LANGKAWI • Malaysia's first international tourism bubble, which launched yesterday, is being watched closely as the country is hoping to reopen its borders next year to revive an industry badly battered by the Covid-19 pandemic.
While the authorities have vowed to keep a close watch on the entry of foreign tourists into Langkawi - the first holiday spot in Malaysia to reopen to domestic tourists on Sept 16 - tourism players on the island off Kedah are now looking forward to another boost.
The entry of foreign tourists, the first since borders closed almost two years ago, is taking place amid warnings that Covid-19 cases may rise again with the recent increase in the infectivity rate despite the country's high vaccination rate.
Kedah state minister Mohd Firdaus Ahmad said the state had completed its preparations for the travel bubble with the local authorities and agencies, such as the Langkawi Development Authority (Lada), as well as tourism players.
"All foreign holidaymakers have to undergo Covid-19 screening upon arrival, and the results will be known in 10 minutes.
"They have to take the test at a facility near the Langkawi International Airport. These travellers will be moving about within a travel bubble, guided by their agents," he said, adding that all eateries and tourist attractions were also ready to receive tourist arrivals.
Malaysia's Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob had announced on Oct 22 that foreign tourists could go to Langkawi from yesterday.
Former premier and National Recovery Council chairman Muhyiddin Yassin had proposed reopening the country's borders to foreign visitors on Jan 1 to speed up economic recovery, especially since the tourism sector in 2019 brought in about 26 million tourists and more than RM86 billion (S$28 billion) in revenue.
International travellers, said Mr Mohd Firdaus, would further boost Langkawi's tourism sector due to their higher spending power.
"In the past five years (before the pandemic), international travellers spent a significant amount in Langkawi and this was good for the local economy.
"On average, each of them spent between RM1,000 and RM2,000 daily on accommodation and activities like island-hopping and to hire tour guides," said Mr Mohd Firdaus, who is in charge of Kedah's tourism, arts and culture, entrepreneur development and cooperatives portfolio.
Lada chief executive Nasaruddin Abdul Muttalib said tourists must undergo Covid-19 tests within 48 hours of landing in Langkawi.
"We encourage them to get this done as soon as possible. If any of them is found to be positive, there are 118 rooms in 20 hotels on standby for any quarantine measures," he said.
On the number of tourists expected this week, Mr Nasaruddin said it was difficult to gauge as over the next fortnight, most of the tourists were likely to be those transiting from Kuala Lumpur International Airport.
"We are expecting to see more direct flights into Langkawi in early December, especially when the festive holidays begin in Europe and the United States," he said.
Lada has set up two private laboratories to conduct Covid-19 antigen rapid tests for tourists.
Restaurant operator Rosseta Mohd Karim said foreign tourists have more spending power, while locals would help to sustain her business. She added: "News of the international travel bubble is music to our ears. But there is always this fear that the bubble would not last for long."
Since Malaysia reopened Langkawi under the travel bubble programme on Sept 16 for domestic tourists, 240,361 travellers have visited the island, bringing more than RM240 million in revenue in less than two months.
Fruit juice trader Zainab Ibrahim said that with the return of foreign tourists, she would be able to recoup her losses since the pandemic started.
"My business is purely reliant on international tourists. When the borders were closed and the interstate travel ban was on, there was zero business.
"I had to use my savings to feed my six children," she said.
At the Dataran Cenang public square where traders and entrepreneurs are taking part in the Buy Malaysia Products campaign, people's minds were clearly on the international travel bubble.
Mr Syarhnir Setapa a handicraft entrepreneur, said he had sold his products online to customers from Germany and the Netherlands.
"I am looking forward to international tourists coming here to look at my work," he said.
THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
