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Three months ago, the government decided to promote a so-called 'travel bubble' that allows people to travel abroad without quarantine. We discussed with several countries in Southeast Asia, but due to the 4th pandemic of Corona 19, which has intensified again, the promotion itself was practically stopped except in Saipan.



Reporter Jeong Da-eun reports.



<Reporter> This is



a reservation history for a travel agency.



For over a year, reservations and even inquiries have been cut off.



Expectations for overseas travel to be revitalized due to the travel bubble with Saipan were short-lived, but due to the 4th COVID-19 pandemic and the spread of delta mutations, most travel bubble consultations outside Saipan were suspended, and travel agencies are closed again.



Vaccinations for those in their 30s and 40s, who are the main travel consumers, are slow, and there are not many flights, making it difficult to organize products.



[Lee Min-koo / Deputy Director of Travel Agency: In the case of Saipan, there are about 3 flights a week for all airlines. There are no direct flights to Phuket. Flights are limited, so it is difficult to go there.] In



addition, travel through the Travel Bubble is only available for group tours, so it is a rice cake for small and medium-sized travel agencies.



[Lee Min-koo / Deputy Travel Agency Manager: (Group traveler) Recruitment itself is impossible for small and medium-sized travel agencies. It is impossible to make and send a group tour directly.]



Last month, 363 people visited Saipan in Korea.



The travel industry explains that most of them are for business purposes or there is no tourism demand for Korean residents.



In addition, the Saipan government made travel bubble travelers quarantined for five days during the month of August, so the number of visitors has decreased.



As vaccinations were delayed due to the 4th pandemic, Asiana Airlines canceled charter flights to Hawaii for the Chuseok holiday.



Travel bubble, which was caught up in the Corona virus and failed to be implemented properly, on the 12th, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport actively selected this system as an excellent case of administrative regulatory innovation.



(Video editing: Lee So-young, VJ: Jung Min-goo)