Malaysia’s national recovery council confirmed at the weekend the country would open its borders to foreign travellers by 1 January at the latest.
Cambodia, meanwhile, lifted all quarantine requirements for fully vaccinated inbound visitors on Monday (15 November), two weeks earlier than planned.
"This really does feel as though our ‘day zero’ is pretty much here," said InsideAsia Tours PR and partnerships manager James Mundy.
"After so long without travel, and with so many people having had their trips cancelled and rebooked twice since 2020, it is great that we can finally be talking positively about travel to some of our favourite places in the world."
Malaysia and Cambodia become the latest nations in south-east Asia to confirm their plans to reopen their borders to tourists, following the likes of Thailand and Singapore.
Mundy said both Cambodia and Malaysia had made great strides with their vaccination programmes. According to Our World in Data, around 78% of Malaysians are fully vaccinated against Covid-19, and 41% of people in Cambodia.
“We all saw pictures of a beautiful, but unusually quiet, Angkor Wat and heard about the impact the pandemic and no tourism has had on these places, the local economy and local people," said Mundy.
"InsideAsia has been organising travel to Cambodia since 2013 and has always aimed to get low-level, sustainable tourism beyond the likes of Siem Reap to rural communities to experience Khmer culture."
Inside Travel Group had been due to launch trips to Malaysia last year in what was its 20th anniversary year. Its InsideAsia brand has created 10 Malaysia and Borneo itineraries, with a focus on responsible and sustainable travel. It also offers five Cambodia itineraries, which can be tailored.
“Malaysia and Borneo slot in perfectly with our other destinations including Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Thailand and Singapore," Mundy added. "With its blend of cultures and its share of Borneo, the destination is blessed with natural beauty, diverse landscapes, incredible wildlife, and indigenous communities.
"We are looking forward to sharing the country and culture with our clients and agent friends soon. We have had the in-house passion and knowledge on these places for years and now it is finally time to share that with our partners."
