Safety first is the message from Sarawak’s Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Karim Rahman Hamzah, who is working closely with tourism industry players to ensure strict compliance with standard operating procedures (SOPs) when tourism-related activities power up later this month. The ministry’s domestic tourism SOPs, been approved by SDMC under Phase Three of the National Recovery Plan (NRP) that came into effect 1 October, according to a Bernama report.
The ministry has drawn up detailed domestic tourism SOPs, which have been approved by SDMC under Phase Three of the National Recovery Plan (NRP). The domestic tourism sector is one of the most badly hit economic sectors in Sarawak as the Covid-19 pandemic extends for more than 18 months and is likely to still impact travel and hospitality companies well into 2022.
The SOPs were issued after the state’s southern zone districts joined the rest of Sarawak in moving to Phase Three of the recovery schedule last week. More tourist activities have been given the green light, and it is now very likely that domestic travel from other states to Sarawak will get underway in November, followed by international visitors in early 2022.
Tourists visiting the state must be fully vaccinated, while children below 17 who are not vaccinated must always be accompanied by their fully vaccinated parents. It is compulsory for all tourists to have a Digital Vaccination Certificate logged in the MySejahtera app or an original vaccination card, as issued by the Ministry of Health. Domestic tourists must show proof of confirmed air tickets, as well as proof of accommodation, attraction tickets and tour packages to obtain police permits to gain Sarawak’s approval for interstate or inter-district travel.
The minister reiterated that domestic travellers must produce a negative rt-PCR or RTK-Antigen (swab) test result three days before arrival in Sarawak for interstate travel. Individuals who are yet to receive vaccination are not allowed to participate in tourism activities. Tour agencies or other related service providers must ensure all staff and tourists that are their clients are fully vaccinated before conducting any tours or related activities in Sarawak.
(Source: Bernama)
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