Langkawi gears up for tourist return, Bali for foreign visitors, amid suggestion of tourism ‘triangle’ with Phuket
- Malaysian holiday hotspot Langkawi will reopen to fully vaccinated domestic tourists from September 16, while Bali eased social restrictions this week
- Indonesia’s tourism minister on Tuesday brought up the idea of regional collaboration between Phuket, Langkawi and Bali, with tourism bubbles linking the three
Businesses in Malaysia’s prime holiday destination, Langkawi, are gearing up to welcome the return of tourists this week, as the country takes an early step towards recovery from a devastating coronavirus crisis. Its Indonesian counterpart Bali, meanwhile, is contemplating an uptick in business, with social restrictions having been eased on Monday, and even the return of foreign visitors.
A cluster of 99 islands in the Strait of Malacca, Langkawi will reopen from September 16 to fully vaccinated travellers as part of a domestic tourism bubble, with strict protocols in place to thwart the spread of the coronavirus.
Restaurant owner Esther Lee said she was excited the bubble was finally being launched.
“Finally we can welcome customers and this is actually our main source of income to actually survive,” she said. “We have staff under us, we have overhead costs to bear so we definitely need dining customers.”
The plan is similar to that introduced in Thailand, which started with the July reopening of Phuket, 220km (137 miles) north of Langkawi, to vaccinated foreign tourists. Malaysia has yet to invite foreign tourists to return.
