Asean travel bubble could spur growth, but governments must weigh risks

THE signing of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership free trade deal grabbed most of the headlines at the recently concluded Asean Summit meetings in Hanoi, and understandably so. The 15 signatories of the world's largest trade pact, including Singapore, will undergo their respective ratification processes so the accord can enter into force.

But there was one other announcement from the summit that did not get quite that much attention. That was the announcement that plans are underway to establish an Asean "travel corridor" for essential business travel, an initiative that aims to help the 10-member bloc and its 600 million-plus inhabitants recover faster from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo has openly pushed for this travel bubble to be realised, possibly as early as the first quarter of 2021. The Asean Travel Corridor Arrangement framework, as it is now called, will require all the member states to coordinate and streamline the necessary health and safety protocols.