LANGKAWI – The resort island has rolled out the “red carpet” for all tourists, provided they adhere to standard operating procedures and Covid-19 screening, said the Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH), three days into the country’s pilot tourism bubble.
MAH Kedah/Perlis chapter chairman Eugene Dass said the reopening is seeing no form of discrimination with all tourists welcome here, provided they meet conditions set by the National Security Council (NSC).
The NSC had said that, before entering Langkawi, tourists must be fully vaccinated and undergo a Covid-19 test 48 hours before departure, while those travelling by road and sea must get police permits.
Dass said the MAH felt compelled to clarify a report that “unfortunately depicted that the association was unhappy that only five-star properties were enjoying brisk occupancies”.
“All hospitality properties should be faring better now. It takes time for tourists to return. The report depicted that we are favouring certain tourists. In reality, we welcome all tourists,” he told The Vibes.
What the MAH wanted to get across in a brief dialogue session with National Recovery Council chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and Deputy Tourism, Culture and Arts Minister Edmund Santhara Kumar Ramanaidu recently, was to ease travelling conditions so tourists coming by sea and land could reach the island easier, Dass said.
Dass’ deputy, Razmi Rahmat, had suggested that there should be uniform regulations governing those travelling by air, sea, and land after it was reported that airline passengers need not apply for police permits.
Razmi had said some three-star properties and budget accommodations were struggling to capture higher occupancies as their market, which comprises ferry passengers, needed time to travel due to the need to apply for police permits.
It is also learnt that the authorities are now willing to allow those working and residing on the island to enter without a Covid-19 test.
The test is mostly applicable to tourists wishing to enter the island, but everyone journeying to the island is encouraged to take a Covid-19 test as a precaution. – The Vibes, September 19, 2021
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