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SINGAPORE, Dec. 9 – Traveling for a stopover at a family home in Dalian and Hainan, China, during the agony of Covid-19 restrictions in 2020 and 2021 was a “big challenge to face,” said Xu Yuchuan, 27.
Between 2020 and 2021, Xu was unable to travel to China for a stopover in his circle of relatives due to Covid-19 restrictions. When they were lifted in 2022, traveling to China still required a long list of documents that needed to be notarized through various authorities.
There were also countless polymerase chain reaction tests and immediate antigen tests that needed to be done, all of which made it very difficult for Xu to see his family.
“My mother is especially disappointed because my grandparents are so old, so every year we get to see them is precious,” Xu said.
The Dec. 7 announcement that Singapore and China had agreed to a mutual visa-free agreement for 30 days brought much joy to others with families in China.
This was among the 24 agreements announced at a forum by the Joint Council for Bilateral Cooperation held in China. The council was also co-chaired by Singapore’s Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong for the first time.
Since the end of July, China has reinstated the 15-day visa waiver for Singaporeans traveling to China on normal passports for business, tourism, family visits, and transit purposes.
The arrangement was suspended for more than three years due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
“As someone originally from China and now a citizen of Singapore, this is wonderful news,” Xu said. “Most of the members of my family circle are in China, which allows me to stop there for longer without having to worry about the two-week restriction. “
While the news is encouraging for some, for those who have no ties to China, the new agreements have done little to pique their interest in traveling to China.
Amanda Ng, 28, said the new arrangements don’t replace her much because when she thinks of China, it’s for a vacation and nothing else.
The marketing director added, “I wouldn’t take a vacation beyond 15 days due to painting commitments. Therefore, the extension is a big challenge for me.
In response to this news, some experts interviewed said that this new agreement would revitalize the tourism sectors of both countries.
However, one expert doubts if this new arrangement will “move the inbound needle drastically”, given that Singapore is still an expensive destination compared with other Southeast Asian countries like Thailand or Malaysia.
Mixed responses from youths
The mutual 30-day visa waiver agreement has sparked mixed reactions.
Xu, who has family in China, is elated at the news. The arrangement would allow him to visit his family up to two to three times a year instead of once a year as he does now.
“I’ll be back more to make a stopover in my circle of relatives or just to spend a holiday. I’m self-employed, so my schedule is very flexible,” Xu said.
Rebekka Lim, a 17-year-old who works at Nanyang Polytechnic, said she would be more interested in traveling to China.
“Ever since I graduated from high school, I wanted to move to another country,” she said.
In addition to the visa waiver between Singapore and China, one of the agreements announced at the forum targeted student exchange programs, specifically in the fields of science and technology.
Although this was appealing to Rebekka, as a student of social painting, she hopes there will be student exchanges in her field.
“I think it would be cool to see their social painting system. It’s similar to when my school travels to Japan to stop at a university and see their social painting classes,” he added.
Valerie Ng, 28, called the agreement between Singapore and China a “bold move” ideal for those doing business in China and those who have family there.
However, he wonders whether the deal “risks making Singapore’s tourism industry overly dependent on Chinese tourists. “
A tourist boon for countries?
While experts agree that this change will boost tourism in both countries, there might not be a massive spike in Chinese tourists to Singapore.
Christopher Khoo, managing director of tourism consultancy MasterConsult Services, said: “China’s outbound market is taking much longer to take off for a number of reasons. China was the last country to lift Covid travel restrictions and instead, the Chinese have turned to domestic tourism, which has greatly benefited the Covid-19 years. “
He added that China’s economy is not as “exuberant” as it was pre-Covid, resulting in hesitation and, most likely, a less disposable source of income for Chinese citizens.
For Dr. Kevin Cheong, a senior lecturer at the Singapore Management University, the agreement would “reduce one of the barriers” to visiting Singapore.
“It deserves to attract more Chinese tourists, but I don’t know if it will drastically change incoming traffic. Travel prices such as airline tickets and accommodation, as well as the exchange rate, make Singapore a more expensive destination compared to Thailand and Malaysia. and Japan,” he said.
The opposite could be true for Singaporeans traveling to China, and interest in China would grow, Dr. Cheong added.
“Post Covid-19, people go for long holidays,” he said. “They want to see more exotic places, and we tend not to put off the trips. We are now ‘living it up’ more so than before.”
Dr. Cheong expects airfares to “increase” as more people travel, so flights between Singapore and China will become more affordable, expanding traffic between the two countries.
“I anticipate Chinese tourists coming to Singapore for business and possibly using Singapore as the springboard to the region and beyond,” he added.
Travel Trip. com said search volume for “Singapore” increased by 80% within an hour after the news was announced compared to the previous hour.
Searches for airline tickets and hotels also increased across 90 and 50 Array, respectively, said Ru Yi, managing director of Trip. com in Singapore.
“Singapore is a popular destination for Chinese outbound tourism and a source of inbound tourism,” Yi said.
“Tourism-friendly policies like this will certainly encourage overseas as they remove a challenge in the planning process, and we look forward to the start of the visa waiver between Singapore and China in the new year. “