KUALA LUMPUR: Sarawak is well-positioned to begin domestic tourism operations later this year or early next year.
Retail and Trade Brands Advocacy Malaysia Chapter (RTBA Malaysia) managing director Datuk Fazli Nordin said Sarawak has fared better than other parts of the world in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic, which has affected the world as a whole.
"The Covid-19 pandemic has had a devastating impact on global and regional economies. As a result, every nation has had to face multiple challenges in the face of the pandemic.
"However, with the vigilance and the watchfulness of the Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) and the collective understanding of Sarawakians, the state has well-managed the situation," he said in a statement today.
He said the reopening of Sarawak borders for fully vaccinated individuals demonstrates the effectiveness of the measures implemented by the state, and further solidifies the state's commitment to manage the pandemic.
"Throughout the pandemic, the tourism sector in Sarawak has remained persistent and resilient, implementing initiatives to ensure frontliners in the tourism industry are vaccinated and ready to receive tourists.
"All these efforts will soon help the state achieve its herd immunity goals, allowing Sarawak to work towards establishing itself as a safe 'green travel bubble' destination," said Fazli.
RTBA Malaysia is a non-governmental organisation that advocates effective regulatory, financial and taxation policies that affect retailers and brands.
Sarawak had fully vaccinated 64.8 per cent of its total population, including tourism frontliners, as of 23 September, following Malaysia's National Recovery Plan (NRP) goal of achieving 100 per cent herd immunity.
The state is also the first to be rolling out vaccinations for its adolescent population aged 12 to 17.
"This puts Sarawak very much ahead in its vaccination status. Further, the use of EnterSarawak, an online travel application to enter Sarawak, the vaccination certificate through MySejahtera, as well as filling out an e-Health Declaration Form (eHDF) online will certainly boost travellers' confidence when tourism reopens," Fazli said.
"RTBA strongly believes Sarawak is poised to be the leading destination for eco-tourism in the ASEAN region, driven by empowered communities to conserve heritage, culture and biodiversity.
"We should leverage these opportunities, as the initiatives put in place today will shape the tourism of tomorrow," Fazli said.