Thứ Ba, 21 tháng 12, 2021

Southeast Asia Travel News | Update December 22

Thailand’s quarantine-free travel pass suspended

Thailand has announced some changes to its inbound quarantine-free travel status for some visitors. This is a respense to the new Omicron variant of the coronavirus
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Indonesia suspend entry for foreigners with travel history to EU

Indonesia bans entry for foreigners with recent travel history to several European countries as of Dec. 21.  In additionally, Varying domestic rules ongoing.
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Thai Vietjet to operate Bangkok-Phu Quoc direct flight

Thai Vietjet will launch a direct flight connecting Bangkok and Phu Quoc Island from Dec. 30.
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Singapore to suspend quarantine-free travel

According to the health ministry on Wednesday, Singapore will freeze new ticket sales for quarantine-free travel. This is an effort to limit exposure to imported omicron cases.
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Vietjet fares in the Christmas hamper

Thai Vietjet launched ‘Christmas Sale’ on Tuesday with cheap fares. This promotion is start from just THB 555 (excludes taxes and fees) for travel on the airline’s entire domestic flight network in Thailand.
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The post Southeast Asia Travel News | Update December 22 appeared first on Luxury Travel's Blog.

3 Special Features in Vietnam Tourism from January 2022

Covid-19 has brought a lot of disadvantages to Vietnamese tourism this year. However, there is light at the end of the tunnel as Vietnam recently reopened to foreign tourists after an 18-month lockdown.Thereby, Vietnam has implemented facilitation in order to recover tourism from the pandemic. 

1. Cut down quarantine time from 7 to 3 days

According to the health ministry, fully vaccinated people or those who recovered from Covid-19 will only need to self-monitor their health for three days, either at home, hotels or other facilities.

Partly vaccinated arrivals will isolate at home or other facilities for seven days. Then, they will take COVID-19 test on the 3rd and 7th days. If results are negative, they will have to monitor their health for the next 11 days, free to travel. However, they will have to avoid large gatherings or crowded places.

Those under 18, above 65, pregnant women can be quarantined with caretakers. However, the caretakers must be fully vaccinated or have recovered from Covid-19.

Source: Luxury Travel

The travellers have to meet the Covid-19 prevention rules of the health ministry starting January 1, 2022:

  • Negative COVID-19 test results within 72 hours and installed the PC-Covid app for health monitoring. The PCR test requirement will not apply to children below two.
  • Fully vaccinated certificates or proof of recover from COVID-19

Foreign entrants will have to pay for their own tests, quarantine and Covid-19 treatment. Besides, they should take their own rapid tests on the first day of arrival.

2. Reopen more travel destinations to foreign tourists

The government allowed five localities to receive foreign tourists under a vaccine passport program starting November. They include Kien Giang, Khanh Hoa, Quang Ninh, and Quang Nam provinces and Da Nang City. 

Opening borders to tourists after nearly two years, Vietnam received its first batch of 29 visitors from the U.S. and Europe. They came by charter flight on November 17 to to Hoi An town, Qang Nam province for a seven-day trip. Additionally, over 200 South Korean tourists touched down in Phu Quoc Island on November 20, and Khanh Hoa welcomed its first group of foreign tourists on November 25.

Da Nang and Quang Ninh, home to HaLong Bay, plan to allow in foreign tourists from next month.

halong-Top-romantic-activities-for-honeymoon-in-Vietnam-and-Cambodia

In all, over 1,100 visitors had arrived by charter flights as of December 6, and the tourism industry expects 15,000 visitors to come this month.

3. Resume international fights

Vietnam has agreed to resume international flights for nine destinations that have managed high vaccination rates and good pandemic control on January 1.

They are San Francisco or Los Angeles (the U.S.), Singapore, Bangkok (Thailand), Phnom Penh (Cambodia), Vientiane (Laos), Beijing/Guangzhou (China), Tokyo (Japan), Seoul (South Korea), and Taipei (Taiwan).

