ALOR SETAR, Nov 15 — Langkawi Development Authority (LADA) is targeting the arrival of 5,000 international tourists this year which is expected to help generate RM24.4 million in revenue, said LADA chief executive officer Nasaruddin Abdul Muttalib.
The tourists will be arriving under the pilot international travel bubble which starts today.
Nasaruddin said preparations for the opening of Langkawi to international tourists are carried out by Kedah Health Office and LADA, adding that international tourists arriving on the island will have to undergo the Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) screening.
“Monitoring of preparations at Langkawi International Airport has also been done and Langkawi Malaysia Airport Berhad has prepared special procedures to ensure everything runs smoothly,” he said in a statement today.
He said the special procedures were to avoid congestion as well as facilitate the process of receiving international tourists at the arrival hall.
Nasaruddin said no specific hotel has been selected as the COVID-19 Quarantine and Low-Risk Treatment Centre at present but the state Health Department has identified 118 rooms at 20 hotels that could be used to quarantine tourists who are confirmed positive.
“There are no direct flights from international destinations today. However, some international tourists will arrive via Kuala Lumpur International Airport but the number of tourists cannot be determined yet,” he said.
Meanwhile, he said as for the domestic travel bubble initiative, it has shown good performance with the arrival of 77,939 visitors with total revenue of RM80.3 million.
