KUALA LUMPUR -- Malaysia is eyeing a trial border reopening for international tourists next month after a nearly two-year closure, Tourism Minister Nancy Shukri told Nikkei Asia in an exclusive interview.
Nancy said her ministry has proposed launching travel bubbles by mid-November that would allow visitors access to holiday haven Langkawi and pockets of the southern tip of Johor, which borders Singapore.
She said the ministry has also finalized a list of 10 countries whose fully vaccinated citizens would be allowed to participate, as the government aims to nurse the coronavirus-hit economy back to health. The final say on the border reopening, however, will be up to the National Security Council chaired by Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob.
"We have proposed to open the borders for international tourists to Langkawi as a pilot for tourists from 10 countries [including] some ASEAN countries and a few others," Nancy said. "Personally, I target to have it by the middle of next month because we have to give the stakeholders like airlines and hotels enough time to be ready," she added.
The move, if it goes ahead, would be similar to efforts by some of Malaysia's neighbors to revive their own tourism industries. Singapore, Thailand and others have been cautiously reopening for some leisure travel.
Nancy said her ministry has also recommended doing away with quarantine for the incoming foreign visitors, given that they would be fully inoculated and subject to tests.
"I have had consultations with my officers stationed abroad and their general sentiment was to avoid quarantine," she said. "Our ultimate goal is to keep Malaysians and the tourists safe, so we don't want to spoil their holiday by asking them to be confined in hotel rooms. But at the same time regular testing would be key."
Nancy stressed that Malaysia remains cautious about new COVID-19 variants and potential risks associated with the reopening of international borders. As such, stringent standard operating procedures would be announced.
Tourism Minister Nancy Shukri says strict safety protocols would be in place for the reopening. (Photo courtesy of Malaysian tourism minister's office) Malaysia has not allowed international arrivals for tourism since March 2020, when the country discovered its first COVID-19 infection. It has since logged more than 2.4 million cases and 28,000 deaths.
The government in mid-September launched a pilot domestic tourism bubble in Langkawi -- a popular island destination that served as a backdrop for movies like "Crazy Rich Asians" and "Anna and the King." The government has since relaxed interstate travel and domestic tourism rules nationwide, after achieving a 90% vaccination rate among adults.
Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines are all beginning to welcome back foreign tourists in phases. Singapore is allowing quarantine-free arrivals from Brunei, Germany, Canada, Denmark, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, the U.K. and the U.S., along with Hong Kong and Macao. A green lane with South Korea is expected to be launched next month.
Thailand on Thursday announced quarantine-free tourism for 46 countries and territories deemed to be "low risk," including Singapore and Malaysia, as well as the U.S. and China. Indonesia opened its resort island of Bali to 19 countries including China, India, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and some European states, but the visitors are still obliged to stay in quarantine.
The Philippines has opened up to vaccinated travelers from China, New Zealand and over 40 other economies with no need to isolate. Malaysia is currently not on Manila's green list.
Nancy said tourism plays a crucial role in the Malaysian economy, having contributed 15.9% to gross domestic product in 2019.
"We expect the contribution to slowly increase this year and spike next year, getting closer to the pre-pandemic levels," she said.