The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob has announced that fully-vaccinated international tourist are allowed to visit Langkawi under an international tourism travel bubble pilot project starting 15 November.
He said the Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry will table a list of SOPs that had been endorsed by the Covid-19 pandemic management special committee at its meeting yesterday (22 October).
Ismail added that the pilot project will be on for 3 months for the Health Ministry and National Security Council to assess its effectiveness before they expand the initiative to the other islands and tourism destinations.
“Our target group is high-yield foreign tourists and fully-vaccinated individuals. Children below 18 years of age must come with parents or guardians who have been fully inoculated.”
“International tourists who intend to use this travel bubble facility must meet all conditions and follow all SOP.” he was quoted saying by The Star.
Meanwhile, the list of countries permitted to enter Malaysia under the travel bubble initiative is subject to the decision of the Immigration Department, Health Ministry and Foreign Ministry.
Among the SOPs that international tourists must comply is to stay for at least 3 days, with no quarantine required for those participating in the Langkawi international tourism travel bubble.
The tourists are also required to conduct a Covid-19 PCR test 72 hours before departure and have a minimum insurance coverage of US$80,000 (≈RM332,000).
Ismail also said that international tourists are to engage the services of travel agents under the tourism ministry and they will have to go through a rapid molecular test if they arrive via KL International Airport.
If they fly directly to Langkawi, an RT-PCR test is mandatory on the second day of arrival.
For those who stayed at Langkawi for three days can use the result of the test taken on the second day for departure purposes, while those are staying for more than five days will have to be screened on the fifth day.
