Malaysia holiday hotspot readies for reopening with tourism bubble

Esther Lee, Hidden Langkawi restaurant owner, cleans a table at her restaurant, as Langkawi gets ready to open to domestic tourists from September 16, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak. - Reuters

LANGKAWI, Malaysia: Businesses at Malaysia's prime holiday destination are gearing up to welcome the return of tourists this week, as the country takes an early step towards recovery from a devastating coronavirus crisis.

Langkawi, a cluster of 99 islands in the Straits of Malacca, will reopen from Sept. 16 to fully vaccinated travellers as part of a domestic tourism bubble, with strict protocols in place to thwart the spread of the coronavirus.