Green Lane Tourism Proposed For Fully Vaccinated Tourists

[Old55]

DOT proposes ‘green lane’ for COVID-19 vaccinated foreign visitors

 

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Tourism on Friday proposed setting up a “green lane” that would “facilitate the entry” of foreign travelers who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

The agency made the proposal to the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases as part of its efforts to spur the recovery of Philippine tourism and the economy.

Through this travel concept, the DOT said fully vaccinated individuals from overseas can visit the country for leisure once quarantine rules are relaxed and amid expanded COVID-19 vaccination globally.

The DOT did not specify when it is eyeing to implement “green lane.”

“The green lane will pave the way for the reopening of our tourist destinations to leisure travelers who are now fully vaccinated. It will give the jobs back to many of our tourism workers and gradually revive the tourism industry under safe conditions,” Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said.

The IATF-EID earlier ordered the DOT and several other government agencies to craft protocols for inbound international travel for fully vaccinated visitors.

It formed a Small Working Group (SWG) headed by the DOT and Department of Foreign Affairs to evaluate the proposed green lanes.

The SWG is composed of the Bureau of Quarantine under the Department of Health, the Bureau of Immigration under the Department of Justice, the Department of Information and Communications Technology, the Department of Transportation, the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process, the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration under the Department of Labor and Employment and the Department of Trade and Industry.

Several countries have reopened their tourist destinations to individuals vaccinated against COVID-19.

“We must keep pace with our neighbors and the rest of the world in slowly reopening our tourist destinations. We must be ready for the visitors when the whole world is ready to safely travel again,” Puyat said.

Green lane in neighbor countries

Last year, Philippines’ neighbor country Singapore opened fast lane and reciprocal green lane.

“Fast lane and reciprocal green lane are fundamentally the same, except that different countries term it differently. These lanes refer to mutually agreed upon arrangements that Singapore has established with selected countries or regions to facilitate essential business and official travel,” the description of the laneson Changi Airport FAQs read.

Through this arrangement, business and official travelers to and from Japan visit under the Reciprocal Green Lane (RGL) arrangement.

“Business and official travelers need to apply for the Safe Travel Pass with the Singapore Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) for entry into Singapore,” it added.

As of May 21, ICA is allowing short-term essential business and official travel between Singapore and the following counterpart countries:

Brunei Darussalam

Mainland China

Singapore’s ICA, however, said it has suspended the RGL for visitors from Germany, Indonesia, Malaysia, Japan and Republic of Korea until further notice amid the rising COVID-19 cases.

In August 2020, Singapore is also in talks for an RGL entry for visitors from another neighbor country, Thailand.

Meanwhile, Puyat last January said she is hopeful inbound international travel will return this year. 

Last year, she also mentioned her agency is mulling the implementation of "travel bubble" or “travel corridors" for the resumption of tourism.

This concept is implemented in countries with zero to low COVID-19 cases.

 

https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2021/05/21/2099880/dot-proposes-green-lane-covid-19-vaccinated-foreign-visitors

[Freebie]

Id love to positive about this...but when a dozen govt agencies gets to discuss something, I foresee a sudden creation of rules... sufficient rules and regulations and protocols such as to prevent the positive part of the original idea from ever occurring.

Given the way they have screwed up the exit/re-entry requirements of those of us who are vaccinated and holding the SRRV retirement visa ( 4 months now waiting for the exit reentry exemption permit) I have little hope of the vaccinated foreigner proposal being anything else other than a good idea. 

Wish I could be more positive but I know where I live. And generally enjoy living.

[Jollygoodfellow]

12 hours ago, Freebie said:

Id love to positive about this...but when a dozen govt agencies gets to discuss something, I foresee a sudden creation of rules... sufficient rules and regulations and protocols such as to prevent the positive part of the original idea from ever occurring.

I see to many local governments having different rules so hard to be a tourist. Generally if any tourist are allowed here now hey will just be those who have GF or fiancee etc here and wanting to be together. Won't be much tourism.

[Dave Hounddriver]

15 hours ago, Old55 said:

DOT proposes ‘green lane’ for COVID-19 vaccinated foreign visitors

I suppose there will be a 'green fee' for using that lane, added on to the 'express lane' fee.  Both of which will never go away.

[Old55]

39 minutes ago, Dave Hounddriver said:

I suppose there will be a 'green fee' for using that lane, added on to the 'express lane' fee.  Both of which will never go away.

Dave arriving Cebu 1AM after a 12 hour flight;

Sir please wait there to get your swab test and wait for the results before standing in that line to get the paperworks and then go to that line to pay the fee's then have it checked and stamped. Then go through that door to the waiting room for the urinalysis and final approval. After approval you go through immigration to customs and wait for your special shuttle to fill for the quarantine facility.

More fun through paperwork stamps and fees.  

Edited May 22, 2021 by Old55

[scott h]

I saw the press conference on CNN Philippines. 

What the article does not say is that (at this time) tourist would need to spend only 7 days in quarantine vice the current 14. Then they would be free to go to their tourist destination.

Then, naturally, she said that if this plan was approved it would still be subject to LGU regulations. 

The one bright side I take from this is that at least some folks are starting to think outside the box and not just sitting on their hands.

 

[graham59]

Lots of Chinese POGO workers lining up with their fake vaccine certificates, and brown cash envelopes ? 

The government here need to stop insulting the usual DONER nations, and get on with properly vaccinating their own population, before forming these committees, daydreaming about what other (properly organised) countries do.

[OnMyWay]

3 hours ago, scott h said:

What the article does not say is that (at this time) tourist would need to spend only 7 days in quarantine vice the current 14. Then they would be free to go to their tourist destination.

Did they say vaccinated tourist would still need 7 day quarantine?  If so, that is just friggin stupid.  No real tourist would spend 7 days of their 1-3 week holiday in quarantine.  They will choose another place.  As mentioned, only "tourists" like family visiting family will do that.

Edited May 23, 2021 by OnMyWay

[Old55]

10 minutes ago, OnMyWay said:

Did they say vaccinated tourist would still need 7 day quarantine?  If so, that is just friggin stupid.  No real tourist would spend 7 days of their 1-3 week holiday in quarantine.  They will choose another place.  As mentioned, only "tourists" like family visiting family will do that.

A cording to my wife they have not formulated this yet Don. She said more will be said the in a week or so. My wife is looking at going end of July to visit her Papa he's not doing well. 

[OnMyWay]

8 minutes ago, Old55 said:

A cording to my wife they have not formulated this yet Don. She said more will be said the in a week or so. My wife is looking at going end of July to visit her Papa he's not doing well. 

That is what I mean.  If they leave the 7 day quarantine in for vaccinated people, people like your wife will endure the 7 lost days in order to see their loved ones.

The real tourists the Philippines needs to kick start the economy are the international tourists who will visit the resorts and tour and spend a lot of money.  Given the choice of tropical resort country A with no quarantine, and the Philippines with 7 day quarantine, real tourists will choose A.

Anyway, I hope that will not be the rule.

Just thinking out loud.  How is Hawaii doing?  I'll bet they get a surge of U.S. tourists soon, if not already.