KUCHING, Sept 29: A detailed guideline for travellers entering Sarawak, requiring full vaccination, negative Covid-19 test results and a police permit has been released by the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MTAC) as Sarawak is now ready to reopen for domestic tourists from Oct 1 onwards.
The guidelines also include the standard operating procedures (SOPs) for tourists and tour operators which must be adhered to before, during and after travelling.
Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said, “Before travelling, tourists must produce a negative results for their Covid-19 swab test within three days before arrival in Sarawak.
“Tourist are encouraged to buy Covid-19 travel insurance.
“For tour agencies or tourism service providers, they need to ensure all staff and tourists are fully vaccinated before they begin with any tours or related activities.
“A random RTK Antigen test should be conducted for the staff, bus drivers and tour guides,” he said during a press conference today.
He added tour agencies or tourism service providers will need to prepare a sickbay at their premises for emergency isolation for unwell or symptomatic Covid-19 patients if needed.
Abdul Karim outlined that tour operators and tour guides are responsible to ensure that domestic tourism SOPs and Covid-19 preventive measures are strictly complied with during tourism activities.
On the tourism activities permitted, he said business events in Sarawak can be conducted from Oct 1 onwards but restricted to meetings, corporate incentives and conventions.
He added all business events are subject to a maximum of 50 per cent normal capacity of the event space and a maximum of 100 persons only.
Nonetheless, Abdul Karim said MTAC encourages hybrid events to be organised.
He added other tourism activities allowed from next month include accommodation in hotels and homestays including its facilities such as swimming pools, gymnasiums, lounges, halls, business events, tourism and cultural events.
“Arts, culture and heritage premises such as museums, cultural villages, arts or craft galleries, cultural stage shows will be able to open.
“Special interest tourism activities for instance golfing, scuba diving, snorkelling, cycling, angling, yachting and eco-tourism activities such as bird watching, caving, mountain climbing, white-water rafting, hiking, jungle trekking and so forth will be permitted.
“For the type of vacations allowed, those include round trip on the same day, overnight, vacations with pre-made accommodation or admission bookings and tour package vacations through a travel company licensed and registered with MTAC,” he said. — DayakDaily
