MITA seeks moratoriums for tour bus operators

Tour bus operators are chalking up huge losses amid Malaysia’s lockdown,

says MITA’s Uzaidi Udanis

Malaysian Inbound Tourism Association (MITA) is calling on credit and leasing companies to offer a moratorium to its tour bus operator members.

There are 9,000 tour buses in Malaysia which are financed by credit and leasing companies, according to its president, Uzaidi Udanis.

He shared: “Some members have 100 tour buses and they have to pay these credit and leasing companies RM10,000 (US$2,300) monthly per bus. It is an impossible situation when tour buses have not been utilised for tour purposes since the movement control order was imposed on March 18.

Uzaidi added that the association will be holding a meeting on Thursday (May 28) with the Special Task Force to Facilitate Business (PEMUDAH) which reports directly to the prime minister. “We will be updating PEMUDAH on the plight of tour bus owners as well as tourism industry players who have not received the stimulus package from the government in the hope that they will bring our issues to the Cabinet,” he said.

He added: “This will be a follow-up to an appeal we made to the minister of housing and local government, Zuraida Kamaruddin, three weeks ago asking the Ministry to intervene and to urge the credit and leasing companies to give a flexible repayment scheme.”

Amid the coronavirus lull, MITA and Malaysia Tourism Council are also working with the National Disaster Management Agency to transfer Malaysians arriving from overseas from the airports to the designated quarantine centres within the Klang Valley approved by the government.

Said Uzaidi: “On average, 40 buses a day are used, which is a very small number, and the revenue from this cannot match the income generated from the tourism business.”

-TTG Asia.

ACI, IATA outline roadmap to restart aviation

Collaboration between governments necessary to drive recovery of aviation sector: ACI, IATA

ACI and IATA are exhorting governments to ensure any new measures rolled out for airports and airlines post-pandemic are scientifically backed and globally consistent, in order to drive a balanced and effective restart for the aviation industry.

The trade associations have jointly issued a paper laying out a pathway for restarting the aviation industry, titled Safely Restarting Aviation – ACI and IATA Joint Approach. Airlines and airports have cooperated to build a roadmap for resuming operations which reassures the travelling public that health and safety remain the overall priorities.

The joint approach proposes a layered approach of measures across the entire passenger journey to minimise the risk of virus transmission at airports and onboard aircraft. ACI and IATA said such measures should be globally consistent and subject to continued review, improvement, and removal when no longer required, to ensure an even recovery.

ACI and IATA are both central members the COVID-19 Aviation Recovery Task Force (CART) being led by ICAO. CART enables the collaboration – among governments and between governments and industry – that is vital to ensure a unified response to restoring air connectivity and passenger confidence in air travel.

“Airports and airlines have come together with ICAO and the wider aviation industry to address the biggest challenge ever faced by commercial aviation in restarting a global industry while continuing to halt the spread of Covid-19,” ACI World director general Angela Gittens said.

“There is currently no single measure that could mitigate all the risks of restarting air travel but we believe a globally-consistent, outcome-based approach represents the most effective way of balancing risk mitigation with the need to unlock economies and to enable travel.”

IATA director general and CEO Alexandre de Juniac said: “Safety is always our top priority and that includes public health. Restoring air connectivity is vital to restarting the global economy and reconnecting people. Our layered approach of measures recommended by airports and airlines safeguard public health while offering a practical approach for a gradual restart of operations.

“It is important to remember that the risk of transmission on board is very low. And we are determined that aviation will not be a significant source of reinfection. We are working continuously with governments to ensure that any measures put in place are done so consistently and with scientific backing. That is key to restoring public confidence so the benefits of safely restarting aviation can be realised.”

-TTG Asia.

Taman Negara looking forward to operation under new normal

image: Tourism Malaysia

JERANTUT: Tourism industry operators in Taman Negara here are gearing up to reopen their businesses under the new normal due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Although tourism activities at the national park, one of the world's oldest tropical rainforests, came to a standstill since March 18, resort and chalet operators along with tour guides looked at things on the bright side.

