New Shan Travel (hereinafter referred to as New Shan) and Collinson have announced a partnership that will enable one of the leading Singaporean travel agents’ customers to seamlessly and securely book a range of pre-departure tests including polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), antigen and serology tests before their next journey. Effective since 18 August, the partnership succeeds in making COVID-19 testing more easily accessible for travellers departing from Singapore, Indonesia, Hong Kong and the United Kingdom – with special packages also available for students.
Collinson, a global end-to-end travel experiences, airport services and travel medical company, manages the process. Collinson’s secure portal enables New Shan’s customers to request an appointment for a pre-departure test with their preferred in-city clinic from a given list of testing facilities. Upon completion of their test, customers will automatically receive notification of their test results within 36 hours; which if negative, can then be used for travel.
The announcement comes as new Collinson research, conducted in partnership with CAPA – Centre for Aviation and featuring the opinions of a specially-selected group of over 330 C-Suite and senior managerial level travel experts globally, revealed that most Asia Pacific-based respondents (51%) expect that robust testing protocols will remain key to reopening global borders until end of 2022. Almost one-third (32%) of respondents believe robust testing protocols will remain key for the next 3 years, while just 13% expect testing will be phased out in 2021 in line with vaccine roll-outs.
Our partnership with New Shan Travel further enables us to help make COVID-19 testing more easily accessible to those wishing to travel, and is a reflection of our ongoing efforts to provide travellers with the support they need to feel safer when taking to the skies. With our recent research revealing that travel experts are united in the belief that COVID-19 testing will remain a key element of safe travel for the coming few years, we’re dedicated to enhancing and expanding our testing solutions globally in support of the long-term return of global travel.
Andy Wong, Managing Director, New Shan Travel added: “Collinson is a market leader in the travel industry for COVID-19 testing, and New Shan is pleased to partner with them for an important aspect of air travel. We like their seamless technology and their broad and trusted medical network, and we believe our customers will find it more convenient and assuring to use Collinson’s booking tool.”
Collinson has spent the past 12 months working with airlines, airports and other members of the travel ecosystem, as well as governments around the world, to help restart travel safely. Collinson has also used its travel medical resources to become one of the world’s leading COVID-19 travel testing company, with partnerships with more than 30 airlines, airports and health passport providers.
