The list of countries in the region that are off limits to most leisure travelers remains long and, according to the experts, is likely to remain that way for some time yet. In early May, optimism was high that once governments were able to contain their Covid-19 outbreaks they would begin opening up to other nations that too had a handle on their case numbers.
Dubbed "travel bubbles," the concept was first raised by Australia and New Zealand, then quickly picked up by other nations as a possible way to get international travelers flying again. This would give tourism-dependent economies a chance to recoup the millions of dollars in losses racked up this year. For a number of reasons, those bubbles -- also called air corridors -- have yet to materialize in Asia.
