The Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MOTAC), Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri yesterday announced that top island resorts such as Langkawi, Pangkor, Redang, Tioman and Perhentian are all on the verge of achieving herd immunity and should be ready for reopening on September 2021.
As reported by national news agency Bernama, Nancy said that these island resorts are expected to reach herd immunity by the end of this month. However, the decision to reopen these resort islands are depending on the government and the standard operating procedures (SOPs) being set.
The MOTAC minister commented,
“The decision to reopen the tourism sector must be made after an in depth study and with great care to prevent an outbreak which may cause the sector to be closed again. At the same time, MOTAC is updating and finalising the SOPs for the tourism sector,”
MOTAC Minister, Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri.
Nancy held a virtual session with 15 representatives from the tourism industry yesterday in order to prepare them towards reopening the tourism sector, especially those operating the popular resort islands in Malaysia. During the session, feedback from industry players were put into consideration so that a smooth execution of the strategic plan would be achieved.
Among those involved in the online meeting with the minister were representatives from the Malaysian Association of Hotels, Malaysian Association of Tour & Travel Agents and Association of Malaysian Spas.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin also confirmed this plan and in a statement today mentioned about plans to make Langkawi a travel bubble pilot project for our nation. Muhyiddin said that this pilot project is important in order to revitalise the dying tourism industry in Malaysia after more than a year of being affected by the pandemic.
This proposal is currently under study by MOTAC and will be finalised soon. Besides Langkawi, the government also plans to implement the tourism bubble approach in more destinations if the Langkawi pilot project proves to be successful.
What do you guys think of this plan to revitalise our tourism industry? Share your thoughts with us in the comments!
Also read: Langkawi Plans To Open Its Doors To Fully Vaccinated Tourists In September
