IPOH: Tourists who want to go to Pangkor Island are urged to pre-book their ferry tickets to prevent overcrowding at the jetty.

       Perak tourism committee chairman Datuk Nolee Ashilin Mohammed Radzi said they would prefer to have fewer walk-ins.

       "We want to prevent crowding at the jetty, which is quite small.

       "Ticket buyers will be given a pre-booked time and date to travel.

       "Waiting time can also be reduced as people will know what time they should arrive instead of waiting (at the jetty)," she said at a press conference after opening the delivery rider relax and restoration kiosk on Jalan Sultan Abdul Jalil here on Thursday (Sept 16).

       She added that the state was planning to limit the number of tourists allowed to go to Pangkor.

       Nolee Ashilin also said the Duty-Free Island Secretariat, which is responsible for overall administration and management of the island on behalf of the state, would look into other concerns related to adherence to standard operating procedures.

       She said the secretariat would work closely with a specific committee, which consists of industry players, jetty operators and local authorities, to look into crowding issues and checking digital vaccination certificates at mainland jetties.

       Nolee Ashilin said as travelling within the state was already open, some tourism industry players on the island are already operating.

       She said the state was still waiting for the green light from the Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry and the SOP from the National Security Council to reopen the island to the rest of the country in November.

       "We will look at the Langkawi travel bubble model. If it is a success, then the same model can be used in Pangkor," she said.