ALOR SETAR – The travel bubble in Langkawi has brought a ray of hope to the island’s tourism industry after the pilot project generated an income of RM24.9 million as of October 6.
Kedah Menteri Besar Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor said a total of 60,504 tourists visited Langkawi as of October 6, with an average of 16 flights a day to the island and two ferry trips daily from Kuala Kedah and Kuala Perlis, as well as two roll-on, roll-off ferry services from Kuala Perlis.
“Looking further ahead, Langkawi is scheduled to receive international tourists around November or December this year, depending on the government’s decision. I was made to understand by MAS (Malaysia Airlines) that there is a high demand from the international tourism community for entry to Langkawi via Malaysia Airlines,” he said during the virtual opening of the Langkawi Great Sales 2021 (LGS 2021) programme in Langkawi today.
Also present was Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri.
Sanusi said he believes the Langkawi Development Authority (Lada) has diligently laid the groundwork to revive the island’s tourism, beginning with the introduction of the Covid-19 SOP Compliance Certification that will be voluntarily complied with by six business segments in the tourism industry – namely hotels and resorts, food and beverage, accommodations, retailing and groceries, tourism agencies, and tourism attractions.
“Following this, Lada has set up a travel bubble hotline and online platform, as well as the LGS 2021 initiative to help tourism industry agencies resume business operations,” he said.
Meanwhile, he said the initiative highlights digital and conventional promotional elements for all sectors of the community.
He added that the seamless flow of information via the LGS digital platform will allow tourists to make early plans ahead of visiting Langkawi.
This new initiative, he said, will facilitate tourist entry to the island’s tourism attractions without having to queue at ticket counters. – Bernama, October 10, 2021
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