Journey searches for Germany to Singapore’s vaccine itinerary

A Singapore Airlines aircraft is parked next to Scoots passenger aircraft on the tarmac of the Changi International Airport terminal in Singapore on March 15, 2021.

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Interest in traveling between Singapore and Germany skyrocketed after the announcement of a so-called vaccinated itinerary between the two countries, which means vaccinated travelers can skip the quarantine.

Popular online travel booking site Expedia said that Friday afternoon searches for trips from Singapore to destinations in Germany increased almost ten times the average for the past seven days.

There is also great interest in traveling from Germany to Singapore, it said. “While Singapore was never among the top 10 travel destinations for German travelers, it was interesting to see that interest in traveling from Frankfurt and Munich to Singapore has increased by 70% in the past 24 hours,” said Lavinia Rajaram, APAC -Communication manager at Expedia, in a Friday statement.

“With the launch of the Vaccinated Itinerary Program, it will certainly bode well for those who are already vaccinated and have the desire to travel, and will give the travel industry a welcome boost,” added Rajaram.

Singapore’s vaccinated travel route with Germany was announced on Thursday by the city-state, which extended the initiative to Brunei as well.

Applications for quarantine-free travel to Singapore from Germany or Brunei will be open from September, but are subject to certain conditions. Fully vaccinated people traveling to Singapore are required to take four Covid tests – one two days before departure, one on arrival, one on the third day, and another on the seventh day.

Further conditions for traveling to Singapore from Germany or Brunei are:

• Travel on designated non-stop flights for the vaccinated itinerary (VTL);
• Stay in Germany or Brunei for 21 consecutive days before the flight;
• Download a contact tracking app in Singapore.

On ticket prices, Expedia’s Rajaram added that airlines offering flights under the program have announced “competitive prices”.

Still, Rajaram said, “It is too early to say if prices will rise in the next few days – but we can expect demand to grow closer to Christmas time.”

The search queries for trips from Hong Kong and Macau are also increasing

Singapore had also announced that travelers from Hong Kong and Macau can now apply for a flight pass to travel to Singapore regardless of their vaccination status.

They don’t have to be in quarantine either, they have to take a Covid test upon arrival in Singapore and self-isolate until they get a negative test result, Singapore authorities said.

Search queries for trips to Singapore from the two Chinese territories also increased after the announcement – by almost 450%, according to Expedia.

“This comes as no surprise to us as travelers in Hong Kong (HK) have been eagerly hoping for this first vacation trip. Singapore is still a top destination for Hong Kong travelers in the second half of the year, ”said Expedia.

– Abigail Ng of CNBC contributed to this report.