ASIA PACIFIC. The Asia Pacific Travel Retail Association (APTRA) has put forward a proposal for regional alignment on quarantine rules and testing on arrival and departure at Asia Pacific airports. The campaign is targeted at 45 individual governments across the region.
APTRA believes there are efficient and robust rapid tests for COVID-19 that could be implemented at international borders, enabling a “more reasonable approach” to reduced quarantine timescales of perhaps 24 hours in the case of a negative result.
The organisation highlighted the fact that some airports in Asia Pacific are already running efficient testing, citing the examples of Singapore Changi, Delhi, Hong Kong and Seoul Incheon.
In a statement it said: “If governments were to endorse a harmonised approach to airport testing and quarantine, it would be a major step towards reopening the aviation ecosystem and one that would restore consumer confidence.”
APTRA said it has set up the campaign to safeguard public health and promote industry recovery, in a region where travel is a vital factor in economic prosperity. It claims that the duty free and travel retail sector in Asia Pacific accounts for over 320,000 jobs and the World Travel & Tourism Council estimates 63.4 million jobs in tourism are currently at risk across the region.
APTRA President Sunil Tuli said: “Alignment on quarantine and testing imperatives is a critical factor in facilitating the recovery of the travel retail industry. Aviation, tourism and hospitality are highly inter-dependent sectors with millions of livelihoods stuck in jeopardy until governments prioritise a regionally aligned strategy on quarantine and COVID-19 testing for travellers.
“Of course APTRA supports the prioritisation of national health and safety, yet it is frustrating that there is no joined-up approach between governments that would enable the reopening of aviation to safeguard millions of jobs.”