Pahang Tourism and Culture Ministry chairman Datuk Idrus Yahya said the two months Movement Control Order (MCO) has prompted tourism industry operators to revise their business promotions and make the necessary improvements to help lure visitors.

"Some of the operators were relying on old tourism advertisements or promotional videos for their products. Now they have produced new ones with fresh ideas. Some even took the opportunity to learn to make their own online videos and advertisements....once they share it with us, we will help them with the promotional campaigns.

"Marketing strategies are crucial for tourism products so the operators have been studying the possible new tourism potentials near the national park and making the necessary adjustments in order to attract tourists. They joined several social media chat groups to brainstorm fresh ideas and assist each other in the industry," he said when contacted.

Idrus said in the past that some of the operators might not have been social media savvy but now understood the importance of the platform and seized the opportunity to learn more especially to help promote their business.

Meanwhile, he said the operators in Taman Negara were already drafting standard operating procedure (SOP) for tourism activities under the new normal once the Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO) is lifted.

He said although the National Security Council (NSC) will be responsible for the SOP the guidelines provided by the local tour guides and operators will provide additional measures at the national park.

"The experienced tourism operators here certainly know about safety, and interest of the visitors will be given top priority in drafting the SOP. To ensure proper coordination, the SOPs are shared among the tourism operators and non-governmental organisations involved in tourism.

"The tourism industry landscape at the national park will certainly see some changes and everyone has to be prepared to face it. The industry might experience some challenging times but everyone has to work together to overcome it," he said.

Meanwhile, a tour guide who declined to be named said although Taman Negara was set to embrace a new tourism environment once the CMCO ends, he hopes that the SOP for visitors will be more lenient.

"Visitors come to the rainforest to release stress and enjoy the amazing surroundings. They can practise social distancing but maybe not required to wear face mask....allow visitors to explore the natural environment," he said, adding Taman Negara remained as a green zone with no Covid-19 cases although the Jerantut district was once a red zone.

Meanwhile, the PahangStory Facebook page wrote that Kuala Tahan has a total of 2,234 villagers whereby 568 of them rely on the eco-tourism from the national park by taking up jobs as chalet operators, boat operators, tour guides and floating restaurant operators in Sungai Tembeling.

-nst online.

MATTA push for hygiene accreditation to revive tourism industry

The Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) is calling for the government to develop and implement health and safety accreditation for tourism facilities to ease coronavirus fears among nervous travellers.

MATTA president Tan Kok Liang said in a media statement that the tourism industry has to tackle the core issue of health and safety confidence in travel as the new priority.

“No amount of digitalisation, promotions, incentives or freebies can directly help to create demand except to boost the much-needed confidence that it is safe to travel through coordinated efforts with the relevant authorities. The global private sector has aligned around the health and safety protocols to create consistency across the industry,” he said.

Noting local businesses operating at far below capacity, he urged authorities to replace the Stay At Home tagline with a more business-friendly one like Stay Safe so as “to portray a more positive message”.

With the battered global tourism industry facing headwinds as it maps out recovery strategies, Tan stressed that bolstering the confidence to travel among consumers is the key to recovery in tourism.

“The industry has grown very sensitive towards health and safety protocols due to the pandemic and attaining people’s trust will be a challenging task,” he said.

“Nonetheless, the desire to travel will not go away and many are hoping that they will be able to travel again within several months after restrictions are lifted. Issues such as privacy and cleanliness will become paramount as part of the new norm, keeping in mind the push-pull of people wanting to see the world while also wanting to stay safe.”

As such, Tan urged the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture and the Ministry of Health to initiate a health accreditation mark programme for the tourism value chain which includes aviation, hotels, tourism attractions, retail outlets, transportation operations, as well as cruises and F&B outlets.

Citing other nations doubling down on cleaning protocols and introducing health and sanitation accreditation to certify that its destinations are clean and safe, Tan said that it was vital for Malaysia to follow suit or risk trailing behind other destinations.

He elaborated: “For example, Visit Britain had recently announced plans for a ‘quality mark’ to be rolled out across the country. The mark will denote to potentially nervous customers that the operators are conforming to government regulations.

