Last week, the Malaysian government reopened interstate travel in the country and soon may reopen its borders to international visitors. The move came amid declining Covid infections and increased vaccination rates among residents; some 6,709 new cases were reported on October 11, but that was the lowest rate in Malaysia since July 5. At the same time, the country reaching 90 percent vaccination among the adult population.
Resorts World Genting reopened September 30, with some limitations, though the casino was operational.
National Recovery Council Chairman Muhyiddin Yassin, formerly Malaysia’s prime minister, said interstate travel resumed after “the risk sectors had been evaluated and the government had implemented its responsibility well in dispensing vaccines to as many people as possible in Malaysia.”
In response, Genting Malaysia posted a notice on Resorts World Genting’s website stating, “As Malaysia reopens interstate travel, we would like to welcome all our guests back to RWG.
“Some of our facilities and offerings are subjected to revised operating hours, limited availability or temporary closure. All our employees are fully vaccinated and ready to serve guests in a safe environment at RWG. Please be informed that only guests who are fully vaccinated will be permitted to enter the resort.”
According to Inside Asian Gaming, Maybank Investment Bank analysts expect Genting Malaysia to reach break-even status in the fourth quarter due to the reopening and the upcoming launch of its new theme park, Genting SkyWorlds.
GGRAsia cited a Nomura report that said Malaysia could soon admit “select international tourists” due to the high vaccination rate among locals.
“We believe Malaysia, which has so far been a laggard in opening borders to international tourists amongst ASEAN countries—for instance, Singapore and Thailand have already started opening up—is likely to also allow select international tourists soon, now that it has already achieved a high vaccination rate amongst locals,” wrote Nomura analysts Tushar Mohata and Alpa Aggarwal.
