Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri said the lifting of the inter-district ban has given the public the opportunity to travel and improved the livelihoods of those working in the tourism industry.

She said the Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry (Motac) welcomed the government's decision to allow inter-district travel within the same state beginning March 5, with the exception of Sabah.

She went on to say that the decision was fantastic news, and that it would promote travel, arts, and culture industry operators who had voiced concerns about the ban if it was extended.

Motac conducted four engagement sessions with industry players through the Crisis Management Team, according to her, all of whom wanted the government to allow travel between districts and states.

In a statement released today, she said, "Repay the government's decision to allow inter-district travel by adopting the current standard operating procedure."

Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob, Senior Minister (Security Cluster), announced today that the interstate travel ban will remain in force until March 18, while inter-district travel would be permitted with the exception of Sabah. The state government demanded that inter-district travel be prohibited in Sabah.

Meanwhile, Nancy said an engagement session was held yesterday with industry players, including the Malaysian Association of Amusement Theme Park & Family Attractions (MAATFA), Malaysian Complex Management Association, Malaysia Retail Chain Association (MRCA), Malaysia Retailers Association (MRA) and Batu Road Retailers Association (BARRA).

According to Nancy, during the meeting, the government was urged to grant special documents or passports to Malaysians who had obtained the vaccine so that they could easily travel within states and engage in social activities such as tourism.

Industry participants have recommended that vaccination vaccines be prioritized for tourism sector operators because they are also frontline staff who communicate with visitors and customers on a regular basis, she said.

She added that a proposal was made to draft a long-term plan to open international borders so that the ministry could recognize target groups from international markets for tourism in the region.