“The badge will act as a safeguard towards staff and visitors and earning it will require rigorous online training and assessment session focused on hygiene and physical distancing which suppliers will need to complete before self-certifying. Spot checks will be carried out and the mark will be stripped from any business that is found to be non-compliant.

“Additionally, countries like Turkey, Singapore, and Thailand are also developing and implementing a health and safety certification as a preventive and protective step for the tourists as well as to ensure that tourism is able to recover quickly once travel restrictions are lifted.”

Tan further stressed that these measures are necessary to rebuild confidence, as many tourism businesses start to embrace the new norms positively, in preparation for a return to normalcy.
-TTG Asia.

Penganjuran Online Digital Marketing For Tourism Industry Oleh Tourism Malaysia

Sebagai sebahagian daripada langkah pemulihan pasca COVID-19, Kementerian Pelancongan, Seni dan Budaya Malaysia melalui Tourism Malaysia telah menganjurkan buat julung-julung kalinya kursus Online Digital Marketing for Tourism Industry secara dalam talian yang menyasarkan penyertaan dalam kalangan penggiat industri pelancongan untuk meningkatkan kemahiran menggunakan teknologi digital bagi tujuan pemasaran produk dan perkhidmatan.

Seramai 50 peserta dari pelbagai latar belakang dalam industri pelancongan seperti pemandu pelancong, pengusaha produk, operator pelancongan dan pengusaha premis penginapan pelancongan telah menyertai kursus peringkat asas selama satu hari ini di mana para peserta telah didedahkan tentang penggunaan media sosial seperti Facebook dan Instagram sebagai medium pemasaran dan publisiti untuk berinteraksi secara langsung dengan pelanggan. 

Selain itu, para peserta diajar menggunakan aplikasi percuma untuk mereka bentuk risalah, brosur dan iklan serta cara-cara mewujudkan Kod QR bagi membolehkan para pelanggan mereka mengimbas maklumat atau bahan-bahan publisiti terus ke dalam peranti digital.

Para peserta kursus telah memberi maklum balas positif terhadap kursus ini dan mereka berasa amat bertuah kerana berpeluang menimba kemahiran baharu pemasaran digital yang membolehkan mereka menjangkau pelanggan berpotensi tanpa had sempadan terutamanya dengan norma baharu COVID-19 yang memerlukan penggiat industri pelancongan tempatan untuk bersaing secara aktif di atas talian.

Perkembangan revolusi industri 4.0 memperlihatkan capaian kepada peranti digital dan perkhidmatan internet oleh para pelancong amat meluas dan mereka menggunakannya bagi tujuan merancang percutian, membuat perbandingan pakej dan harga, dan seterusnya membuat tempahan perjalanan.

Berdasarkan maklum balas dan sambutan hangat yang diberikan oleh para peserta, Tourism Malaysia telah merancang untuk melanjutkan penganjuran kursus untuk siri selanjutnya dalam masa yang terdekat.

-Tourism Malaysia.

Agong calls for efforts to restore tourism

Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah has called for efforts to restore the country’s tourism sector despite the cancellation of Visit Malaysia Year 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. – Bernama pic

KUALA LUMPUR: Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah has called for efforts to restore the country's tourism sector despite the cancellation of Visit Malaysia Year 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

"At the same time, tourism industry players must strive in strengthening (their) tourism products and packages, as well as maintaining the existing infrastructure to restore the glory of the country's tourism sector," he said in his royal address to open the 14th Parliament today.

He said as the host, Malaysia holds a huge responsibility in determining the direction of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) 2020 meetings.

He said this involves setting new platforms for economic collaborations in the region post-Covid-19.

"I have faith my government will deliver an effective leadership towards those efforts and to chart a new Apec vision to replace the Bogor Goals which end this year."

Sultan Abdullah also urged other industry players to step up efforts to complement government's initiatives in embracing the Industrial Revolution 4.0 (IR4.0).

He said the government had been working on creating an ecosystem that supported industries through funding and incentives, support-infrastructure development and regulatory frameworks.

