw a 3.8% drop, an improvement from Q3’s -5.8%

Shangri-La is offering emergency medical coverage of up to SGD 250,000 for international guests visiting under a Reciprocal Green Lane or the Air Travel Pass if they contract COVID-19 during a stay at one of the group’s hotels

Customers have been reminded that they need to book slots for Sentosa attractions after many have arrived and found they could not use their ticket

The Kuala Lumpur-Singapore High Speed Rail project has been terminated once more, after both sides didn’t reach an agreement by its 31 Dec deadline

People who have travelled through South Africa in the last 14 days will not be permitted entry or transit in Singapore from 4 Jan. Returning Singaporeans and permanent residents will need to undergo a 14-day quarantine

Singapore’s November arrival numbers were the highest since March, with 14,676 visitors. More than 25% came from China (4,010), Indonesia (3,120) and Malaysia (1,200). The numbers are +9.55 vs Oct 2020. Hotel revenue dropped 82% YoY to $66.3 million SGD in Nov

The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) is looking into a potential breach of safety measures on the Royal Caribbean cruise, after a photo of a group of 10 gathered together circulated on social media. Royal Caribbean is also investigating the issue

Temporary relief from legal and enforcement action for event and tourism-related contracts will be extended until 31 Jan, to allow businesses to re-evaluate their plans in the light of the Phase 3 reopening

Singapore Tourism Board will now accept pilot applications for outdoor live performances of up to 250 people

Jurong Bird Park is celebrating its 50th anniversary with special admission prices

Hong Kong is not optimistic that the Air Travel Bubble with Singapore will resume, saying that now is “not the right time”

All travellers from South Korea entering Singapore from 26 Dec will need to serve their stay-home notice in dedicated facilities, including returning Singaporeans using the RGL agreement

Long-term pass holders and short-term travellers from the UK within the last 14 days will not be permitted entry or transit via Singapore, as they are concerned about the new infectious strain of COVID-19. Short-term travellers with an air travel pass and history of travelling to New South Wales in Australia in the last 14 days will not be permitted to enter from 23 Dec

Singapore’s planned vaccination program details should be released in early January. The first vaccines will be given to healthcare and front-line workers sometime between the end of the year and Jan or Feb

70% of Singapore residents are now participating in TraceTogether

Consumer prices dropped in Nov -0.1% YoY

Fireworks will be held at 11 locations across Singapore for the New Year

2 hotels at Resorts World Sentosa have been barred by the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) from taking new bookings for a month, for breaching safety measures

No breach in safety has been detected at the Mandarin Orchard Singapore Hotel, where several COVID-19 guests under Stay-Home Notices stayed. Investigations continue

Shopping malls have been busy in Singapore, despite still being in Phase 2 of lockdown easing

A Straits Times poll has shown that 6/10 readers are willing to pay more than the $100 SGD value of the SingapoRediscovers vouchers. Traveloka has said that it has seen more than half of its bookings for options which exceeded $100 SGD. Top interests for redemption included nature activities and staycations

400 fans attended a pop concert at the Marina Bay Sands’ Sands Theatre, the biggest music event since the Circuit Breaker was implemented

The start of the school year for Kindergarten and Primary school pupils will be staggered in January

The Ministry of Health is looking into the 13 cases who contracted COVID-19 and served their stay-home notice at the Mandarin Orchard hotel. All guests have now been checked out of the hotel, and 500 staff tested

Singapore firm Accredify is trying to build a network of clinics in Singapore to create a digital health passport which would be able to verify test results as genuine

Employment amongst Singaporean residents has risen to near pre-COVID levels in Sep, just 0.4% down YoY. However, the government still warns of retrenchments and people making “transitions”

Vietnam and Singapore have agreed to resume 2-way commercial flights for business and official travel in 2021 and set up a “green lane” arrangement. The agreement should be finalised in early 2021

A fake SG Arrival Card website which is phishing for travellers’ details and payment has been highlighted by the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority

Singapore’s hawker culture is now listed on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list. An SG HawkerFest will be held from 26 Dec to 11 Jan to celebrate

A new grant will be launched on 18 Jan for lower to middle class workers and self-employed who meet certain conditions such as being retrenched, who can receive up to $700 SGD per month for 3 months

Singapore and France are working on a reciprocal green lane for short-term business and official travel

Businesses are welcoming the news of moving into Phase 3 of lockdown easing, allowing attractions to welcome more visitors on weekends and public holidays. The Association of Singapore Attractions estimates that this could boost visitors by 15-20%

