Melaka Hosts The ATCC Forum And The 3rd ATCCT Special Meeting

 

AYER KEROH, 14 June 2023 – Tourism Malaysia has successfully organised the ASEAN Tourism Crisis Communication (ATCC) Forum and the 3rd ASEAN Crisis Communication Team (ATCCT) Special Meeting from 12 – 14 June 2023 and for the first time Ayer Keroh, Melaka was chosen as a host for this ASEAN program.

Around 50 delegates from national tourism organisations (NTOs) across ASEAN countries attended the forum that aims to identify the best communication methods and strategies to overcome crises such as the Covid-19 pandemic. Representatives from ASEAN non-member states such as China, Japan, India, South Korea, Russia and Timor Leste were also invited to participate in the ATCC Forum.

With the cooperation and support from the YAB Chief Minister of Melaka, the Melaka State Tourism Exco as well as Tourism Melaka, the forum was also attended by The National Disaster Management Agency (NADMA), National Security Council (MKN), Information Department, Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Communications and Multimedia Malaysia, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and several other Malaysian government agencies.

The forum which lasted for two days highlighted the sharing of experiences and areas of improvement that need to be given greater attention within the ASEAN region to ensure that stakeholders in the tourism industry as well as support components for this industry to react during times of crisis precisely and accurately.

Following that, the 3rd Special Meeting was held for only ASEAN Member States (AMS) to further discuss the roles and responsibilities of ATCCT and to deliberate regarding the revision of the ASEAN Tourism Crisis Communication Manual, which was last updated in 2018.

Tourism Malaysia also organised a dinner on 12th June 2023 to welcome all delegations, hosted by YBhg. Dato' Dr. Ammar Abd. Ghapar, Director General of Tourism Malaysia, and other special guests from the Melaka State Government.

In support of Visit Melaka Year 2024, the AMS delegates were also taken to visit various tourist attractions such as Melaka Heritage Trail around the historical sites in Bandar Hilir, Kampung Morten, Melaka River Cruise, and the newly revamped Mini Malaysia Park, now known as Malaysia Heritage Studios.

-Tourism Malaysia.

PATA casts bullish projection for 2022 APAC arrivals

 

The PATA Asia Pacific Visitor Forecasts 2022-2024 Full Report released on February 15 is predicting international visitor arrivals (IVAs) growth rates of 126 per cent to 84 per cent for mild, medium, and severe scenarios in 2022 versus 2021.

The increase in the absolute number of IVAs is predicted therefore to range from 72.5 million to 175.7 million under the severe and mild scenarios respectively, lifting the total volume of visitor arrivals to between 159 million and 315 million, under those same scenarios respectively.

While it is a positive and welcome development after two years of extremely difficult conditions, the international travel and tourism sector of the Asia-Pacific region still has much to repair and revitalise.

The forecasted increases in 2022 arrivals, for example, still only return them to 23-45 per cent of the level of foreign arrivals received in pre-pandemic 2019.

Moving forward to 2024, IVA growth over the next three years is projected to be positive, with the volume of IVAs in 2024 being equal to, or better than that of 2019, under two of the three scenarios.

PATA CEO Liz Ortiguera said: “Our latest forecast report numbers, based on data as of November 2021 reviewed in conjunction with our recent research advisory panel updates provided on January 24, 2021, provide the definitive outlook for Asia-Pacific visitor arrival forecasts. As noted by our panel, the effect of the Omicron variant is projected to have a small incremental impact for now, with the key earlier assumptions still driving the forecast.

“Equitable access and deployment of vaccines plus a practical risk-based approach to health and safety protocols in travel is foundational to not only the travel sector’s sustained recovery but to the overall global recovery from the pandemic.

“We share the World Health Organization’s (WHO’s) view that the pharmaceutical sector must address barriers to access and affordability for all destinations. Furthermore, as acknowledged by the WHO, travel bans will not prevent international spread. Instead, travel channels should remain open with clear, practical guidelines as recently shared by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and WHO.”

Ortiguera also noted: “Various research studies and early travel patterns indicate a heightened consumer interest in a pivot to the right side of travel – longer journeys, more authentic experiences, and nature-based, wellness-oriented, and socially-conscious travel offerings are among the key trends for today’s travellers.

“Destinations can expedite their recovery by staying top-of-mind with consumers, communicating requirements with clarity and consistency, and offering a sustainable, healthy destination experience.”

-TTG Asia.

MOTAC Komited Jayakan Program Imunisasi COVID-19 Kebangsaan

 

26 Jun 2021 - Kementerian Pelancongan, Seni dan Budaya (MOTAC) sentiasa menyokong usaha kerajaan dalam menetapkan sasaran untuk mencapai sebanyak 80% populasi divaksin bagi membentuk imuniti kelompok negara.

