Taking into account the requirements of business travellers from around the world, Singapore announced the Connect@Changi facility travel bubble.
Travellers will be able to stay and conduct meetings at a dedicated facility in Singapore, without the need to serve quarantine on arrival.
The pilot short-stay facility, called Connect@Changi, opened yesterday as part of Singapore's efforts to resume international business meetings amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The hotel cum business centre is "bubble-wrapped" such that the visitors do not mingle with the community in Singapore, but can still hold in-person meetings with local residents at the facility.
Travelers will need a pre-travel negative COVID-19 test, then they’ll need another COVID-19 test upon arrival (and will have to stay in their room until the results are in), and then depending on the length of stay will have to get tested again on days three, seven, and 14.
Meetings between business travellers and people from Singapore can only take place in special meeting rooms with air-tight glass panels. There are separate entrances and exits, as well as different ventilation systems, for travellers from overseas and for visitors from Singapore.
Launching the facility, Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat said the resumption of business travel and international meetings is important for catalysing economic recovery in Singapore and the region.
"Doing so will also help to speed up the recovery of our MICE and hospitality sectors, which have been hard-hit, and preserve our role as a global business hub," he said.
In the first phase of the project, Connect@Changi is launching 150 rooms and 40 meeting rooms that can hold four to 22 attendees. It will expand in phases to reach a full potential capacity to host about 1,300 business travellers.
The project at Singapore EXPO and Max Atria is developed by a Singapore consortium led by Temasek Holdings and includes The Ascott Limited, Changi Airport Group, Sheares Healthcare Group, SingEx-Sphere Holdings and Surbana Jurong.
