Senior Minister (Security) Ismail Sabri Yaakob has announced the suspension of interstate tourism activities between states under a recovery movement control order (MCO) with immediate effect.
This came two months after the government introduced the "green travel bubble" to help the tourism industry which was hit hard by Covid-19 since the start of the pandemic last year.
Interstate travel for tourism was allowed in March as the country recorded a new low in Covid-19 cases at the time.
The country is now battling another surge of Covid-19 infections which started in mid-April.
"The government has decided to suspend the interstate travel permission via the green travel bubble between areas under the recovery MCO for the purpose of tourism using travel agencies with immediate effect," he told a press conference today.
However, Ismail said tourism activities can continue within the recovery MCO state as interdistrict travel is permitted in these states.
"(Tourism activities within the state) can be carried out as usual as they are not affected. Only interstate travel (for tourism purpose) between states under the recovery MCO are affected.
"But within the same state under the recovery MCO, interdistrict travel is allowed, so they can continue tourism activities in the state," he explained.
The "green travel bubble", which was introduced on March 10, allowed tourists from a recovery MCO state to travel to another state also under the same recovery MCO.
The states under recovery MCO are Malacca, Pahang, Terengganu, Sabah, Putrajaya, Labuan and Perlis.
Tourists have to engage a travel agency and the vehicles used to cross states must also be registered with the Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry.
It was reported that the local tourism industry incurred an estimated RM100 billion in losses in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. - Mkini
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