The Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) and the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) have agreed to collaborate to welcome the launch of the Hong Kong-Singapore Air Travel Bubble (ATB), ahead of the departure of the first flights on November 22, 2020.
The ATB – a bilateral, all-purpose and quarantine-free arrangement between the two nations – was first announced in early November. The partnership between the HKTB and the STB is also the first between the two tourism boards.
As part of the partnership, the tourism boards of the two cities will undertake joint promotional activities such as coordinated social media content. Both tourism boards have also prepared special gifts to welcome the first batch of visitors on the ATB, such as a limited-edition reusable face mask that showcases unique aspects of both cities.
Travellers on the first ATB flights out of both cities on November 22 will also be treated to a special inflight menu that includes local favourites from Hong Kong and Singapore, curated by Cathay Pacific and Singapore Airlines. This menu will be available on all ATB flights till the end of this year.
HKTB executive director Dane Cheng said: “It is a hugely important moment that shows the world that safe international travel is possible, and paves the way for us to bring tourist flights to and from other markets.”
Singapore Airlines executive vice president commercial Lee Lik Hsin added: “The Air Travel Bubble arrangement between Singapore and Hong Kong facilitates the keenly anticipated return of leisure travel for both cities as we continue with our recovery from Covid-19. It is a signal that we can open up in a safe and calibrated way with the necessary bilateral protocols in place.”
Hong Kong will welcome the winter holidaymakers from Singapore with its Christmas celebrations, together with a host of gastronomical offers from the Hong Kong Wine & Dine Festival. Other activities include hiking cycling, as well as visiting exhibitions such as Hong Kong Spotlight by Art Basel and Botticelli and His Times – Masterworks from the Uffizi in the Hong Kong Museum of Arts.
In Singapore, visitors from Hong Kong will avail a line-up of Christmas events, ranging from the light-up along Orchard Road to Gardens by the Bay’s festive extravaganza Christmas Wonderland. They will also be able to experience Singapore’s offerings such as Aqua Gastronomy, an underwater dining pop-up at Resorts World Sentosa’s S.E.A. Aquarium, and the Changi Jurassic Mile, an outdoor display of lifelike dinosaurs along a bike and walking path that connects Marina Bay in downtown Singapore to the Changi Airport.
Travellers to both destinations can also look forward to attractive deals and experiences from a range of tourism partners. These offers are available on HKTB’s platform (discoverhongkong.com/TravelBubble) and STB’s visitor portal (visitsingapore.com/hk-deals).
The health and safety of locals and travellers remain a key priority. To provide visitors with peace of mind, both destinations have put in place city-wide certification programmes for hygiene and safety – the Anti-Epidemic Hygiene Measures Certification Scheme in Hong Kong, and SG Clean in Singapore.
