Holidaying on the side of caution

Travel boost: Langkawi Island is expected to get a boost in both Malaysian and foreign visitors during the holiday season. About 5,000 international tourists are expected to visit the island under its International Travel Bubble Pilot Project which started on Nov 15.— Bernama

THINGS are looking rosy for local tourism, and it’s set to be even busier next month, when the school holidays kick off.

As it is, the Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry has seen a surge in domestic tourist arrivals across the country since interstate travel was allowed a month ago on Oct 11.

“A lot of accommodations are fully booked until the end of the year, while tourist attractions are receiving more crowds by the day since interstate travel was allowed,” the ministry tells Sunday Star.

More Malaysians are expected to pack their bags and go travelling during the year-end school holidays from Dec 10 until 31.

To top it off, the Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) between Malaysia and Singapore to open on Nov 29 will further spur the recovering tourism industry.

But while the ministry is projecting a spike in domestic travel next month, it urges the public to strictly follow standard operating procedures.

This is especially because of concern over Malaysia’s Covid-19 infectivity rate (R value) reaching 1.0 – an indicator that cases will rise.

“We strongly urge tourists to follow the SOPs when travelling to ensure cases remain low, and so that tourism and travel activities can remain open,” it says.

The R value refers to the number of people that a person who has the coronavirus will infect. Ideally, it needs to be below 1.

One thing is for sure, the ministry says there is a lot of “pent up demand” for travelling among Malaysians.

“Over 95% of our adult population is now fully vaccinated.

“As such, people feel safer about travelling with their friends and families and are keen to check off their holiday to-do lists after staying at home for so long,” it says.

Malaysian Inbound Tourism Association president Uzaidi Udanis says December is the peak season for travellers and will be good as long as the Covid-19 cases are still manageable.

“Some tourists will be cautious about where they go.

“But certain segments like glamping and travelling with caravans are popular now as such options are not overly crowded and more private,” he says.

Glamping is a portmanteau of “glamorous” and “camping”, and refers to camping outdoors with amenities and comforts.

Recently, Uzaidi says certain areas near the Klang Valley like Port Dickson and Sepang experienced a swell in travellers, especially during long weekends.

“Other popular places are like Pangkor island and Lenggong in Perak, where a lot of homestays were fully booked.”

The Lenggong Valley, a Unesco World Heritage Site, is the oldest known place of human activity in Peninsular Malaysia.

“The Melaka state election has also led to a spike in local tourism, with brisk business for restaurants,” he adds.

Concurring with the ministry, Uzaidi says there is demand by those who go on “revenge travelling”, referring to the desire to travel after being stuck at home during the pandemic.

“Some go back to their hometowns, but while they are at it, will stop by at tourist attractions nearby.

“They take advantage of their time when visiting relatives and extend their stay to other places,” he says.

In need of a vacation

With domestic travel likely to increase next month, the ministry is expecting revenue from local tourism to go up as well.

“Domestic travel is predicted to increase in the fourth quarter of this year, mostly for purposes like visiting relatives and friends, and for vacation or leisure.

“As such, revenue generated from domestic tourism in this quarter will see better growth compared with the first to third quarters of 2021,” the ministry foresees.

It says domestic tourism spending dropped to RM40.4bil last year from RM103.2bil in 2019.

To boost local tourism, the ministry has offered incentive redemption programmes.

This was in the form of discounts, rebates and vouchers offered by local airlines, the Malaysian Hotel Association and the purchase of cultural products.

“As of Nov 11, Malaysians redeemed nearly 60% of these incentives.

“With the full opening of tourism and interstate activity across the country, this figure is expected to increase steadily,” the ministry says.

Meanwhile, many tourist attractions like museums, zoos and world heritage sites, have been receiving streams of visitors.

“For instance, over 47,000 visitors were recorded at museums under the Malaysian Museum Department (JMM) as at Oct 24.

“This is following the approval to re-open museums in phases beginning Aug 7,” the ministry says, adding that JMM museums include the National Museum, Sungai Lembing Museum, National Textile Museum and Malaysian Architecture Museum.

There was also a 74% increase in domestic passenger movements for September 2021 compared with the previous month, as a result of the success of the Langkawi Domestic Tourism Bubble Pilot Project.

Since tourism was reopened for Langkawi on Sept 16, the ministry says over 240,000 domestic tourists have visited the island, generating more than RM240mil in revenue in less than two months.

“As of Nov 15, Langkawi Island is ready to receive international tourists under the International Travel Bubble Pilot Project for Langkawi Island.

“This pilot project will run for three months, and the government will assess its effectiveness before deciding whether to expand it to resort islands and other tourist areas,” the ministry says.

It was reported that the Langkawi Development Authority is targeting the arrival of 5,000 international tourists this year which is expected to help generate RM24.4mil in revenue.

Welcoming foreign tourists

Previously, National Recovery Council chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin had suggested that Malaysia’s borders be opened to international visitors by Jan 1 next year.

Before the borders can be reopened, the ministry, together with state authorities, want to ensure that the pilot project in Langkawi runs smoothly.

“One of the key challenges is ensuring everybody adheres to SOPs and cultivating the new norms.

“At the same time, the implementation of VTL between Changi Airport in Singapore and the Kuala Lumpur International Airport on Nov 29 is expected to increase tourist arrivals.

“It will also contribute to the full reopening of our borders to international travellers,” the ministry says.

However, it stresses that despite all initiatives, Covid-19 SOPs are still applicable and should be strictly adhered to by all.

As more Covid-19 waves return in many parts of the world, the ministry says the government will remain vigilant and take all necessary precautions in deciding to open the country’s borders.

“We hope that everyone will take this time to explore and visit the wonders of Malaysia while keeping their safety and health in mind.

“Always travel responsibly so we can keep our attractions and tourism products clean and safe for everyone to enjoy,” the ministry adds.