"Newly emerging growth sources such as 5G technology, artificial intelligence, internet of things, and big data analytics will be intensified.

"Hence, we urge industry players to step up efforts to complement the government's initiatives," he said.

Sultan Abdullah said to ensure that the nation remained consistently ahead in various areas, the advancement in the IR4.0 must be fully utilised.

"This is to promote access to and equality in education besides the emphasis on knowledge, skills, and character development," he said.

-nst online.

Rural homestay operators disinfect lodgings in anticipation of guests

Nestled among the trees by the Kiulu river, Kondis Point homestay is ready to receive overnight guests on May 22 in conjunction with Hari Raya celebration. - NSTP/ courtesy of Lasmen Lopuk

KOTA KINABALU: Nestled among the trees by the Kiulu river, a number of quaint chalets made of bamboo will once again be occupied after two months of being vacant following the coronavirus outbreak and the imposition of the movement control order (MCO).

Following the state government's announcement to allow tourism accommodation activity to resume, Kondis Point homestay has disinfected all its chalets and given them a thorough cleaning to receive guests.

Its operator, 44-year-old Lasmen Lopuk, when contacted today, said they expect to re-open accommodations for stay-in guests on May 22, in conjunction with Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebration.

"We have four chalets and seven open huts. In the past, we allowed over 20 overnight guests. With the new normal and standard operating procedure (SOP), we now limit our stay-in guests to 10 people.

"At the moment, we are doing some arrangement to ensure our future stay-in guests practice the new SOP. We are adding more sinks for hand washing, but toilet remains shared," he said, stressing they will conduct frequent disinfection on shared facilities.

Lopuk said he had received many booking enquiries, adding Kondis Point only accepts private booking for small family for now.

He said they only receive regular customers or individuals, whom they know, as a precautionary measure.

"We will record names, phone number, and do temperature screening. We will also provide sanitisers and do family background check as well to minimise risk (of infection).

"At the moment, we also limit our daily visiting guests to 20 people. We will monitor them from time to time," he said.

Like other rural homestay operators who lost income due to MCO, Mariah Jaunus has remained hopeful and kept herself busy by making sure Bensin Homestay stayed clean for future guests.

"Our last guests left on March 19 after MCO was announced.

Several guests had also cancelled their bookings and many (homestay operators) lost income for two months.

"Now that the state government has loosen up the tourism sector, I am looking forward to welcome guests as soon as possible and hopefully next week, especially for the Hari Raya celebration," she said, adding she has already received enquiries.

Jaunus operates Bensin Homestay on a hill, overlooking scenic view of Mount Kinabalu, near Kundasang town in the highlands of Ranau.

For the time being, she said her homestay would remain closed until she gets sanitisers and a thermometer gun.

"The cleanliness of homestay is our priority. I wash and change the bedsheets and towels frequently even when there are no guests. I believe other operators do the same too," she said.

Meanwhile, B-Inspired Adobe Kundasang manager Kang Ridvan said they had begun receiving walk-in guests for overnight stay since May 12.

"Most of our guests were traveling long distance and they stopped by to rest for one night. Two families have also booked with us for Raya. Prior to receiving guests, we have disinfected out lodgings and put up signs so guests are aware of new rules.

"We have five private houses and six cabins. For the cabins, there are three shared toilets and we will operate three cabins so guests do not have to share the washroom," she said.

Kang added common areas such as open barbecue facilities and shared kitchen are also closed to ensure safety of all guests as well as staff.

When guests check-out, she noted the management would not immediately book out the same room to others and would leave it vacant for a day to allow disinfection work.

-nst online.

HYPE Durian Fest & HYPE Aidilfitri Family Package @ HYPE Motorsports Hotel Port Dickson

We’ll be back to rev you !

Assalamualaikum wbt and warm greetings from HYPE Motorsports Hotel Port Dickson !

We are pleased to announce that HYPE Motorsports Hotel, Port Dickson will resume operations and accept bookings from today and rooms are available from 29th May 2020 onwards.

