Sarawak domestic tourism restarts Oct 1 with strict SOP

KUCHING: As Sarawak reopens its domestic tourism effective Oct 1, State Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah called on the authorities not to withhold unnecessarily the issuance of permits to tourists from Peninsular Malaysia and Sabah to enter Sarawak.

He said even though police permits and approval from the Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SMDC) was necessary as a means to control entry and avoid the spread of COVID-19, full cooperation should be given to approve those coming in for tourism purposes.

"My ministry has prepared and will execute strategic action plans to re-activate the State's tourism and business events industry and to build a more resilient tourism industry post-COVID-19," he told a press conference to announce the reopening of Sarawak domestic tourism and its standard operating procedures (SOP) here today.

He said SDMC has also announced that more activities including tourism activities and tourism attraction products will be allowed to operate with effect Oct 1 subject to compliance of the relevant SOP.

The tourism activities allowed includes accommodation in hotels and homestays, tourism attractions, arts, culture and heritage premises, special interest tourism, spa, reflexology, massage centres and pedicure/manicure services with compliance to the SOP issued by the State Local Government and Housing Ministry, he said.

Abdul Karim said all tourists were required to have the digital vaccination certificate in their MySejahtera app or original vaccination cards issued by the Health Ministry, besides submitting their flight, accommodation, attraction and tour packages bookings as supporting documents to obtain the police permit and enter Sarawak with approval.

"All tourists must be fully vaccinated, while children below 17 years who are not vaccinated must be with their parents who are fully vaccinated. They must also produce a negative rt-PCR or rtk-Antigen test result within three days before arrival in Sarawak," he added.

-- BERNAMA