Singapore set to launch ‘cruises to nowhere’ to revive its tourism industry

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Singapore Tourism Board (STB) is reportedly looking at launching ‘cruises to nowhere’ in a bid to kickstart tourism in the country.

SINGAPORE’S ‘CRUISES TO NOWHERE’

It is reported that Singapore wants to launch this initiative as a cruise to nowhere is essentially a sailing that departs and returns to the same port having spent a period at sea without docking anywhere else. According to The Independent, passengers are able to enjoy the facilities on board, and take in any sights from afar, but they won’t be able to get off the ship at any point during the cruise.

In order to combat the coronavirus, the board appointed a specialist risk management company to create a compliance audit and certification programme for the cruise industry that would allow these trips to take place. That’s why cruise companies hoping to operate these trips to nowhere will have to get their vessels certified to make sure that they’re in line with health protocols. It’s also likely that they will have to operate at 50 per cent capacity for the time being. At the moment, there isn’t a set timeframe for when the certification might be finalised.

‘FLIGHTS TO NOWHERE’: A NEW TREND?

Last month, the city state’s national carrier Singapore Airlines announced that it was considering jumping on the trend for ‘flights to nowhere’ in light of the fact that it has zero domestic flights and most of its international routes continue to be grounded. But plans were quickly scrapped in favour of a pop-up restaurant after it received criticism over the environmental impact of such flights.

However, it seems that other carriers continue to operate these services.

Tickets for the Qantas ‘flight to nowhere’, a seven-hour scenic flight over Australia, sold out within 10 minutes. Departing and returning on 10 October, the flight won’t stop anywhere but gives passengers the chance to enjoy views over Uluru, the Great Barrier Reef and other landmarks. There were 134 seats up for grabs on the Boeing 787 aircraft, priced between $575 (R 9513) and $2 765 (R45 746,23) depending on the class of ticket.

“It’s probably the fastest-selling flight in Qantas history,” said a Qantas spokesperson.