Malaysia’s tourism minister stated the government intends to reopen the country to international visitors in November. Travelers from Singapore may be the first to be welcomed, according to the Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture.
The official will meet Singapore authorities next week to discuss restoring cross-border travel between the two countries, she told CNBC’s on Thursday.
“We are open to Singapore as long as Singapore is open to us as well.”
Furthermore, the minister has recommended the government to reopen Langkawi, a cluster of 99 islands in the Strait of Malacca, beginning next month to all fully vaccinated international travelers.
For its part, the Deputy Director of Malaysia Tourism for Asia and Africa, said at a press briefing on Tuesday that Langkawi could be open by mid-November.
“Langkawi will be the pioneer destination for international tourists coming to Malaysia. We anticipate the international borders will be open by the middle of November.”
Why does the government want Langkawi to open before the rest of the country?
For starters, since it reopened to some countries there has been no community transmission of the coronavirus between tourists and locals.
Additionally, more than 92 percent of Langkawi’s residents are already fully vaccinated, putting them ahead of the rest of the country.
Another important factor is that neighboring countries like Singapore, Thailand, and Indonesia have already reopened their borders or loosened entry restrictions for international arrivals. Malaysia does not want to be left behind.
“We are observing what other countries are doing and see where we can fit in, try to make sure that we are not left behind,” she said.
For instance, Singapore recently expanded its quarantine-free travel policy to include Canada, the United States, as well as seven EU nations and South Korea, in addition to Germany, Brunei, Hong Kong and Macau.
Entry requirements
Visitors will need to present a negative COVID-19 taken no more than 72 hours before traveling to Malaysia.
Another PCR test will be needed upon arrival in Langkawi. To avoid crowds of people to minimize the risk of new infections, the second test must be taken at visitors’ hotels within 48 hours of arrival.
“According to our plan, we will open for any countries to come to Langkawi, it is not restricted to any destination. However, we still seek some advice for those high-risk destinations,” said Nasaruddin Bin Abdul Muttalib, chief executive of Langkawi Development Authority.