Malaysia’s National Recovery Council proposed reopening borders to foreign travelers by Jan. 1.
The country plans to ease into reopening its international tourism sector. Starting Monday, it will allow fully-vaccinated tourists from select countries to visit the northern resort island of Langkawi without quarantine. While the island began accepting domestic tourists in September, next week will be the first time foreign travelers are welcomed back since March 2020.
Currently, foreign nationals from the U.S. and other countries need written approval from the Malaysian government or a specific long-term travel pass to enter the country, according to the U.S. Embassy.
Malaysia, a Southeast Asian known for its beaches and jungles, has seen its economy take a hit from the lack of visitors during the pandemic. The travel and tourism sector accounted for nearly 12% of its GDP and 15% of jobs in 2019, according to the World Travel & Tourism Council.
Malaysia’s National Recovery Council chairman and former prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin said in a Thursday Facebook post that reopening domestic travel on Langkawi has had a positive impact on the national tourism industry, and continuing to ease travel restrictions should be…
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