LANGKAWI – A Briton holidaying in Langkawi has called on the immigration and tourism authorities here to reduce the bureaucracy imposed on those seeking to visit the island resort via the international tourism bubble that has been implemented.
Expressing his frustration to The Vibes, Tony Collins said he was asked to complete a 40-page checklist before he could come over, and the guidelines related to his flight, accommodation and quarantine were revised a few times just days before he made the trip.
It generated a big doubt on whether we could come over. Nevertheless, we kept checking, and we were persistent in ensuring that the authorities understood our predicament and fortunately, we made it through.”
He wondered about the difficulties faced by other visitors who may need to come over on more urgent matters such as those related to family, business, or education.
“How would they respond to the frequent changes to the bubble guidelines?” he said.
“My wife and I like Langkawi. We have been coming here since 2007. So, when we read that a bubble was to be created here, we decided to come over.”
Collins relayed his concerns to Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) officials he met here.
MAH Kedah chapter chairman Eugene Alan Dass, secretary Reginald T. Periera and chief executive officer Yap Lip Seng took note of his grievances.
Yap said that relevant authorities need to maintain a consistent stance on how to manage the international tourism bubble as it is a prelude to the opening of the borders, which has been put off due to concerns over the Omicron variant.
“We are in an important phase to herald a significant recovery of tourism. Although we are still worried if tourism can fully rebound by this year, we hope that for starters, international tourists can be allowed back under strict but practical SOPs (standard operating procedures),” he said.
Collins, who is staying at the Tanjung Rhu Resort with his wife, has been on the island for the past week. He lamented that the SOPs leading to their arrival was misleading and confusing, and would put others off.
Fortunately, we were patient. Alternatively, we were thinking of going to the Maldives, but we like this island. Everyone is easygoing, but with Covid-19 we understand things may be on the edge.
“We just hope bureaucracy can be eased, and more practical measures put in place,” he said.
He said the authorities need to communicate effectively to overseas visitors on how they can holiday here in view that this region’s tourism industry is reopening with the declining number of Covid-19 cases.
“We cannot be having last-minute changes such as where we quarantine – Kuala Lumpur or Langkawi. Also, flight schedules should not be changed too often,” he said.
He however gave a big thumbs-up to the travel trade community for providing him and his wife with great hospitality since their arrival here.
Langkawi is the only inbound destination in the country, offering a “bubble” experience for foreign tourists. More than 10,000 have visited the island since last month.
Visitors from other countries who come via the bubble system can stay here for up to six days, undergo a few rounds of testing and are allowed to roam the island before they either travel home or move on to other parts of the country, or, in some instances, travel to other countries.
One of the pre-conditions is to engage a local travel agency to coordinate their stay.
Hoteliers here are expecting occupancy to rise in anticipation of the Chinese New Year celebrations, which traditionally represents a peak period for domestic travel. – The Vibes, January 26, 2022
