Asia’s Paradox as First to Contain Covid But Last to Travel
Photo Credit: Borobudur, Yogyakarta, Indonesia, once a popular destination until Covid struck. Flickr / Jon Culver
Skift Take
While travel is resuming in the West, it is retreating in the East as Asian countries struggle to kickstart international tourism safely amid surges in Covid-19 cases, clusters and, most worrisome, more contagious variants. A sad reversal of fate.
The tables have turned.
In June, Skift founder and CEO Rafat Ali wrote an essay, Who Wants an American Tourist Now?, reporting how the U.S. had become the global hub of Covid-19 infections and deaths, consequently a pariah of both inbound or outbound tourism.
Now it's travelers from India – the world's biggest vaccine maker – who aren't wanted. Half of all reported cases globally last week were in India, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
Thailand, vaunted by WHO late last year as a model of Covid containment, is battling its worst-ever upsurge, putting its planned international opening from July 1 on the line. Quarantine for incoming travelers is back to 14 days, after a reduction to seven to 10 days since April 1.
In Singapore, another model of Covid containment, quarantine has gone up to 21 days, and the city on Friday imposed a “heightened alert.” From May 16 to June 13, the group size for gatherings is two people, from five. Dining-in is suspende