Dalam konteks tersebut, MOTAC telah menyediakan satu kerangka secara holistik berhubung Pelan Pemulihan Pelancongan (Tourism Recovery Plan) selari dengan Pelan Pemulihan Negara sepertimana yang diumumkan oleh YAB Perdana Menteri baru-baru ini.

Dalam pelan pemulihan tersebut, MOTAC telah menggariskan tiga (3) fasa bagi membantu pihak kerajaan untuk mempercepatkan program vaksinasi di seluruh negara dan seterusnya dapat menjayakan Program COVID-19 Free Destination. Berikut adalah fasa-fasa pelaksanaan yang dirancang:

Fasa Pertama:

• Melalui perbincangan bersama Pasukan Petugas Khas Imunisasi COVID-19 MOSTI, satu ketetapan telah dibuat untuk menjadikan Pulau Langkawi sebagai destinasi rintis bagi Program COVID-19 Free Destination.
• Kerajaan turut bersetuju untuk meningkatkan kapasiti pemberian vaksin kepada penduduk Pulau Langkawi serta menjadikan Kompleks Kraf Langkawi sebagai Pusat Pemberian Vaksin (PPV) Awam Tambahan mulai pertengahan bulan Julai 2021.
• Selain Langkawi, destinasi rintis bagi Program COVID-19 Free Destination ini turut dicadang untuk dilaksanakan ialah di Kuching, Sarawak. Pemilihan bandar Kuching adalah bertepatan dengan lokasinya yang terkenal dengan kemasukan pelancong baik dari dalam mahupun luar negara. Malahan, MOTAC juga telah menjalinkan kerjasama dengan kerajaan negeri Sarawak dalam usaha untuk mengangkat Bandar Raya Kuching sebagai salah satu jaringan bandar raya kreatif (creative cities network) di peringkat UNESCO dan ASEAN di bawah kategori Gastronomi pada masa terdekat

Fasa Kedua:

• MOTAC juga telah mengadakan Mesyuarat Penyelarasan Bantuan untuk memperluaskan program ini ke pulau-pulau peranginan yang menjadi tumpuan utama pelancong seperti Pulau Redang, Pulau Perhentian, Pulau Pangkor, Pulau Tioman dan juga pulau-pulau yang lain. Perbincangan telah diadakan bersama Jabatan Pelancongan Negeri dan Pejabat Daerah yang berkaitan terutama melibatkan elemen promosi serta usaha meningkatkan kapasiti pemberian vaksin kepada penduduk setempat di pulau-pulau tersebut.
• Berdasarkan perbincangan tersebut, Jabatan Pelancongan Negeri dan Pejabat Daerah disarankan untuk mengemukakan perancangan serta permohonan mengenai keperluan yang boleh dipertimbangkan oleh pihak MOTAC.

Fasa Ketiga:

• Sesi libat urus antara MOTAC dengan semua Kerajaan Negeri berhubung penentuan destinasi pelancongan utama yang menjadi tarikan pelancong untuk diketengahkan sebagai lokasi yang akan diberikan perhatian dalam fasa ini. Selain itu, kerjasama juga adalah termasuk penggunaan fasiliti bersesuaian yang dapat digemblengkan untuk dijadikan pusat PPV.

Selain itu, MOTAC juga telah mengambil inisiatif dengan kerjasama MOSTI serta Persatuan Pemuzik dan Buskers untuk Persembahan Pemuzik/Buskers di PPV Awam. Inisiatif tersebut akan dilaksanakan mulai 8 Julai sehingga 31 Disember 2021 bermula di dua buah PPV Mega iaitu; Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre (MITEC) dan World Trade Centre (WTC).

Menteri Pelancongan, Seni dan Budaya, YB Dato' Sri Hajah Nancy Shukri berkata Pelan Pemulihan Pelancongan serta inisiatif yang diambil oleh MOTAC ini boleh menjadi pemangkin buat industri pelancongan dan budaya untuk kembali bangkit, seterusnya membantu negara dalam mempercepatkan fasa pemulihan ekonomi.

Pada masa yang sama, beliau turut menyeru seluruh rakyat Malaysia untuk segera mendaftar dan menepati temujanji vaksin bagi mencapai sasaran 80% imuniti kelompok negara supaya Malaysia bebas daripada wabak pandemik ini.

-MOTAC.

Malaysia Airlines Scales Down Operations, Extending its Booking Flexibility Until December 2022

 

KLIA, 4 June 2021: Malaysia Airlines will operate limited service with 85% reduction across its network during the Movement Control Order (MCO) from 1 to 14 June 2021. It will however continue to facilitate essential domestic and international travels as well as cargo movement.

 

Given the impact the travel restrictions have on customers’ travel, Malaysia Airlines today announced the extension of rebooking travel flexibility, offering customers longer ticket validity until 31 December 2022 with a one-time fare difference and service fee waiver.

