LANGKAWI – After months of being cooped up in their homes, throngs of Malaysians are crossing state lines to make a beeline for top local tourist destinations, such as Langkawi.
Checks by The Vibes showed that ferry tickets between Kuala Kedah and Langkawi (six ferries), and Kuala Perlis and Langkawi (seven ferries) were all snapped up as the ban on interstate travel was lifted after several months.
At Langkawi International Airport, all 16 flights coming in from several states were also packed with tourists yearning for a vacation.
What was usually a calm and quiet Cenang beach during the day was transformed into a hive of activity at night, congested with cars and all sorts of vehicles.
Zamre Yahya, who is administrative officer at the Langkawi parliamentary service centre, told The Vibes that it was an unexpected surge, so much so that car rental companies have leased out all of their cars.
He said that many who came to the Kuala Kedah jetty to buy tickets the day before were met with disappointment, as they were all sold out. There was also a spike in online ticket buyers.
To give a rough idea of the number of holidaymakers, the ferries have a capacity of between 100 and 450 passengers.
“Before this, there were no tourists at all. So, some companies were renting out a Toyota Vios for only RM50,” said Zamre.
“But when there was a sudden surge in demand, some operators started to increase their prices, but they (the cars) were all rented out, too.
“As of today, all the cars have been rented out. So, it is really a surprise for us. Langkawi has been empty for so long!
“The sudden surge happened yesterday, and we are expecting another influx of local tourists during the Christmas weekend.”
As of now, some boutique hotels are priced at RM200 and above per night for a room on that weekend, while car rental bookings are already at full capacity.
However, a source told The Vibes that the reason why many vehicles are fully rented out is that many operators had to close their car rental businesses during the lockdown.
There used to be over 20 operators leasing cars out of Langkawi’s airport, but now, fewer than half are left.
Meanwhile, some sectors are also wary of the sudden surge in tourists, as Covid-19 cases are still on the rise in the country.
Langkawi has been a green zone for more than a month. Six quarantine stations are on standby, with nobody being sequestered. A total of 111 Health Ministry personnel are also on standby should there be an outbreak on the island.
The Langkawi parliamentary office is currently looking into providing thermometer scanners at locations where tourists enter the island.
Currently, there is little to no enforcement of standard operating procedures at arrival points and other major tourist locations. – The Vibes, December 15, 2020
