Hotels offering great deals

 

KUALA LUMPUR: The hotel industry is hoping that people will reinstate cancelled plans for year-end holidays, with the lifting of the travel ban since Dec 7.

Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) chief executive officer Yap Lip Seng yesterday said the government's decision was timely and that locals should take advantage of deals and promotions that hotels had organised for the domestic market.

"While locals will target popular destinations such as Langkawi, Penang, Ipoh and Genting Highlands, we are confident Malaysians will find other less-travelled destinations in the country with exciting offers from hotels and tourism players."

Yap, however said, the Klang Valley, particularly Selangor and Kuala Lumpur, with its extended Conditional Movement Control Order until Dec 20, and daily increases in Covid-19 cases, would not see much improvement in tourism activities.

He said the average hotel occupancy rate for this month was expected to be 30 per cent and unlikely to exceed the projected figure.

Based on MAH's latest survey on Oct 16, the hotel occupancy rate this month in mainland Kedah and Perlis is expected to be 9.78 per cent, Langkawi (27.76 per cent), Penang (28.89 per cent), Perak (39.77 per cent), Selangor (34.33 per cent), Kuala Lumpur (27.32 per cent), Negri Sembilan (42.24 per cent), Melaka (38.86 per cent), Johor (37.83 per cent), Pahang (27.31 per cent), Terengganu (24.79 per cent), Kelantan (29.13 per cent), Sabah (13.64 per cent) and Sarawak (28.62 per cent).

On Dec 5, Senior Minister (Security Cluster) Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob had announced that interstate and interdistrict travel would be allowed from Dec 7, except for areas under the Enhanced Movement Control Order. 

The much-awaited nod, according to the tourism industry players, would allow them to get their businesses back on track. 

Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri had said the tourism industry suffered losses amounting to RM45 billion from January to June. 

She said tourism was one of the sectors hardest hit by the coronavirus and was expected to be the last to recover. 

On projections for next year, Yap said with international borders still restricted, the industry was expected to be highly dependent on domestic tourism.

"However, due to the low yield of domestic travel, the tourism industry, especially hotels, can only hope to survive with domestic revenue, with little or no profits whatsoever."

He added that since the spike in Covid-19 cases at the end of September until Oct 16, 63.10 per cent of hotels in the country suffered cancellation of events.

"This has resulted in loss of revenue worth RM35.6 million." 

He said the strategy to offer special and discounted deals with flexible stay periods and terms could help hotels with immediate cash flow. 

However, he said, for the medium and long terms, wider and inclusive strategies were needed.

"The industry will need international travel bubbles to be established as soon as possible.

"We need a blueprint on reopening borders, with selected bubbles and their corresponding set of requirements such as special insurance, healthcare deposits, as well as movement tracking guidelines and mechanism. 

"These will ensure minimal interruptions to travel itineraries while remaining under the close observation of the health authorities."

-nst online.