Singapore and Malaysia are still in talks over the high-speed rail project which is due to link the 2, with until 31 Dec to reach a final decision

A new short-stay pilot facility, called Connect@Changi, will open in Feb at Singapore EXPO for the business traveller segregated lane initiative. It will have 670 guest rooms and 170 meeting rooms, which will be able to accommodate 4-22 attendees in the first phase of opening. By mid-2021, it should have 1,300 guest rooms and 340 meeting rooms. The facility is being developed by Temasek, The Ascott, Changi Airport Group, Sheares Healthcare Group, SingEx and Surbana Jurong. Travellers on arrival to Changi Airport would be taken to the facility in batches, and checked in with minimal contact. Meeting rooms at Connect@Changi will have airtight glass panels separating the rooms with different ventilation systems to reduce transmission. No contact in-room dining services will be offered, as will 2-person Gympods

Singapore plans to open a segregated lane for business travellers from all countries, Connect@Singapore. The scheme will be open to a “limited number” of business, official and high economic value travellers for stays up to 14 days. Applications will open mid-Jan 2021. Travellers will be housed in dedicated facilities, and have regular testing, with antigen tests on days 3, 5, 7 and 11. They will also need to stay within their pre-declared travel group are not allowed to mingle with other travellers

Dream Cruises has now had one of its ships, World Dream, conform to the OIC SMIIC Standards Halal certification, and has also been certified by CrescentRating

Singapore may soon be able to offer saliva tests rather than nasal swabs after the development of their Resolute 2.0 test kit. Changi Airport’s new testing lab, scheduled to open in Q1 2021, will use Resolute 2.0, but is not sure if they will make saliva tasting available to pax at the airport. The results from the test can be completed in an hour

More travellers are being allowed into or through Singapore to retain Singapore’s status as an air hub, the Trade and Industry Minister has said, but this is being done in a controlled way

Phase 3 of Circuit Breaker easing measures will start on 28 Dec. This will allow social gatherings of up to 8 pax, and venues will be able to expand capacity from the current 10sqm per pax allowance to 8 sqm per pax. Attractions can also apply to STB to increase operating capacity to 65% from 50%. Worship services will be expanded to 250 pax and live performances will also be expanded to 250 pax

6,800 new hotel rooms are in the pipeline as of Q3 2020 for Singapore, including The Clan by Far East Hospitality, Citadines Connect City Centre, Citadines Connect Rochester Singapore, Edition by Marriott and Pullman Singapore in Hill Street. Hotel occupancy at gazetted hotels in Oct was 56.7%, a drop of 30.3pp YoY

Pasir Panjang Power Station will hold 2 live audience events in Dec with audiences of up to 400 as part of a pilot scheme

Pulau Ubin has seen 47,000 visitors in Nov, compared to 25,000 in past years in Nov

A lagoon, Bendera Bay, on St John’s Island will be opened to the public soon for education and conservation activities

Grand Park Orchard, which faced long queues for check in, generating viral photos of the crowds, has put this down to a surge in last minute bookings and the inability to reach all guests to stagger check in

Volocopter and the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) are working to launch air taxis in Singapore within the next 3 years. The first route is anticipated to be one for tourism, offering views of the Marina Bay skyline

Singapore will unilaterally lift border restrictions for arrivals from Taiwan from 18 Dec, allowing them to skip stay-home notices or quarantine and apply for the Air Travel Pass. Arrivals must have been in Taiwan for 14 days prior to arrival in Singapore, and will need to be tested on arrival. Business travellers from Singapore can travel to Taiwan with just a 5-day quarantine period. The Singapore Transport Minister has said that he is “running out of places” to unilaterally open the Singapore borders to. He also cautioned that the northern hemisphere is going through winter, and that this is “not a time” when overseas travel partners are looking to establish travel bubbles. However, he is confident that once vaccines start that Singapore “will find that more places qualify for either unilateral opening or air travel bubble.”

Singapore Airlines still believes that travel bubbles are a viable way to start international travel, and hope that a travel bubble could be established with Australia. The airline would add significant capacity to Australia once borders reopen, even if passenger demand is low

Phase 3 is unlikely to happen by the year-end, according to experts, as the country has not reached significant adoption levels of the TraceTogether app or token

World Dream, one of Genting Cruise Lines’ Dream cruises brand, now follows halal tourism guidelines from SMIIC, and has been rated by halal travel authority, Crescent Rating. It will offer 2 and 3 night cruis