 

Eligible customers can now rebook their travels on or before 30 June 2022 for travel to be completed by 31 December 2022. Malaysia Airlines previously offered customers the flexibility to rebook their travels on or before 30 June 2021 for travel to be completed by 31 December 2021. Customers may refer to the airline’ travel advisory available on its official website for more information.

 

Group Chief Executive Officer of Malaysia Aviation Group, Captain Izham Ismail said: “The recent spike in COVID-19 cases in Malaysia has moved us to prioritise further the safety and health of our passengers and employees. With customers being the centre of gravity, we hope the extended travel rebooking flexibility regardless of the class fare will provide the certainty and peace of mind that their tickets remain eligible for future travel with us.

 

As national carrier, we continue to play our role in ensuring accessibility for Malaysia together with Firefly and MASwings, via limited commercial and charter services even since MCO 1.0. From April 2020, we have successfully deployed over 350 rescue and repatriation flights utilising Malaysia Airlines’ A380, A350, A330 and B737 aircraft whilst MABkargo operated more than 1,600 passenger-to-cargo (P2C) flights since March 2020, carrying over 30,000 tonnes of relief items on its global freighter network continue to ensure the global supply chain is maintained.”

 

As Malaysia continues to impose quarantine order for international arrivals, MHholidays, the tour operating arm of Malaysia Airlines now offers a quarantine package at hotels approved by Malaysia's Ministry of Health, that comes with premium hospitality including complimentary transport. The minimum number of nights required for a quarantine stay is seven (7) nights. To book, passengers can check out https://holidays.malaysiaairlines.com/mhholidays/mhholidays-home/quarantine-with-mhholidays.html.

 

Passengers looking to rebook their travels can make the changes online on www.malaysiaairlines.com or contact our call Centre at 1 300 88 3000 (within Malaysia) or +603 7843 3000 (outside Malaysia).

-Malaysia Airlines.

Program Strategik Memperkasa Rakyat dan Ekonomi Tambahan (PEMERKASA +) di bawah Sektor Pelancongan dan Kebudayaan

 

-MOTAC.

MyBHA offers suggestions that could help ailing hospitality industry

 

KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysia Budget and Business Hotel Association (MyBHA) is demanding for assistance to be given to the hospitality and travel industries for the sake of their survival.

MyBHA deputy president Dr Sri Ganesh Michiel said the onus is on the federal and state governments, including government agencies and the private sector to cooperate to prevent further business closures and major lay offs amidst the pandemic.

"The inter-district and interstate travel bans have affected hotel operators as they would have fewer customers to serve, which would directly cause a decrease in revenue and this contributes to the reduction of workers, layoffs and finally, hotel closures.

"Many factors can be considered to lighten the burden shouldered by industry players.

"However, it seems that the authorities have failed to implement them," said Michiel in a statement today.

The association has put forth a list of requests for the government for the continuity of the hospitality and travel sectors.

The list includes a revision of the Wage Subsidy Programme and suggestions to help with electricity tariff, which can help hospitality industry players.

"We are asking them to revise the latter (electricity tariff) and suggest for it to be changed from a commercial tariff to industrial tariff rate for (hospitality) industry players.

"We want the government to implement 10 to 50 per cent discount for electricity bills till December 2021 for our industry players."

Other suggestions were for authorities to grant hospitality-related employers and employees a 12-month special exemption from contributing to the Employees Provident Fund (EPF); as well as tax exemptions for tourism industry premises for 2020 and 2021.

Michiel said MyBHA proposed for an automatic special moratorium for industry players until December 2021; and to introduce a Special Tax Incentive for the entire duration between 2020 to 2022.

He said another suggestion was for hospitality and travel industry players to be prioritised for vaccination.

He said similar to frontliners, workers in hospitality industry also deal a lot with members of the public, and this exposes them to the risk of Covid-19.

"We also demand water supply companies in the respective states to give a special discount of 50 per cent until December this year to hospitality sector, and to ensure no water cuts are made to any hotels during Movement Control Order.

"We urgently appeal for the Penjana Tourism Financing and its effectiveness to be reviewed immediately as we have been receiving negative feedback from our members."

Michiel urged for the setting up of a special division under the Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry, together with Finance Ministry to process all loan applications submitted by its industry players at this crucial period.

He said MyBHA hoped their demands could be met, and for their members' pleas, grievances and complaints to be taken seriously.

He urged the government to ensure immediate action is taken for the sector's sustainability during this pandemic.

-nst online.

UNWTO, Google scale up collaboration to drive tourism recovery

UNWTO has signed a MoU with Google to collaborate on harnessing the power of innovation, education, data and market intelligence to drive a sustainable and inclusive recovery for global tourism.

