What is a travel bubble? Here's everything you need to know about the buzzy new term in travel

What is a travel bubble? Here's everything you need to know about the buzzy new term in travel
PHOTO: Unsplash

The advent of coronavirus has brought forth an unprecedented and multifaceted crisis, as the world witnessed global shares taking a hit, unemployment rate skyrocketing and oil prices come crashing down.

As the threat of a global recession looms, it's no exaggeration to say that the world economy in general is currently in dire straits.

With passengers cancelling their holiday and business trips due to airlines being grounded and borders being closed, the travel industry is among the hardest hit by the onslaught and is now facing a seemingly insurmountable odds.

Tourism makes for a considerable percentage of any country's yearly GDP, and to lose such a significant chunk of the pie has proven to be quite damaging.

Thus, governments worldwide are struggling to find ingenious ways to somewhat restore the inbound cash flow streams associated with international tourism and travel, which in turn brings us to a little something called 'travel bubble.'

What's a travel bubble? What's with all the hype?

Travel bubbles, also known as travel corridors and corona corridors, are essentially an exclusive partnership between neighbouring or nearby countries that have demonstrated considerable success in containing and combating the Covid-19 pandemic within their respective borders.

These countries then go on to re-establish connections between them by opening up borders and allowing people to travel freely within the zone without having the need to undergo on-arrival quarantine.

The proliferation of the term was pioneered by three Baltic states, namely Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, when they formed a trilateral partnership granting citizens of said countries entry into the member countries' territories. This free passage would eventually be referred to as a travel bubble.

Not solely limited to tourism, the safe bubble also allows the three Baltic countries to rekindle trade relations and revive other sectors as well.

The chances of travellers transmitting or contracting the virus within the travel bubble are extremely unlikely due to the level of success the countries involved have exhibited in managing the viral outbreak.

On the flip side, those looking to enter the travel bubble from the outside must undergo strict preventive measures which include a 14-day isolation, an official document stating they have not been infected with coronavirus and have not come into contact with anyone who has.

What other travel bubbles are out there?

Note: not an exhaustive list. This section will continually be updated as more travel bubbles are confirmed.

When the world became aware of this initiative, many began to follow suit, or at the very least, seriously considering the possibility of forming a bloc with their neighbouring countries.

Most countries generally view the travel bubble concept as something that would entail business recoveries across multiple sectors.

Australia - New Zealand

Although nothing is as yet official, Australia and New Zealand are in serious talks in setting up the much-needed corona corridor as soon as possible.

Both administrations have set the groundwork for the soon to be established Trans-Tasman travel bubble as early as September.

Austria - Germany

Austria is planning to fully reopen its borders with Germany by June 15, 2020. The travel bubble would allow business and leisure trips to be made between said countries.

Austria is also planning on expanding its travel sphere to eventually include Switzerland, Liechtenstein and "neighbouring eastern European countries."

Croatia - Slovenia

The Baltic states of Croatia and Slovenia formed an agreement to set up a quarantine-free travel bubble between them in May 2020. Croatia's tourism sector accounts for roughly 20 per cent of the country's total GDP, which renders the travel bubble with Slovenia a welcome relief.

China - South Korea

As Australia and New Zealand continue their talks, China and South Korea have implemented their own corona bridge since May 2020. The tightly controlled travel bubble applies only to selected cities in both countries which includes Seoul to Shanghai.

China's travel bubble appears to be expanding as there are plans of integrating Taiwan, Hong Kong and even Macau into the safe zone.

China - Singapore

The two Asian countries are in talks to create their own travel bubble for businesspeople and officials.

Initial discussion seems to reveal a still-complex procedure that involves swab tests before departure on arrival, pre-approved itineraries and a "SafeTravel Pass", and usage of the host country's contact tracing app.

Limited number of passengers from Singapore and 6 Chinese cities-Shanghai, Tianjin, Chongqing, Guangdong, Jiangsu and Zhejiang-will be able to travel between the two countries without spending any quarantine period. Currently there is a 14-day quarantine period for travellers from both countries.

Denmark - Norway

The two Scandinavian countries have agreed to establish a travel bubble and reopen tourism between them, while notably excluding Sweden.

Both Denmark and Norway will maintain restrictions for Sweden, as it's still the country with the highest coronavirus-related deaths in the region.

Baby steps…

Although travel bubbles are far from being the ideal solution, it is undoubtedly a step in the right direction. As more and more of these sky bridges pop up, we can be sure that countries worldwide are doing a great job in flattening the curve.

For now, these travel bubbles have proven to be a boon for those looking to get their economies back on track.

For us travellers, let us take comfort in the fact that travel bubbles are a telltale sign that we may soon be able to once again explore the world.

For the latest updates on the coronavirus, visit here.

This article was first published in Wego.

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