GEORGE TOWN: Here’s another reason to celebrate Malaysia Day! Langkawi will be open to Malaysians who are fully vaccinated from Sept 16 onwards.

       Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri said those who had been fully vaccinated would be able to visit Langkawi under the new tourism bubble plan.

       However, she said those from enhanced movement control order (MCO) areas would not be allowed to visit the island.

       “Those who are travelling by road to visit Langkawi must use the services of tour agencies, or at least use transportation services from the starting point of their journeys to the Langkawi ferry jetty.

       “Those who travel by flight, as well as those from Kedah and Perlis are not required to use the services of travel agencies,” she said during her press conference which was streamed live on Facebook yesterday.

       Nancy said travellers should apply for a police permit to travel to Langkawi.

       They must show proof of documents such as tourism products, ferry tickets, hotel receipts or tour package receipts to the police when applying for the permits and when requested by enforcement agencies’ personnel.

       She said among the types of vacations allowed in the travel bubble project were daily visits, overnight stays, vacations with accommodation/admission bookings already made in advance and vacation travel packages through a travel company licensed and registered with the Tourism ministry.

       “The number of passengers per vehicle while en route to the island is also subject to the actual capacity of the vehicle.

       “Activities allowed in the travel bubble project are stays at hotels and homestays, including the usage of facilities such as swimming pools, gymnasiums, lounges and halls to hold business events.

       “Beach activities, water sports, snorkelling, scuba diving, fishing tours, edutainment centres, recreation parks, extreme/adventure/nature parks, farms, aquariums, zoos and other leisure, recreational and social activities will also be allowed.

       “They will also be allowed to play golf, scuba dive, cycle, go fishing and yachting while vacationing on the island,” she said, adding that geo-travel activities such as bird watching, caving, hiking and jungle trekking were allowed too.

       Nancy said there would be no age limit for those who want to visit Langkawi but those aged 18 and below must travel with their parents who have been fully vaccinated.

       She said insurance coverage and Covid-19 screening were not compulsory.

       She also said the ministry would conduct a survey related to the implementation of the Langkawi tourism bubble and get feedback from the community on the island.

       “The feedback will be evaluated and presented to the National Security Council for further consideration on the opening of other tourism destinations,” she said.

       “We urge people who want to travel to Langkawi to comply with the standard operating procedure to ensure that the tourism bubble pilot project is successful.”