The new MoU builds on past cooperation between the UN specialised agency for tourism and Google, and comes as destinations in some parts of the world look to restart their tourism engines.

Notably, the two organisations will host trainings for DMOs, using a new Capacity Building Curriculum developed by Google. These sessions will empower destinations to switch to digital, with the training adapted to reflect their specific circumstances and the unique challenges every destination currently faces.

The new Capacity Building Curriculum will also complement existing joint initiatives, and a data sharing agreement for Google’s Travel Insights to power a portion of the UNWTO’s tourism recovery tracker.

Alongside this, the Tourism Accelerator Program, designed by Google in partnership with UNWTO, will also be scaled up globally. A pilot programme launched across EMEA (Europe, Middle East, Africa) in 2020 showed the value of working with policymakers to put digital at the heart of their tourism recovery plans and the benefits of upskilling DMOs so they can make effective use of data and market intelligence.

The partnership will go beyond empowering destinations and businesses during the immediate recovery phase. Under the agreement, Google will provide ongoing support for a number of UNWTO’s leading initiatives, including Startup Competitions designed to promote and support innovation across the sector.

UNWTO secretary-general Zurab Pololikashvili said: “The strong partnership between UNWTO and Google will help put innovation and digital at the centre of tourism’s recovery. By working together, UNWTO and Google will empower destinations, businesses and tourism workers to realise the power of data and market intelligence, both increasingly important as global tourism looks to restart and recover.”

Looking ahead, UNWTO and Google will also collaborate on joint research projects related to tourism, providing governments, destinations and businesses with the data and insights to guide tourism towards recovery.

-TTG Asia.

MITA urges government to prepare for tourism recovery and support industry through MCO 3.0

 

MITA urges support for tourism workers amid ongoing nationwide lockdown, Alor Setar Town pictured

In preparation for tourism reopening, the Malaysian Inbound Tourism Association (MITA) has called on the government to study and adopt best practices from destinations such as Qatar, Dubai and the Maldives which have successfully restarted their tourism engines.

Malaysia’s tourism sector is now in a critical stage as the country is currently under its third movement control order since the start of the pandemic, with domestic and international tourist activities banned, as the country battles to contain a surge in Covid-19 infections.

MITA president, Uzaidi Udanis, said at a recent virtual press conference that the government needed to start planning for the recovery of the country’s tourism industry, which in pre-pandemic times, was the third biggest contributor to the GDP, after manufacturing and commodities. In 2019, contribution of travel and tourism to the GDP was 13.3 per cent.

He described the current state of the travel and tourism industry as being “almost paralysed”, with players having to contend with zero income.

In a recent survey conducted by MITA, which polled its 3,000 members, the pandemic has so far forced 10 per cent of licensed travel agencies to close, and 70 per cent of companies to go dormant. While 20 per cent of its members are still active, they have had to resort to staff layoffs to reduce costs, with only one or two staff left on the payroll.

To ensure the survival of the local tourism industry, MITA urged the government to establish an automatic loan moratorium with zero interest for all loan facilities taken by industry players before March 2020. “Since all banks made huge profits in 2020, we hope banks can become a corporate role model in helping the nation during this challenging time,” Uzaidi said.

He also called on the government to waive insurance and road tax for valid registered tourism vehicles up to 2024, as operators still need to pay for annual insurance ranging from RM1,000 (US$240) to RM10,000 per vehicle per year, despite not earning an income due to the lingering pandemic.

MITA has also called for a tax waiver for all travel agents for five years from 2021, based on the projected timeline for Malaysia tourism to rebound to pre-pandemic levels. It is also hoped that travel agents will be allowed to operate from home to save on rental costs until the end of next year.

In view of the escalating Covid-19 situation in the country, MITA also urged the authorities to impose stricter restrictions during the ongoing nationwide MCO due to end on June 7, as well as to speed up the national vaccination programme so that herd immunity can be achieved faster.

-TTG Asia.

Malaysia trade rails against health minister’s plan to extend travel ban

 

A recent mulling by Malaysia’s health minister to extend the ban on interstate and inter-district travel beyond the end date of the movement control order (MCO) on February 18 has not gone down well with the hotel sector whose business survival is at stake.

In making his case, Adham Baba said maintaining the travel restrictions was very important to continue to flatten the curve.

While acknowledging the rationale behind the recommendation, hoteliers called on the government to adopt a more balanced, considered approach to stemming the virus spread.

Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) CEO, Yap Lip Seng, urged the government to discuss the matter with the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture before extending the blanket interstate travel ban across the country.

He said: “The tourism industry had in fact proven itself since the first MCO in March 2020 and had operated in full compliance of standard operating procedures (SOP), and the hotel industry even introduced its own hygiene and safety certification, the Clean & Safe Malaysia label, incorporating standards beyond base requirements of health authorities.”

