Just like IATA's Travel Pass, FCM's digital health plan aims to build trust in ensuring authentic Covid-19 test results, allowing for faster immigration clearances. Photo Credit:Getty Images/ipopba
FCM Travel Solutions has launched a Digital Health Credential
Programme, bringing together technologies to enable business travellers a
safer, seamless and quicker journey back on the road.
First is a partnership with Fullerton Health, which gives FCM
customers access to affordable rates for Covid PCR (polymerase chain
reaction) and serology tests.
“The FCM-Fullerton Health partnership brings together an alignment of
both company’s goals and allows us to exemplify the commitment in
putting our customers at the heart of all we do,” said Bertrand Saillet,
managing director for FCM Travel Solutions in Asia.
This commitment refers to the goal towards a safer, resilient and
sustainable travel future for FCM's customers, simplifying "the travel
journey for customers who can use FCM as a one-stop shop to not only
make flight and accommodation bookings for their trips but also PCR and
serology tests.”
On that note, the travel management company (TCM) has also partnered
with a third-party technology provider to develop a FCM Travel Portal.
Expected to launch this month, the portal will incorporate a Digital
Health Wallet, displaying test certificates and vaccination results.
This Digital Health Wallet will act as a consolidated traveller
profile system, getting FCM customers registered for the issuance of
digital health certificates, and access to the list of accredited
healthcare institutions that can do so. With specific Covid vaccines
recently approved by various countries, travellers who choose to be
vaccinated will also be able to include their vaccine status in the
portal.
Just like IATA's Travel Pass due to launch Q1 2021, the common goal
is to build trust in ensuring authentic Covid-19 test results, which
would in turn allow travellers to enter destinations with faster
immigration clearances.
In a time where multiple governments are still wavering on border
reopening, an ongoing debate on what and how the best vaccination policy
for travellers might be, this programme is part of FCM's duty of care
commitment to instil confidence back into the Covid-battered business
events industry.
Dr Walter Lim, Deputy Managing Director (Singapore), Fullerton Health
said the company "seeks to play its part at supporting the reopening of
economy and at the same time facilitating safe travel in our region and
beyond. We are privileged to have a leading travel management partner
in FCM who is adopting a holistic approach to support business
travellers’ needs in this new travel environment".
Bertrand added, “It is extremely important to partner with key
private and public institutions to form an ecosystem that works together
to operationalise cross-border travel. Many players in the travel
industry from tourism organisations and airlines, to hotels and TMCs
have embarked on digital health credential projects and the reality is
that many challenges lie ahead of us. The solution may not be
straightforward and would probably require many more months of
discussion and tests, however the process is an essential part of this
transition into developing a safe and responsible cross-border travel
system that works.”