KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 9 — Domestic tourists from all over the country, with the exception of those residing in areas placed under the enhanced movement control order (EMCO), are allowed to visit Langkawi island from September 16, said Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri.
She said the visit to Langkawi is also open to people from states under Phase One of the National Recovery Plan (PPN).
However, Nancy said visitors would have to apply for a police permit before their departure and show the necessary documents such as flight tickets, ferry tickets or hotel reservation receipts as proof.
She said those travelling by road would need to use the services of a travel agency, at least for transport from the starting destination to the ferry jetty to Langkawi.
“Meanwhile, tourists who start off their journey from Kedah and Perlis, as well as those travelling by air, are not required to engage the services of a travel agency,” she told a press conference at Malaysia Tourism Centre (MaTiC) here today.
Nancy said other SOP requirement set for the travel to Langkawi, which was selected as the first destination under the tourism bubble programme was that, the visitors must have completed both doses of the Covid-19 vaccine.
No age limit has been set and insurance coverage and Covid-19 screening are also not mandatory, she added.
The number of passengers allowed in a vehicle is subject to the capacity of the vehicle and visitors who need to adjust to the ferry service hours to get to the resort island are allowed to spend the night at registered accommodation premises in Kedah or Perlis.
In addition she said, the types of holiday allowed were day trips, overnight stays with bookings and holiday package tours made through licenced travel companies and registered with the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (Motac).
Langkawi tourism bubble activities that are allowed include hotel accommodation or homestay; beach activities; water sport; snorkelling; scuba diving; special interest tourism activities; eco-geo-travel activities, art, cultural and heritage premises; theme parks and family entertainment centres and tours of an academic nature.
Nancy said Motac would monitor the implementation of the Langkawi tourism bubble and would get feedback on the programme from the community, within two weeks.
She said Motac was targeting 420,000 visitors from September to December this year.
“Malindo Air and Firely are offering a RM50 discount on flight ticket prices under the Economic Stimulus Package 1.0 programme.
“Whilst Malaysia Airlines and Air Asia are offering promotional prices starting at RM89 and RM59 respectively for one-way flight tickets,” she said.
In addition, tourists can enjoy e-vouchers worth RM50 and RM100 for three-day and two-night reservation at participating hotels, through the Jom Cuti-Cuti Malaysia! Experience Malaysia Like Never Before campaign.
She added that there are 10 packages being offered by various travel agencies with prices as low as RM202 for the civil servants and government retirees holiday package. — Bernama