In the second phase starting Jan. 16,  Vietnam will add to flights from Frankfurt, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Moscow, Paris, and Sydney.

4. Current situation of COVID-19 and vaccination in Vietnam

According to COVID-19 Vaccine Portal, as of 8 December 2021, a total of 131,033,342 vaccine doses have been administered. Up to now, more than 53 million Vietnamese people have completed 2 doses of the vaccine, accounting for 55.7%. In addition, 6 localities have implemented vaccination for children aged from 12 to 17.

Reported to WHO, from 3 January 2020 to 20 December 2021, Vietnam has recorded 1,524,368 confirmed cases of COVID-19 with 29,351 deaths. 

The post 3 Special Features in Vietnam Tourism from January 2022 appeared first on Luxury Travel's Blog.

Thứ Hai, 20 tháng 12, 2021

Southeast Asia Travel News | Update December 21

Thailand reports 1st case of Omicron variant

BANGKOK, Dec. 20 – Thailand reported the country’s first locally transmitted case of Omicron variant.
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Jetstar Asia opens Darwin VTL route

SINGAPORE, 21 December 2021: Jetstar flew its first scheduled service between Singapore and Darwin on Monday. The flights carried fully vaccinated travellers onboard the Airbus A320.
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Reopening of borders gives hope to Vietnamese tourism

Covid-19 decimated tourism this year. However, there is light at the end of the tunnel as Vietnam recently reopened to foreign tourists after an 18-month lockdown.
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Indonesia adds UK, Norway and Denmark to travel ban list

Indonesia has added the United Kingdom, Norway and Denmark to the list of countries banned due to the spread of COVID-19. Meanwhile, Indonesia has removed Hong Kong out of the list ban, a senior minister said on Monday.
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Da Nang’s Golden Bridge wins top honors at World Travel Awards

The Golden Bridge in Da Nang City has won the 2021 World Travel Award in the ‘world’s leading iconic tourist bridge’ category.
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Southeast Asia Travel News | Update December 20

British Airways ditches Thailand flights

LONDON, 20 December 2021: British Airways has cancelled all of its direct flights to Bangkok until October 2022, according to a report on The Points Guy blog last week.
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Laos to allow visitors from 17 countries, including Vietnam

Laos is set to reopen its doors to tourists from 17 countries, including Vietnam, on January 1, nearly two years after it shut them following the Covid-19 outbreak.
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Vietnam offers a nine destination New Year gift

Vietnam will reopen regular commercial flights to the U.S. and eight Asian destinations starting January 1, 2022 in the first phase of a program to revive international travel.
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Malaysia has set new rules in view of the Omicron variant

Malaysia has temporarily banned travellers from Southern Africa have. Moreover, nine high-risky countries have to be under quarantine.
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Philippines: Several flights cancelled due to Typhoon Rai havoc

Airlines cancelled dozens of flights, while transport authorities banned sea and land travel in central and southern Philippines, leaving thousands stranded at ports.
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The post Southeast Asia Travel News | Update December 20 appeared first on Luxury Travel's Blog.

Thứ Năm, 16 tháng 12, 2021

Southeast Asia Travel News | Update December 17

Vietnam allows 3-day quarantine for vaccinated, recovered arrivals

According to the health ministry announced Thursday, fully vaccinated or recovered from Covid-19  travellers will only need to self-isolate for 3 days instead of  7 days.
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Bali only received 45 international tourists in 2021

Due to strict border control measures and a closed airport, Bali went from receiving millions of international visitors to welcoming just 45 in 2021.
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Laos to reopen for tourists on Jan. 1, 2022

Lao government Thursday announced a plan to reopen for visitors starting from Jan. 1, 2022, according to a notice issued by the Prime Minister’s Office.
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Cambodia Detects First Case of Omicron Coronavirus Variant

According to the ministry of health, Cambodia has detected the first case of the Omicron variant in a local woman who had traveled from Ghana.
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Travellers to Singapore who test positive warning to recover or isolate in hotel rooms

Travellers staying in hotels who have tested positive for Covid-19, or have been identified as a close contact of a Covid-19 case and received a health risk warning (HRW), should recover or isolate in their rooms by default from next Monday (Dec 20).
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Laos Welcome International Travellers from January 2022

Laos has just approved the " Laos Travel Green Zone'' program to welcome foreign tourists in January 2022. That contributes to the process of reopening the country after a long lockdown due to the impact of Covid-19. Finally, we will be able to travel to Laos in the next month!

