[Travel Bubble Q&A] How many people in a group? Can I meet my family?

The government has decided to promote a travel safety zone, so-called 'travel bubble' system, which allows travelers to travel to some overseas countries where the COVID-19 epidemic situation is stable.

It is a method of implementing quarantine exemption measures by submitting a negative confirmation of PCR or vaccination certificate between 'Countries Trusted in Quarantine' or by testing negative for COVID-19 upon arrival.

The government has been seeking to promote travel bubbles with countries/regions trustworthy in quarantine, such as Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, Guam, and Saipan, so far.

However, first, the travel bubble will be implemented for group tourists, and it is expected to gradually expand to individual travelers.

The following is a Q&A summary of the travel bubble-related explanations announced at the regular briefing today (9th) by the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters.

- Group travelers are travelers managed by a travel agency. At the travel agency level, a plan is submitted in advance and approved. For this reason, the travel agency manages all routes from entry to departure, including the authenticity of a traveler's vaccination certificate. Since a separate system is in place to check and monitor the quarantine status of travelers, it is a different method from that of general overseas arrivals.

- We have decided to impose a duty on travel agencies in charge of group tours to verify vaccination certificates of travelers from countries covered by the Travel Bubble. This allows the government and travel agencies to cross-validate a traveler's vaccination history. In addition, we plan to impose double supervision duties not only on individual travelers but also on travel agencies, such as requiring travel agencies to manage compliance with quarantine rules during travel.

- When a travel agency develops a tourism product in the travel bubble area and obtains approval, it is specified that a quarantine manager must be designated. However, it will be decided through discussion with the travel agency as to whether the guide will have a quarantine manager in parallel or a separate quarantine manager in addition to the guide.

- It hasn't been decided yet. We plan to conduct practical consultations later with the goal of implementation in July.

- As Travel Bubble allows only the purpose of 'travel', in principle, movement other than the designated travel route is not permitted.

- Travel bubble does not apply to preschool children who are not currently vaccinated because they cannot have an inoculation certificate. Travel Bubble permits overseas travel in very limited cases, and you cannot travel without an immunization certificate.

- These are countries that received feedback relatively quickly when they expressed their intention to promote the travel bubble. However, there is a difference in aggressiveness, and in the case of Taiwan, the recent Corona 19 situation is under consideration.

- The possibility of the introduction of mutated viruses due to international tourism is always there. However, Travel Bubble allows limited international travel within the scope of quarantine control. Accordingly, the influx of mutated viruses can be sufficiently managed by linking with existing quarantine guidelines, such as checking the vaccination certificates of travelers from countries where mutual trust has been secured and conducting diagnostic tests upon entry.

- A decision will be made after consulting with the vaccination status of both countries. For example, in the case of Singapore, it is necessary to discuss in practice which vaccines each other will allow before signing the Travel Bubble Agreement.

In Singapore, only Pfizer and Moderna are vaccinated.