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After two years of stringent border controls, Malaysia will finally welcome international travellers again on April 1 when the country’s borders reopened.
Tourism operators now have the important task of inspiring people to travel confidently again. The fear of travelling amid Covid-19 among some can slow down tourism recovery, say travel experts.
It will still be a challenging road ahead for tourism recovery, said Asean Tourism Research Association (ATRA) president Professor Dr Neethiahnanthan Ari Ragavan.
He added that international travel will only pick up slowly as most travellers are still cautious.
Prof Neethiahnanthan, who is also the executive dean at the Faculty of Social Sciences and Leisure Management in Taylor’s University, said that Covid-19-related developments could impede the growth of tourism not only in Malaysia, but globally.
“I am not very optimistic on the pace of the travel rebound given there are still negative Covid-19-related developments around the world,” he said.
That said, the professor noted that Malaysia’s strong immunisation rate and good healthcare facilities will help attract international visitors.
“It builds trust and will allow international tourists to choose Malaysia as their destination of choice,” he said.
Easier entry
Beginning April 1, travellers to Malaysia will no longer need to apply for MyTravelPass. All they have to do is download the MySejahtera application and fill in the pre-departure form under the “Traveller” section.
Most importantly, visitors and Malaysians who have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19 will no longer have to quarantine upon arrival to the country.
However, they must undergo an RT-PCR test at least two days before departure and a professional rapid test (RTK-Antigen) upon arrival.
Meanwhile, international travellers who are not fully vaccinated must undergo five days of quarantine at the first point of entry in Malaysia.
Travellers who are not fully vaccinated will also be subjected to local Covid-19 protocols when in the country, including not being allowed to dine in at restaurants.
The decision to fully open the country’s borders is made based on science and current facts, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob assured.
“We believe that the reopening of the borders on April 1 will not only bring freedom for the rakyat to travel abroad but also allow those from other countries to visit Malaysia,” he said during a press conference in Parliament.
The country’s borders have been shut since March 2020 to curb the spread of Covid-19.
During his recent address, Ismail Sabri noted that the reopening of the borders will help revive the country’s economy, especially the tourism sector which has been badly hit by the pandemic.
Boost for sector
Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (Matta) president Datuk Tan Kok Liang had previously said that reopening of borders will help revive the country’s battered tourism sector.
“The reopening of international borders will revive the tourism sector (in many ways, including) bringing back employment opportunities for the people.
“Matta has been saying earlier that we need international tourists into our country as domestic tourism alone cannot sustain the industry,” he said.
Tan, at the same time, cautioned travellers to be mindful of standard operating procedures while travelling.
“Go back to fundamentals – social distancing, put your mask on, avoid crowded places and avoid travelling in large groups.
“Avoid being with friends that don’t adhere to SOP. Keep your hand cleans by washing or sanitising them frequently. Select accommodation and ground transportation that have good cleaning protocols,” he said.
Tan also encourages engaging in the services of travel consultants to ease the travel process.
“Use service providers that practise contactless operations. Cut down anxieties on air ticket cancellation, being infected in foreign land, and last-minute travel restrictions by booking through a travel consultant,” he said.
News of the border reopening was also warmly received by hospitality players in the country. However, they are cautiously optimistic for now.
“We welcome the opening of our country’s International borders to international tourists,” said Malaysia Budget and Business Hotel Association (MyBHA) deputy president Sri Ganesh Michiel.
However, he noted that it’s still an uphill battle towards the recovery of the sector.
“All parties should be reminded that the opening of international borders (does not guarantee) a recovery for the hotel and tourism industry,” he said, adding that a full recovery will take a long time, especially when stakeholders still need to rebuild travel confidence among tourists.
The aviation sector is a lot more confident of the situation. Malaysian Aviation Group (MAG) group chief executive Captain Izham Ismail said in a statement that the group is anticipating a pent-up demand for travel from both inbound and outbound travellers.
“We are looking to achieve approximately 70% of our pre-pandemic capacity by the end of 2022. MAG will continue to work closely with the relevant authorities to reinstate flights that have been temporarily suspended, while also increasing frequency to key markets in efforts to facilitate connectivity,” he said.
Source: https://www.thestar.com.my/lifestyle/travel/2022/03/17/reopening-borders-fear-of-travelling-may-slow-down-malaysia039s-tourism-recovery