1. “Lao Travel Green Zone” program was officially approved.

The Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control of Laos has approved the ” Laos Travel Green Zone” plan. Thereby, Laos will start welcoming international tourists from January 1, 2022. The purpose of the program is to both ensure safe tourism during the Covid-19 period and contribute to economic recovery. The program will generate income for people, service providers as well as increase revenue for the country.

Currently, the Laos Travel Green Zone is applied to the capital Vientiane, the town of Vangvieng and the ancient capital of Luangprabang. These are places that are eligible to ensure safety for tourists as well as service providers. To become a “Tourism Green Zone”, localities must have 70-80% of the population and 90-95% of service providers have been vaccinated against Covid-19.

2. Requirements of the “ Laos Travel Green Zone”

According to the “ Laos Travel Green Zone”, tourists entering Laos will have to meet required conditions as follows:

  1. Book a package tour.
  2. Declare information and travel schedules through the online system.
  3. Have to buy Covid insurance.
  4. Have a certificate of full dose vaccination and a negative test for SARS-CoV-2 virus within 72 hours before entry.

In addition, when arriving in Laos, they will have to isolate themselves for 24 hours at a hotel designated by the Covid Committee to wait for test results; use Laosafe app to track information and QR code during travel.

Children aged from 5-18 years old must be tested for Covid by PCR method, but not necessarily have a certificate of vaccination.. Children under 5 years old are not required to be tested for Covid-19.

3. Current situation of COVID-19 and Vaccination in Laos

According to the Lao Ministry of Health, 64.5% of adults in the country have been vaccinated against COVID-19. This is one of the significant steps for Laos to reopen the country in the near future.

As the record, more than 3.6 million people in Laos have been vaccinated with 1 dose of COVID-19 vaccine, accounting for more than 50% of the adult population. More than 3 million people have received 2 doses, equivalent to nearly 42%. population. The capital Vientiane has the highest number of people vaccinated in the country with the rate of 90%.

According to WHO, from 3 January 2020 to 15 December 2021, there have been 91,816 confirmed cases of COVID-19 with 250 deaths in Lao People’s Democratic Republic.

We are continuing to update approved hotels and transportations of the programmes.

To help you have a memorable trip to Laos, Lux Travel DMC give you some recommendations and guideline to travel to Laos here

The post Laos Welcome International Travellers from January 2022 appeared first on Luxury Travel's Blog.

Southeast Asia Travel News | Update December 16

SQ takes off on VTL lane to Bangkok

On 15 December 202, Singapore Airlines will operate 25 weekly flights from Bangkok to Singapore. This is a new fight route after introducing the first vaccinated travel lane (VTL) flight on Tuesday.
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Aviation association wants home quarantine for overseas Vietnamese cut to 3 days

The Vietnam Aviation Business Association wants the Ministry of Health to reduce its proposed 14-day home quarantine for fully immunized overseas Vietnamese to three days.
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LOMBOK remains OPEN TO VISITORS

Lombok International Airport Operates per Normal. Therefore, visitors still can go to enjoy beautifully islands there.
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Laos plans to reopen country to fully vaccinated tourists in 2022

The Lao Government has announced their plan to reopen the country to fully vaccinated tourists in January of 2022 under the “Lao Travel Green Zone” program.
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Singapore citizens can enter Malaysia via land VTL, from Dec 20

The Singapore-Malaysia vaccinated travel lane (VTL) via the Causeway will be expanded to allow more groups of people to travel between both countries.
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