Langkawi tourism bubble opens to all countries - minister
The tourism bubble for Langkawi will be opened to tourists from all countries, said Tourism, Arts, and Culture Minister Nancy Shukri.
She said strict procedures will still be in place to curb the spread of Covid-19 at the resort island.
“The procedures include ensuring arriving tourists use...
The tourism bubble for Langkawi will be opened to tourists from all countries, said Tourism, Arts, and Culture Minister Nancy Shukri.
She said strict procedures will still be in place to curb the spread of Covid-19 at the resort island.
“The procedures include ensuring arriving tourists use tour agents registered with the ministry.
“The agent will arrange their entire journey and they will not come directly to Langkawi on their own. This is the mechanism we use, so if anything happens, like infection cases, the agent will be held responsible,” she said.
Nancy was speaking to the media at an event at the Malaysia Tourism Centre (Matic) in Kuala Lumpur today.
She was queried whether the government would take similar steps as Singapore and Thailand in limiting tourist arrivals.
She was met at a presentation of financial assistance to 15 NGOs and 20 arts practitioners at Matic today.
The international tourism bubble, she said, was introduced to help the economy recover from the negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
She added that the government could not afford to wait for too long to reopen the tourism sector to foreign tourists as it would cause locals to lose their jobs.
“So we need to think rationally and consider the steps that can be taken for the benefit of all.
“Also, the developments in Langkawi can become a model for us to examine tourist behaviour in helping curb the spread of Covid-19,” she said.
She said since the recent announcement regarding the tourism travel bubble, many homestays in Langkawi have received bookings from tourists, especially from Europe.
The international tourism travel bubble for Langkawi, which is slated to begin on Nov 15, was announced by Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob last Friday.
- Bernama
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