PETALING JAYA: Creating a tourism bubble is the right step towards reviving the local travel sector but it must be executed well by tour operators to minimise any risk of a virus outbreak, say industry players.

       They said the initiative would require various travel operators to work together to ensure safe passage for tourists and the local community.

       Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) president Datuk Tan Kok Liang said the implementation of a tourism bubble required proper planning.

       “To minimise infection, the travel plan must be a controlled itinerary through a tour operator who can ensure strict adherence to the SOP in transportation, and cruises.

       “There must be proper enforcement and no unnecessary contact with the local community.”

       Tan was responding to the government’s proposal to turn Langkawi into a pilot project for a tourism bubble once the island reaches an 80% Covid-19 vaccination rate.

       Visits will be restricted to only those who have completed two vaccination doses.

       Tan said the success of the pilot project would provide a model for other domestic destinations to have a travel corridor.

       “It is hoped that more tourism bubbles can be created simultaneously,” he said, adding that licensed tour guides could help ensure SOP compliance.

       Malaysian Tourist Guides Council president Jimmy Leong said travellers should engage licensed tourist guides to ensure smoother passage during their holidays.

       “There should be strict checks by the authorities to ensure that health and safety measures are adhered to,” he said.

       Malaysia Budget & Business Hotel Association deputy president Dr Sri Ganesh Michiel said tourists needed to familiarise themselves with the existing SOP.

       “Tourists should know what they can and cannot do,” he said, adding that the responsibility to ensure SOP adherence should not fall solely on tourism operators.

       “While hotels in the mainland are still surviving, those on the islands are having a harder time staying afloat. They have lost their revenue with no tourists around,” he said.