Malaysia eyes allowing tourists from 10 nations next month: minister

Malaysia is eyeing a trial border reopening for international tourists next month after a nearly two-year closure, Tourism Minister Nancy Shukri said. Nancy said her ministry has proposed launching travel bubbles by mid-November that would allow visitors access to holiday haven Langkawi and pockets of the southern tip of Johor, which borders Singapore. She said the ministry has also finalized a list of 10 countries whose fully vaccinated citizens would be allowed to participate, as the government aims to nurse the coronavirus-hit economy back to health. The final say on the border reopening, however, will be up to the National Security Council chaired by Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob. "We have proposed to open the borders for international tourists to Langkawi as a pilot for tourists from 10 countries [including] some ASEAN countries and a few others," Nancy said. "Personally, I target to have it by the middle of next month because we have to give the stakeholders like airlines and hotels enough time to be ready," she added.<br/>