KUCHING: The domestic tourism sector has seen an improvement since the green travel bubble initiative was introduced by the government recently.
Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Nancy Shukri said her ministry had received good feedback from the local tourism industry saying revenue was slowly picking up after it was adversely affected following the implementation of the movement control order (MCO) to contain the spread of Covid-19.
“Hotels in the peninsula, such as those in Langkawi, have been fully booked for the holiday season.
“I am sure it’s the same in Sarawak where the entry requirements are strict,” she told reporters after visiting the Centre of Technical Excellence Sarawak here today.
Meanwhile, Nancy said the government was in the process of planning ways to open its borders following requests from the tourism sector to save the industry.
“We are in the process of negotiating with green zone countries such as Singapore, Brunei, Korea, Japan, Taiwan and New Zealand to allow their citizens to visit our country.
“However, this matter has to be discussed further with others, such as the health ministry, before any decision is made,” she said.
Nancy said while these developments were positive for the industry, travellers should pay close attention to the Covid-19 SOPs, especially physical distancing.
“We do not want to see the number of cases spiking after the introduction of the green travel bubble,” she said.