Yap pointed out that extending the interstate travel ban would force more hotels into closure and more employees getting retrenched as a result. MAH also requested that the Ministry of Health extend the SOP for special clearance of shorter quarantine approved for ministers to other business travellers from overseas.

“If the Ministry of Health is confident of such SOP, it should also work and serve the business community and encourage investments,” said Yap.

Meanwhile, Malaysian Association of Hotel Owners (MAHO) president, Teo Chiang Hong, hoped the government would lift the ban on interstate and inter-district travel in order to revive domestic tourism.

He pointed out that without domestic tourism, hotels would not be able to survive for much longer. From January 2020 to this month, a total of 287 hotels had closed down and 5,265 employees terminated, according to official data. Under MAHO membership, five hotels closed down in 2020 and one hotel shut its doors this month. Hotels also have had to resort to putting employees on 50 per cent salary cut and leave without pay.

In addition, MAHO also requested more assistance for the hotel sector such as an increase in the wage subsidy quantum to RM1,200 (US$297)- RM1,500 without a cap on the maximum number of employees, extension of electricity bill discount from March to September and increasing the discount from 10 to 15 per cent. It also requested for a moratorium on business and operating licences or permits, the Social Security Organisation’s Employment Injury Scheme, deferment or reduction of assessment, as well as a review of Indah Water Konsortium monthly fixed charges linked to a property assessment value.

Teo added: “We feel that if the government is not able to give further assistance as per our request, it is pertinent to allow hotels to do business and operate as normal with the specified SOPs, so that hotels are able to generate revenue to sustain the business and not having to close down, downsize or terminate employees.”

-TTG Asia.

From drive-through laundry service to selling antiques – here’s what Malaysian hoteliers are doing for survival

 

Terrapuri Heritage Village has turned to selling vintage furniture and handmade decorative items during MCO 2.0

Hoteliers in Malaysia have been quick to adapt and innovate in order to survive since the ongoing movement control order (MCO) was reimplemented, prohibiting hotels from accepting leisure guests.

Since then, a slight rolling back of restrictions now permits hotels to provide dine-in services at their F&B outlets, capped at two persons per table. However, the rule of travel within a 10km radius from home still applies, while interstate travel remains banned.

Under these trying circumstances, some local hotels are thinking outside the box to generate some much-needed income – looking beyond food takeaways and meal deliveries, which has become the norm during MCO 2.0.

The team at G Hotel Gurney in Penang, for example, has recently started offering a drive-through laundry service where guests can drop off their dirty linen for washing.

It is also selling its in-room amenity collection, hand sanitisers, face masks, anti-bacterial wipes, and Eloura eco-friendly toiletries repackaged as corporate giveaways.

G Hotel Gurney’s general manager, Michael Hanratty, shared: “As the crisis continues to evolve, we will get through this by being able to adapt and outlast the pandemic, and come out even stronger. It is no doubt that international tourism will not recover anytime soon, but we believe that the tourism industry in Malaysia will rise again.”

Terrapuri Heritage Village in Kampung Penarik, Terengganu, which houses a collection of 22 traditional Malay houses, ranging from 100 to 250 years old, has also had to pivot its business model to survive.

Its CEO, Alex Lee, who has a love for antiques, said the hotel is selling vintage furniture and handmade decorative items on its website and social media platforms, while also providing consultations on interior design and landscape gardening for a fee. Lee said: “We are just about surviving.”

Kingston Khoo, director of sales and marketing at Mutiara Taman Negara, said the resort is promoting buy now, stay later packages which are valid until the end of the year – a move which has helped pump up cash flow.

He said: “These are well-received because of the long validity period, attractive rates and flexible conditions.” Rooms are going for nearly 50 per cent off pre-Covid rates which were running at RM680+ (US$168) for a three-day/two-night all-inclusive package with activities.

Customers are also not required to fix a travel date, and are allowed to postpone or cancel their trip by giving a 24-hour advance notice.

-TTG Asia.

Prioritise tourism frontliners for vaccination, says MAH

 

The Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) has proposed to the government to place tourism and hospitality frontliners on the priority list for the Covid-19 immunisation programme, behind medical workers and high-risk groups.

Doing so would help pave the way for the return of international tourists to Malaysia once her border reopens, said MAH.

The national Covid-19 immunisation programme is set to roll out at the end of February. It will be carried out in three phases, with the first involving some 500,000 medical and non-medical frontliners.

The second phase from April to August will involve those at high risk of developing complications from Covid-19, while the third phase will involve adults aged 18 and above who will receive the vaccine between May this year and February 2022.

MAH president, N Subramaniam, said: “The tourism and hotel industry employs 3.6 million persons and is one of the main contributor to the country’s economy and the people, and must not be allowed to collapse. We must be ready for recovery and maintain our tourism capacity as well as competitiveness in the region.”

