International tourists can travel to other states after 7 days in Langkawi

 By Olivia Miwil - December 23, 2021 @ 1:53pm

Tourism, Arts, Culture (Motac) minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri during a press conference after launching the cultural art promotion Jejak Budaya@ Kundasang 2021 here. - NSTP/OLIVIA MIWIL.

RANAU: International tourists can go to other states in Malaysia via Langkawi for now, said Tourism, Arts, and Culture (Motac) minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri.

"Tourism in the country had started to pick up until the emergence of the Omicron variant (Covid-19 cases); now there are fewer international tourists.

"However, Langkawi, since Nov 15, is still open to tourists from other countries provided they follow the standard operating procedures (SOP).

"The island is considered a quarantine island whereby the vaccination rate among locals is above 90 per cent," she said, adding the SOPs include full vaccination and swab tests prior to flying into Langkawi.

She added that visitors allowed into Langkawi will also depend on their origins and those from high-risk countries are temporarily banned.

She was speaking at a press conference after launching the cultural art promotion Jejak Budaya@ Kundasang 2021 at Kundasang here.

Last month, a government advisory had said that the country would reopen its borders to international visitors by January 1 at the latest.

However, Nancy said international visitors could still travel to other states in the country after staying at least seven days in Langkawi.

Apart from Langkawi, she added that the country is also allowing foreigners to travel from Singapore via a vaccinated travel lane between the republic and Malaysia.

Due to the Covid-19 situation, the initiative is temporarily put on hold until Jan 20.

Meanwhile, Nancy said Motac urged hotel and tour operators, as well as airlines not to forfeit Langkawi packages bought by the people who were affected by the flooding in peninsular Malaysia.

She said operators should allow them to use those vouchers at later dates.

Earlier, she said the programme is meant to showcase the uniqueness and richness of the culture among locals in Kundasang and Ranau.

"Sabah has more than 30 ethnicities and each has its own unique cultural traditions with some being acknowledged internationally.

"Thus, this programme is meant to spark the cultural arts and showcase local products that can drive the national economy," she added.

During the event, she also presented RM40,000 to seven associations and a gallery associated with cultural arts and also launched a new "Walai Tokou" homestay in Kundasang.

Present was Ranau member of parliament Datuk Jonathan Yasin.