MOTAC failed to address plight of travel agencies

 

PAPUH president Datuk Razali Mohd Sham said that the announcement did not take into account the interests of the travel agencies under the ministry’s jurisdiction. - NSTP/INTAN NUR ELLIANA ZAKARIA

KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysia Umrah and Haj Travel Agency Association (PAPUH) today said the Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry (MOTAC) had failed to assist the travel agencies.

Although it welcomed the latest initiatives for domestic tourism between green zones, PAPUH president Datuk Razali Mohd Sham said that the announcement did not take into account the interests of the travel agencies under the ministry's jurisdiction.

He lamented that the ministry seemed to have lost its direction in assisting the travel agencies.

He said the ministry should do more including boosting the domestic packages rather than dumping vouchers and discounts for the domestic tourists.

"MOTAC should be more sensitive of our problems as the pandemic has affected us greatly and some of our members have gone belly up.

"The minister herself has stated that 204 tour operators have ceased their businesses since March this year," he said in a statement.

Razali urged the ministry to help the tour agencies as they desperately needed the ministry's help and should not wait for things to get worse.

He stressed that Tourism Industry Act 1992 was drafted to protect the interests of travel agencies and tour guides in Malaysia.

It was reported MOTAC had rolled out plans for domestic tourism between green zones which began on Sunday.

The Stimulus Recovery Plan (SRP) is to reinvigorate the tourism sectors impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Under the SRP, the ministry will be carrying out programmes through strategic collaborations and partnerships with airline companies and other tourism related agencies.

These include services and hospitality and transportation such as Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) and Malaysian Budget Hotel Association (MyBHA).

-nst online.