He said that ever since the second movement control order (MCO) came into effect on January 13 and is currently ongoing, more hotels were reportedly closing, or planning to close.

Subramaniam added that the MCO has robbed the hospitality industry of any hopes of recovery this year, and the industry is set to lose at least RM300 million (US$86 million) in revenue on average for every two weeks of the MCO, after losing an estimated RM6.5 billion last year.

During an emergency meeting on February 4, MAH submitted a 19-point proposal to the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture Malaysia requesting for immediate assistance to be provided to the industry.

Subramaniam said: “While some of these are long outstanding proposals that the industry had submitted before, they are of utmost urgency considering the worsening current situation.”

Among the 19 points are an extension of the wage subsidy programme from March to September 2021, an immediate revision to 50 per cent subsidy for employees with wages up to RM4,000 monthly and 30 per cent subsidy for those up to RM8,000 per month from the current subsidy of RM600 per employee per month, as well as an extension of the tourism tax waiver until June 2022.

-TTG Asia.

MOTAC Rolls Out Recovery Plan In Collaboration With Industry Players To Revive Malaysia’s Tourism Sector

 

PUTRAJAYA, 23 NOVEMBER 2020: The Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture announced a detailed recovery plan in its efforts to reinvigorate the national economy through the tourism sector that had been impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, YB Dato’ Sri Hajah Nancy Shukri said that the recovery plan will be carried out by its agency, Tourism Malaysia, through the Stimulus Recovery Plan (PRE) with the support and active engagement with various agencies and industry players to revive the national economy through its tourism sector.

Three main cores under the stimulus recovery plan had been outlined as part of the “quick win” strategies are estimated to boost the domestic tourism campaign:

1.Restore Confidence to Travel

2.Revive Domestic Tourism

3.Maximize Resources

The programmes which had been identified to revive the domestic tourism industry focus on strategic collaborations and smart partnerships with airline companies, other tourism-related agencies including services/hospitality, transportation and private companies as well as collaborations with non-government organisations (NGOs) such as Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH), and Malaysia Budget Hotel Association (MyBHA).

The programmes which will be ready for implementation are as follows:

a) Partnerships with MAH and e-market platforms to promote holiday and hotel packages in order to increase hotel occupancy especially those located in city centres that had recorded low occupancies due to the pandemic

b) Collaboration with MyBHA to assist selected budget hotels (3 stars and below) across the country with emphasis on premises which are registered with MOTAC through ‘Jom Nginap’ and ‘Malaysia Welcomes You’ campaigns;

c) ‘Cuti-Cuti Malaysia’ campaign with the cooperation of airline companies such as Malaysia Airlines Berhad (MAB), Firefly, Air Asia and Malindo Air to increase connectivity to holiday destinations in the country to encourage domestic tourism;

d) Tourism Malaysia will collaborate with industry players in the service and transportation segments, and as well as with the private sector such as Prasarana to induce demand for inter and intra travels amongst domestic tourists and increase the use of public transport service; and

e) Collaboration with Karyaneka to offer discounts on craft products to boost sales and drive up demand for Malaysian crafts.

The suggested mechanism for the programme is by offering vouchers/discounts/cash rebates that will bring direct impact to the domestic consumers. This is one of the government’s initiatives to promote the use of digital technology through online orders and purchases, the use of mobile applications and the redemption of cash e-vouchers.

“MOTAC welcomes the government’s decision to allow domestic travel bubble between green zones in Malaysia. We hope that the rakyat will use the opportunity to travel responsibly and always adhere to the SOPs and the new norms while traveling,” said YB Dato’ Sri Hajah Nancy Shukri.

The minister calls upon the tourism industry players to continue their efforts to introduce attractive packages periodically to maintain public interest, as well as to abide by the SOPs that have been outlined by the health authorities to inculcate the new norms to ensure the sustainability of the tourism economy which is one of the biggest economic contributors of the country. The Minister hopes that the programmes and initiatives that have been planned will help revive the domestic tourism sector with effective collaboration between all relevant parties towards the recovery of the national economy.

-Tourism Malaysia.

Malaysia earmarks US$576.7m to extend wage subsidy support

 

The Malaysian government has introduced a second wage subsidy scheme worth RM2.4 billion (US$576.7 million) to assist companies that are still affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, while lowering the nation’s unemployment rate.

In a live telecast on Wednesday (September 23), prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin said the subsidies would be given to companies that have seen a revenue decrease of 30 per cent or more as compared to last year, due to the recovery movement control order (RMCO) which has been extended to December 31, 2020.

Qualifying companies will be given a monthly wage subsidy of RM600 for up to 200 employees each for three months. New applicants that qualify, but have not received assistance earlier under the first wage subsidy programme, will be eligible to receive wage subsidies of up to six months. Applications are open from October 1 until December 31.