In accordance with the Standard Operating Procedures set forth by the Malaysian National Security Council, we are taking proactive measures to meet the guidelines on hygiene and sanitation procedures. Please be reminded that guests are still required to comply with the SOPs that set by the Malaysian National Security Council during your stay.

Your safety and wellbeing are our utmost priority. Thank you for your kind understanding and cooperation.

Rejuvenate yourself and your family at the “1st Motorsports Boutique Resort In The World”.

We are taking this opportunity to wish all our Muslim friends and supporters
SALAM AIDILFITRI.
Maaf Zahir & Batin...and look forward to welcome you back and your kind support.

With our best regards,
From the management & staff of Hotel Pro Sdn Bhd

For reservations and enquiries, kindly call us at : +606-6466555 / +6012-3796056 / +60124843515

www.hypehotelpd.com
Truly Motorsports 

-HYPE Motorsports Hotel fb.

PATA announces release of 39 destination-specific forecast reports

BANGKOK, May 5, 2020 — Following last month’s successful release of the “Asia Pacific Visitor Forecasts 2020-2024”, complete with updates in response to the current COVID-19 pandemic, the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) is pleased to announce the second issue of a suite of 39 destination-specific reports for the period 2020-2024, sponsored by Visa. Each report builds on the regional forecast by delving deeper into the changing dynamics of travel and tourism, in and across the Asia Pacific region at the single destination level. The reports also include additional data and insights from Euromonitor International.

Each of the 39 reports covers a specific destination in Asia Pacific and individually forecasts:

• Annual visitor arrivals into each destination, by source market.
• Annual arrivals from the destination across other Asia Pacific destinations.
• Aggregate visitor receipts, where data availability allows.

In addition, each report:

• Estimates the income and price elasticities of tourism demand.
• Highlights some key visitor trends over the forecast period.
• Analyses scheduled inbound flights and seats.

Each factor describes and details how demand preferences are shifting across the Asia Pacific region. Scheduled inbound international air seat capacity for example, shifts relatively quickly according to demand, so understanding where these shifts are occurring for the almost 1.2 billion inbound air seats scheduled for Asia Pacific destinations in 2019 (1), is a useful barometer of potential demand that can translate into increased arrivals.

Obviously, with the closure of many international borders as well as airports and the grounding of many commercial aircraft – entire fleets in some cases – these capacity figures are undergoing dramatic changes. Even so, they will most likely rebound slightly ahead of visitor numbers and should be monitored to see when and where such capacity begins to expand. It could be reasonably expected that intra-regional air capacity will be the first to show substantive growth during the early stages of recovery, so here the growth in capacity between regional origins and destinations, for both Legacy and Low-Cost Carriers (LCCs), will be a significant indicator to track.

Similarly, for the elasticities of both income and prices, where for example the sensitivity of a particular inbound market to price changes in a destination may hold strategic value in determining price-based programmes for that inbound market. Income sensitivity also shows how markets may react to changes in their own relative incomes and again provides a metric worth valuing in better understanding a potential source market. Such indicators will be extremely useful in understanding the competitive position of destinations as they pursue recovering source markets in the near future.

“We are a heavily data-driven world and it is a focus on hard data that will offer a significant advantage to those destinations that best identify and cater to those source markets that first begin to travel again once this current pandemic is brought under control,” said PATA CEO Dr. Mario Hardy. “Budgets are likely to be very tight in the near-term, so a strong alignment of activity directed toward those source markets with the strongest potential for conversion to travel, will be essential. Knowing those markets and when they are likely to rebound with travel will be critical in delivering cost-effective results. The income and price elasticities as shown for many source markets will be an important factor in this regard.

“This updated series of destination reports from the PATA Strategic Intelligence Centre is designed to present insights into the ever-present shifts and changes that occur in the travel and tourism sector in such a way that strategic actions can be better facilitated. This is particularly so when faced, as we are now, with the severe limitations to international tourism growth, brought on by COVD-19. 

