“We are also concerned about countries such as South Korea, which once upon a time managed to keep their cases under control. InterContinental Debuts High-rise Hotel in Chongqi... Could This Be Shanghai’s Most Beautiful Bookstor... Four Seasons Hotel Shanghai to Rebrand as Regent S... Coronavirus: Hong Kong Extends Border Control Meas... Hong Kong: Exciting New Restaurants to Dine at. “The demand is weak and there is a need to boost travel confidence. She told FMT that many guests who stayed at budget hotels were those on business trips, aside from the usual clientele of holiday-makers. For those first six months of the year, Malaysia recorded 4.3 million international tourist arrivals -- a 68% drop from the 13.4 million registered in the same period last year. Copyright © 2020 FMT Media Sdn Bhd. Health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah had also said yesterday that the country’s borders could be reopened after Aug 31 if the number of Covid-19 infections remains low during the RMCO. The Lion City was easily the top source of foreign tourists, surpassing 10.16 million and far outstripping the numbers from Indonesia, the next-biggest contributor with 3.62 million arrivals. “We are looking forward to the reopening of the international sector (tourists), but we will be very selective,” she told reporters after a visit to the Api-Api night food market at Gaya Street here last night. From January to November last year, the Sabah Tourism Board recorded 3.766 million tourist arrivals, with China contributing the most. They have just reported 2,600 cases within 10 days. The Lion City was easily the top source of foreign tourists, surpassing 10.16 million and far outstripping the numbers from Indonesia, the next-biggest contributor with 3.62 million arrivals. Malaysia will partially reopen its borders to allow medical tourists to enter the country, while permitting its citizens to leave the country for medical, education or other specific purposes, the Nikkei Asian Review cited senior minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob as saying. Mount Kinabalu, the highest peak in Malaysia, was reopened on May 16. Starting this Friday, eligible short-term visitors will not need to undergo two weeks of mandatory s... DestinAsian was established in 2001. Meanwhile, on the state’s move to allow the arrivals of tourists from China, Liew said a meeting would be held with China’s consul-general in Kota Kinabalu, Liang Caide, next week regarding the matter. PETALING JAYA: Malaysia’s main tourism association has welcomed the government’s lifting of the interstate travel ban, but hoped that international travel will be allowed sooner rather than later. If all goes well, Singaporeans can not only look forward to travelling to Japan as tourists, but Thailand as well, if they reopen their borders next year. When will Malaysia Reopen for General Tourism? According to the Nikkei Asian Review, Malaysia’s Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Nancy Shukri says the country may only allow international travelers starting in the second quarter of 2021. We are also seeing the same thing in Hong Kong, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand.”. Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (Matta) president Tan Kok Liang said the announcement of the recovery movement control order (RMCO) was a good start as it would allow domestic tourism to resume. Anger is boiling over Covid-19 double standards, Sime Darby Property HQ closed after employee tests positive for Covid-19, 2 new Covid-19 clusters detected in Selangor, Penang, Khairuddin must be charged over quarantine breach, says Najib, 375 Covid-19 cases, 5 deaths as infections surpass 14,000 mark, Selangor rep allays fears of Covid-19 outbreak in Puchong, Why elc believes exams are crucial for after-school success, MRT builder set to make waves with engineering app, Recovering Covid-19 patient sees importance of new norms, Emotional sendoff for our peacekeepers off to Lebanon, Saying prayers at a Hindu temple in Covid-19 times. Visitors from both countries no longer need to enter quarantine upon arrival in England. Malaysians have not been allowed to travel overseas since the MCO came into effect on March 18 while foreigners have also not been allowed into the country during this period. However, he said any additional delays to the reopening of Malaysia’s international borders will continue to decimate the nation’s tourism industry, which employs over 3.5 million people. She said this would be done by observing the current Covid-19 pandemic situation and also advice from the Health Ministry, while subscribing to the prescribed standard operating procedure (SOP). Experts Argue If Malaysia Should Reopen Borders For Tourism Akmal Hakim. It is the leading award-winning travel magazine in the Asia-Pacific region, with a print run of 32,788 copies and a readership of 98,364 per edition. DestinAsian is distributed in Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines, and