When contacted, two major hotel associations told TTG Asia that the government’s announcement was a step in the right direction, but said more needed to be done to help industry stakeholders weather the coronavirus slump.

Malaysian Association of Hotels CEO, Yap Lip Seng, applauded the government’s extension of the wage subsidy scheme, saying that it recognises the impacts of extended border restrictions on the tourism industry.

However, he highlighted that earlier requests by industry players for more assistance, including higher wage subsidies, utilities discounts and special grants, have gone unanswered.

“For the hotel industry particularly, we are hoping for more mid- to long-term support from regulatory requirements and tax incentives to tourism marketing as well as overall tourism development. We hope that the government will take into serious consideration our proposals submitted for Budget 2021,” he said.

“This will in turn facilitate mid- to long-term strategic planning and will set the tourism landscape for Malaysia for the next five to 10 years.”

Similarly, Sri Ganesh Michiel, deputy president, Malaysia Budget Hotel Association, welcomed the government’s latest move and urged its members to apply for the extended moratorium with the banks before the September 30 deadline.

He also appealed to the government to act swiftly in tackling issues that threaten the recovery of the tourism industry, including unfair commercial practices by online travel agents who are not subjected to the same regulations as their traditional counterparts.

He added: “We also see unfair competition in our hotel industry as four- and five-star hotels are reducing their rates, which have forced our budget hotel members to reduce their selling rates as well in order to compete.”

-TTG Asia.

PATA underscores the role of hygiene in driving APAC’s tourism recovery

 

Residents in Asia-Pacific countries harbour an overall positive sentiment around tourism in the region, as compared to the global averages, with most ready to welcome visitors again with due attention to the traveller impact on environment and cleanliness.

Those are among the findings from PATA’s newly-launched report entitled The Impact of Health and Hygiene on Post-Covid-19 Destination Competitiveness in Asia Pacific.

Report contributors include the co-founders of the Global Health Security Index, a project of the Nuclear Threat Initiative and the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security; TCI Research, Tripadvisor, and the World Economic Forum (WEF).

With Covid-19 changing the way people travel, the report also found that health-related issues are among consumers’ top considerations when selecting travel destinations.

PATA chief of staff Trevor Weltman said: “Despite much remaining unknown about the future of travel post-Covid-19, this timely report highlights emerging trends about health and hygiene in travel and tourism concerning traveller booking behaviour and resident sentiment. Such insights can assist destination managers and marketers to get ahead of the curve to rethink, rebuild, and reposition their destination’s focus on health and hygiene beginning now.”

The report recommends that destination managers and other tourism stakeholders across the Asia-Pacific region begin creating close partnerships with public health officials, tourism supply chain businesses, and local communities to commence a coordinated renewal of traveller confidence in the health and safety of their destination.

Destinations that meet these expectations through investing in hygiene and safety measures and clearly communicate these changes to travellers and residents alike, will be well-positioned to win in the post-Covid-19 travel era.

The methods of analysis used in the report include social listening, sentiment analysis, and surveying. Furthermore, Part III of the report, which provides a destination competitiveness analysis, is a re-weighting of the “Health & Hygiene” pillar of the WEF’s 2019 Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Index (TTCI). The TTCI benchmarks the travel and tourism competitiveness of 140 economies to measure the factors and policies that enable the sustainable development of the sector.

Ultimately, multi-sectoral coordination between ministries of health, agriculture, tourism, and trade, and communication of the outcomes of these policy actions to the broader community, including travellers, will be critical to meeting these goals and restoring confidence in the tourism industry. “These preliminary findings are shared to provide an enhanced understanding of where the industry is heading, as well as an initial roadmap for how to get there,” Weltman added.

More about the report will be shared at the PTM Forum on The Impact of Health and Hygiene on Post-Covid-19 Destination Competitiveness in Asia Pacific on September 25, 2020 at 16:00 ICT, as part of Virtual PTM 2020. Speakers include representatives from TCI Research, Tripadvisor, Nuclear Threat Initiative, and WEF.

The webinar is open to all Virtual PTM 2020 delegates, PATA members, media, non-members and all interested parties. To register, click here.

-TTG Asia.

Hotels strictly follow new norms as domestic tourism picks up

 

KUALA LUMPUR: The hotel and tourism industry in Malaysia is cautious and ensures strict adherence to the new norms, especially now when an increasing number of people are travelling domestically.

The industry realises that the health and safety measures are necessary to safeguard Malaysians and prevent the spread of Covid-19.

Hyatt's Alila Bangsar sales executive Lee Siang Chin said the new norms were being followed by the hotel as per the government's call.

"There is no limit to check-ins for as long as we have enough rooms, but every customer must go through the MySejahtera screening as well as complete a declaration form of symptoms.