There will be a recovery, of that we are sure – how and when that is likely to begin is one of the functions of these reports and is one that is well served by the ‘Asia Pacific Destination Forecasts 2020-2024’,” he added.

To gain further insights and answers to questions related to the PATA Visitor Forecasts 2020-2024 and impacts of COVID-19, PATA will be organising a webinar on Thursday, May 14, 2020 at 3pm ICT under the title, “Impact of COVID-19 on PATA Visitor Forecasts 2020-2024”. Participants will hear from guest speakers from the School of Hotel and Tourism Management at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University and Euromonitor International.

Register for this complimentary webinar at https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_XaOyolTGTX2pJVVnTRbDFQ. Access to the webinar is open to both PATA members, non-members and all interested parties.

The Asia Pacific Destination Forecasts 2020-2024 are now available on the PATA Store.

About the Destination Forecasts 2020-2024 Reports

This updated series of reports has been specially designed for use by National Tourism Bodies, but each one has direct applicability for both inbound and outbound operators as well as suppliers within a destination. Covering 39 distinct markets in the Asia Pacific region each report provides quantifiable insights into the actual and projected travel flows across the region for use in the strategic and marketing planning processes.

- See more at: https://www.pata.org/pata-announces-release-of-39-destination-specific-forecast-reports/#sthash.VCcNX1DM.dpuf

-PATA.

International Tourist Numbers Could Fall 60-80% In 2020, UNWTO Reports

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a 22% fall in international tourist arrivals during the first quarter of 2020, the latest data from the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) shows. According to the United Nations specialized agency, the crisis could lead to an annual decline of between 60% and 80% when compared with 2019 figures. This places millions of livelihoods at risk and threatens to roll back progress made in advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said: “The world is facing an unprecedented health and economic crisis. Tourism has been hit hard, with millions of jobs at risk in one of the most labour-intensive sectors of the economy.

Available data reported by destinations point to a 22% decline in arrivals in the first three months of the year, according to the latest UNWTO World Tourism Barometer. Arrivals in March dropped sharply by 57% following the start of a lockdown in many countries, as well as the widespread introduction of travel restrictions and the closure of airports and national borders. This translates into a loss of 67 million international arrivals and about US$80 billion in receipts (exports from tourism).

Although Asia and the Pacific shows the highest impact in relative and absolute terms (-33 million arrivals), the impact in Europe, though lower in percentage, is quite high in volume (-22 million).

International tourist arrivals, 2019 and Q1 2020 (% change)

Source: UNWTO

International Tourism 2020 Scenarios

Prospects for the year have been downgraded several times since the outbreak and uncertainty continues to dominate. Current scenarios point to possible declines in arrivals of 58% to 78% for the year. These depend on the speed of containment and the duration of travel restrictions and shutdown of borders. The following scenarios for 2020 are based on three possible dates for the gradual opening up of international borders.

• Scenario 1 (-58%) based on the gradual opening of international borders and easing of travel restrictions in early July
• Scenario 2 (-70%) based on the gradual opening of international borders and easing of travel restrictions in early September
• Scenario 3 (-78%) based on the gradual opening of international borders and easing of travel restrictions only in early December.

International tourist arrivals in 2020: three scenarios (YoY monthly change, %)

* Actual data through March includes estimates for countries which have not yet reported data.
Source: UNWTO
Note: The scenarios presented in this graph are not forecasts. They represent alternative monthly change in arrivals based on the gradual opening of national borders and lifting of travel restrictions on different dates, still subject to high uncertainty.

Under these scenarios, the impact of the loss of demand in international travel could translate into:

• Loss of 850 million to 1.1 billion international tourists
• Loss of US$910 billion to US$1.2 trillion in export revenues from tourism
• 100 to 120 million direct tourism jobs at risk

This is by far the worst crisis that international tourism has faced since records began (1950). The impact will be felt to varying degrees in the different global regions and at overlapping times, with Asia and the Pacific expected to rebound first.

Experts see recovery in 2021

Domestic demand is expected to recover faster than international demand according to the UNWTO Panel of Experts survey. 

