PUTRAJAYA: All tourism and cultural industry players in the country need to make initial preparations to receive tourists from abroad, said Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri.

She said the parties involved should also continue to intensify promotional activities and be more creative in marketing Malaysian tourism products and locations to the global market.

"The decision to reopen the country's borders to foreign tourists will facilitate the country's economic recovery after COVID-19, especially those involving the entire chain of tourism, arts and cultural industry players in the country," she said in a statement on the country's border reopening today.

"MOTAC (Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture) remains optimistic that the industry will rise again and be able to make Malaysia popular again among international tourists," she said.

Yesterday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob announced that Malaysia will enter the Transition to Endemic Phase as well as the reopening of the country's borders from April 1.

Describing the announcement as great news for tourism industry players, she said it provided an opportunity for industry players to revive the international tourism sector after two years of being hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Nancy said her ministry will always provide cooperation and support to all efforts to be implemented by all government agencies involved to succeed in the country's borders reopening.

-- BERNAMA