"As for housekeeping, we have two teams to ensure thorough room misting and changing of the bedsheets. "All the chemicals that we use are disinfectants and anti-bacterial," she added. 

Meanwhile, the Shangri-La Group adopted the "Shangri-La Cares" pledge a few months ago following the enforcement of the Movement Control Order (MCO).

It is aimed at regaining the people's trust through efforts to keep its hotels clean and safe for guests.

Shangri-La Rasa Sayang Resort & Spa and Golden Sands Resort Penang communications director Suleiman Tunku Abdul Rahman said: "The health and safety of our colleagues and guests are of our utmost priority. 

"At Shangri-La, it is in our DNA to look after people, to anticipate their needs and go above and beyond to ensure they have a memorable experience."

The Golden Sands Resorts, Penang by Shangri-La is the first hotel in Penang to receive accreditation in line with recognised global best practices in prevention.

Suleiman said to reinforce the strong culture of health and safety, the Shangri-La Group ramped up training, learning and development resources for its staff on essential preparatory and preventive measures. 

This includes cleaning and sanitisation frequency, ultimately enabling them to better serve guests and safeguard their own well-being, he added.

Chief executive officer of the Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) Yap Lip Seng said popular destinations have seen a pickup in hotel occupancy rates, particularly beach and island destinations such as Langkawi, Pulau Redang, Pulau Perhentian as well as Batu Ferringhi in Penang, Port Dickson and Melaka.

"These locations are recording occupancy rates ranging from 70 to 80 per cent on average, higher on weekends and holidays. "However, main cities and destinations dependant on flight arrivals are still low, such as Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Johor, Kedah as well as Sabah and Sarawak, averaging 10 to 30 per cent occupancy.

"Overall, the situation has improved compared with during the MCO. Hotels in general are offering extensive promotions and discounts to attract locals."

Yap said MAH had also introduced its own hygiene and safety label, the "Clean and Safe Malaysia" certification, incorporating base regulatory requirements with best practices from major hotel brands internationally.

For more information, go to https://www.infosihat.gov.my/images/media_sihat/normabaharu/HTML/

-nst online.

Malaysian tourism bodies plead for moratorium extension as crisis deepens

 

GEORGE TOWN: The government's strategy to recalibrate tourism and cultural industries has proven to be the right one with Malaysians responding to calls supporting domestic tourism.

Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri said this also implied that one of the key strategies, which is restoring confidence to travel by promoting feel-good factors and success stories in overcoming the Covid-19 pandemic, was a step in the right direction.

To encourage domestic tourism, she said, the ministry had launched the Reigniting Domestic Tourism Campaign in eight states.

"And so far, we see that our own people are responding to calls to support domestic tourism.

"Based on occupancy report from the Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH), the overall occupancy of the country is approximately 38 per cent with high occupancy recorded at beach and island destinations, while cities are still at a low of 20 per cent.

"For Penang, the average occupancy is at 37 per cent. However, while George Town and main areas experienced lower occupancy rate, Batu Ferringhi fared really well at over 70 per cent, especially on weekends but lower on weekdays.

"As such, I believe our domestic tourism industry will slowly recover when we have strong support from everyone in this country," she said, reaffirming that Malaysia remains committed to prioritising domestic tourism to ease the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

She was here to launch the World Hospitality, Lifestyle and Entertainment Exhibition (WHOLE) 2020.

Nancy said, as all know, trade and business events are industries that are highly dependent on international arrivals.

However, she said the goverment has to be cautious on opening the country's international borders in the best interest of the country to curb the spread of Covid-19.

"Hence, together, we are working in full force on ways to help local industry players to get ready to bounce back when the time comes," she noted, stressing the outlook for the trade and business events is positive.

Nancy said from January to August this year, the Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB), in collaboration with local associations, had successfully managed to bid and secure 20 international conferences from 2020 until 2024 with an estimated targetted number of 14,000 delegates.

"This will bring an estimated economic impact of RM173 million into the country," she said.

Meanwhile, Nancy said the time was ripe for local travel agents to include arts and cultural programmes, which is slowly coming back to life, in their domestic tourism packages in efforts to spur the sector.

To date, 12 arts and cultural performances are planned from September to December this year with the up-coming Colours of Malaysia by Orkestra Traditional Malaysia on Sept 23.

"The re-opening of Istana Budaya in Kuala Lumpur on July 17 has brought back the arts and cultural sector to life and provide income for those affected by the implementation of the Movement Control Order (MCO) and Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO).

"The first 'Konsert Norma Baharu' received tremendous response from the public with a 500 fully-seated hall. This portrays that the public is supporting the arts and culture industry, and accepting the new normal with strict compliance of the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP).

"This is what it means to live in the new normal. We must adapt to this new way of life, and not avoid the challenges it has presented. In fact, we can even thrive in the new normal by cleverly navigating the threat of this pandemic," she added.

-TTG Asia.