The majority expects to see signs of recovery by the final quarter of 2020 but mostly in 2021. Based on previous crises, leisure travel is expected to recover quicker, particularly travel for visiting friends and relatives, than business travel.

The estimates regarding the recovery of international travel is more positive in Africa and the Middle East with most experts foreseeing recovery still in 2020. Experts in the Americas are the least optimistic and least likely to believe in recovery in 2020, while in Europe and Asia the outlook is mixed, with half of the experts expecting to see recovery within this year.

When do you expect tourism demand in your destination will start to recover?

When do you expect international demand for your destination will start to recover?

 

-UNWTO.

The Future of Business Events in Malaysia - Tuesday Talk Live ( 5 May 2020 )

TuesdayTalk LIVE - tomorrow at 10.00am!

The 5th edition of TuesdayTalk LIVE tomorrow, this time in collaboration with MACEOS, will be discussing the Future of Business Events in Malaysia, with speakers from different states in Malaysia, including Dato’ Sri Abdul Khani Bin Daud, CEO of Malaysia Convention and Exhibition Bureau.

Tune in as our speakers share their market outlook and trends of the Business Events industry in Malaysia and their plans for business recovery.

Set your calendar reminders, this webinar is not to be missed. See you tomorrow!

Join here:
Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85856496191
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0XM-KQk4JWd-PIN1KaZScA

-Place Borneo MICE Management.

Domestic tourism to drive air travel

Aviation experts said domestic air travel might gradually recover from June, assuming the government relaxed the Movement Control Order and foreign travellers are not allowed

to freely travel to Malaysia. NSTP/ADI SAFRI

KUALA LUMPUR: Domestic tourism is poised to drive the local air travel industry with the recovery could start as early as June, aviation experts said.

This is amid longer anticipation of full recovery of international passengers returning to Malaysia from 2022.

Aviation experts said domestic air travel might gradually recover from June, assuming the government relaxed the Movement Control Order and foreign travellers are not allowed to freely travel to Malaysia.

In a virtual conference by EU-Malaysia Chamber of Commerce and Industry today, they said international passenger traffic would still be limited due to continued travel restrictions imposed by governments globally.

"We expect domestic air travel to recover between 70 per cent and 80 per cent by this November and December month-on-month (MoM) from 2019's levels to 4.2 million passengers and 4.8 million passengers, respectively," said PricewaterhouseCoopers partner and strategy Edward Clayton.

He said this was based on the majority of Malaysians would move to green zone, which in turn would potentially see local traffic to recover but without international connecting passengers.

Malaysian carriers collectively transported 64 million passengers last year including 28 million in the domestic market and 36 million internationally.

Clayton urged the government to temporarily allow domestic passengers to shop at duty-free outlets at international terminal until foreign traffic returns to normal.

"Retailers sales at airports are badly affected due to significantly reduced in international passengers traffic. We expect around 3,000 international passengers per day or 500,000 traffic from June to December this year at local airports. Duty-free shops are in deep trouble until international passengers return.

"Otherwise, the duty free operators will not survive and they will not be in operation when things return to normal," he added.

Clayton warned that recovery in international traffic might not happen if governments still enforced a 14-day quarantine for passengers.

"As long as the 14-day quarantine period continues, the only people that will travel are those who are returning to their home country, contract foreign workers and students," he said.

Sobie Aviation consultant and independent analyst Brendan Sobie said the local aviation sector was at a critical juncture and looking for a reset.

"They are in need of government support. This is to keep jobs scheme for their employees, where the government takes over the wages of airlines' staff to maintain jobs so that airlines can resume their capacity and growth.

"A country might lose out in the long-run without government support. The airlines have put themselves in hibernation for awhile, especially for the international market. It is expected that demand won't be returning until 2022 to 2023 before we can see a full recovery," he said.

Sobie added that airlines must boost their liquidity while preparing for the inevitability.

He said the government can drive the inbound market by making sure hotel operators can survive during the unprecedented period.

"Hence, it is important to maintain the country's status as the hub and connectivity to attract inbound and tourism as well as in the transit space when that market returns," he added.

-nst online.