GEORGE TOWN, Nov 6 — A total of 250 Penang accommodation operators and travel agencies under the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture’s (MOTAC) List of Travel Operating Business and Travel (TOBTAB) are ready to receive more tourist arrivals as the state moves to Phase Four of the National Recovery Plan (PPN) effective Monday (Nov 8).
The ministry’s state director Jonathan Freddy Bagang said discussions and briefings had been held with the respective entrepreneurs to increase their awareness of complying with the standard operating procedures (SOPs).
“I would like to say, the industry players are in high spirits after almost two years of not being able to operate normally, and they are ready to receive tourists in Phase Four,” he told reporters after a briefing with Penang tourism players today.
He said the briefing was to provide clarification to the operators on the Improvement of the TOBTAB and Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) Licensing Guidelines which came into force on Oct 15.
“This programme indirectly allows the ministry to communicate with industry players so that all parties understand and conduct business by complying with the SOPs that have been set,” he said.
Yesterday, Senior Minister of Defence Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein announced that five states namely Perlis, Perak, Penang, Sabah and Kedah which are currently in Phase Three of the PPN would move to Phase Four effective Nov 8.
He said the COVID-19 Pandemic Management Special Committee had agreed to the transition of the states after taking into account the latest risk assessment conducted by the Ministry of Health (MOH) and the National Security Council (NSC).
