ROMPIN: Tourism operators in Pulau Tioman, near here, are waiting anxiously for the much-anticipated announcement on allowing inter-state travel to resume.
No one can blame them as the operators have less than a month to do business before the monsoon season hits, resulting in choppy seas which will force ferry services to the island to be temporarily ceased.
The tourism bubble at Pulau Tioman was initially supposed to kick-off on Oct 1 but was forced to put on hold to allow the vaccination rate of the country's adult population to reach 90 per cent.
As the country is only 1.6 per cent (yesterday) from achieving 90 per cent of the target, tourism operators on the island are keeping their fingers crossed for some good news within the next few days.
Damai Tioman Resort owner Syed Rizalman Syed Abu Bakar said operators were racing against time to reopen their business as once the monsoon season begins, they will be forced to close till late February next year.
"We have about three weeks left and usually the ferry services will be stopped in November. Once the ferry service is suspended, visitors will no longer be able to travel here (Pulau Tioman).
"The people on the island are hoping for some good news soon on inter-state travel. We will be forced to close between three and four months due to the rainy season, so this current "window" before the monsoon season is crucial to us," he said when contacted yesterday.
The 46-year-old said initially some 100 chalet and resort operators on the island were all smiles when they were promised they could operate under the travel bubble starting Oct 1.
"When news about the travel bubble was announced, we started to receive bookings from Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Johor. Operators even began to call their former workers (those who left the island to secure other part-time jobs on the mainland) to return and report for duty.
"Sadly, it never happened so I hope there will be no further heartbreak for the operators here. We have been receiving guests within Pahang but the numbers are quite small," said Syed Rizalman, adding he has been operating his sea-facing 50 room resort for about 30 years.
Meanwhile, Salang Pusaka Resort owner Abdul Khalid Mohamad, 65, said there used to be hundreds of visitors at Kampung Salang but these days there were barely about 30 of them.
"Resort operators here depend on the ferry services to bring in tourists and if they suspend operations during the monsoon season then there is nothing much we can do. The rough sea conditions and strong winds pose a danger to water transport.
"It will be a major headache if resort operators are not allowed to open business before the monsoon season this year as we will be forced to wait till next year to receive visitors. The past two years have been filled with uncertainty and we can only hope things will recover soon," said Khalid who has 56 units of chalets.
Meanwhile, State Tourism and Culture Committee chairman Datuk Seri Mohd Sharkar Shamsudin said it will be too risky for the ferry services to operate during the monsoon season.
"The high tide, rough seas and uncertain weather will be dangerous so the ferry services will be suspended until the monsoon season ends. There is nothing much the operators can do but we hope they will be able to operate before the monsoon season begins.
"All tourist destinations in Pahang will be fully operational once inter-state travel is allowed....although they will be operating under the new normal, but this is the first step for them to cater to visitors from outside Pahang," he said.