the rest of the world. However, she added that reciprocity was a prerequisite before such arrangements could be made. Japan will reopen borders for all foreign visitors with permits to stay in the country for some time, including students and business people, but excluding tourists, from October, Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said Friday, in a major easing of entry restrictions imposed to tackle the coronavirus pandemic. Starting on October 1, arrivals from Britain will have to be tested for Covid-19 before departure. This includes the disinfection of tour vehicles, sanitisation of baggage, recording passengers’ temperatures as well as halving seating capacities for tour buses to ensure physical distancing. 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Ending lockdowns no guarantee of quick economic rebound, says IMF. Tour packages will follow a new norm which includes hiking, adventure and private tours,” he said. While the spread of Covid-19 in Indonesia shows no signs of slowing down—with the country posting a record high of 2,719 confirmed cases only yesterday—Singapore has successfully brought a large-scale outbreak in its migrant worker dormitories firmly under control. Statistics from Tourism Malaysia’s online data portal show that Singaporeans accounted for nearly 40 percent of all visitor arrivals into Malaysia last year. Note: We are monitoring the situation and will update this article when we know Malaysia’s official reopening date. Tan also said he hoped that the Sabah and Sarawak state governments will not impose additional restrictions, such as a requirement for health certificates for tourists. Officers from PM’s dept used my condo to store documents, says... Probe reveals prominent individuals linked to money laundering syndicate, says MACC, PAS’ nominated assemblyman will debunk misconceptions, says PBS, SK Bangsar detects 2 Covid-19 cases, school remains open, AirAsia to return planes to lessors, shrink fleet, says report. She told Nikkei journalists that recent coronavirus surges in countries once considered to be Covid-safe had forced a rethink of the current strategy, and Malaysia was redrafting the list of places with which travel bubbles could be set up in the future. Copyright © 2018 DESTINASIAN MEDIA GROUP - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin announced the RMCO yesterday, which will allow interstate travel and domestic tourism activities from June 10 onwards. BIMAR allows errors to be spotted instantly during construction project design, preventing costly reworking. Statistics from Tourism Malaysia’s online data portal show that Singaporeans accounted for nearly 40 percent of all visitor arrivals into Malaysia last year. Eight-seater vans will only be allowed to carry four passengers at a time. “We hope the government will reassess the easing of borders sooner than August 31 to further strengthen economic activities,” he told FMT. “If we only identify them as green zones and want to work with them, then they too have to open their borders to us in Malaysia,” Nancy said, as quoted by The Malay Mail. Enjoy your travels! She said the lifting of restrictions on inter-state travel would boost domestic tourism and can help the country accelerate the economic recovery phase, because tourism involves others such as hotels and other tourist accommodation, transport, restaurants and tourist guides. While the debate on exams rages, one private school believes it helps mould students into being more resilient in handling life’s knocks later in life. KOTA KINABALU, July 5 — The Sabah government aims to reopen its doors for the arrival of international tourists by September 1 this year, said Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Christina Liew. A view of Malacca’s Dutch Square and the 18th-century Christ Church. — Bernama pic. The current border closures for general arrivals have been extended to December 31, 2020. Note: We do our best to ensure that all articles are accurate at the time of publication, but things change, do check ahead. — Bernama, Police deny viral message saying Selayang cop’s wife tested positive for Covid-19, Pelosi: No airline relief without broader Covid package, After BN, Parti Cinta Sabah also opts out of Batu Sapi by-election. She said not all areas in China were affected by Covid-19 and the meeting would discuss, among others, how to speed up the arrival of tourists from those areas. At a press conference this week, its director-general Noor Hisham Abdullah told reporters that the priority should be on tightening border controls rather than easing restrictions given the worsening situation abroad. Malaysian Budget Hotel Association president Emmy Suraya Hussein told FMT that the RMCO was good news for the industry as domestic travel is opened. Check our quick fake news buster here. Anyone outside Malaysia hoping to visit Penang, Malacca, or Sabah will likely have to put those plans on hold for another six months.