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PETALING JAYA: Tourism industry players hope that the government will provide more assistance to the sector that has been severely affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, if it wants them to stay afloat and help the country’s economy grow.
They said the allocation for the sector announced in the 2021 Budget needs to be reassessed to ensure better support is provided to those affected.
Malaysian Budget Hotels Association (Mybha) President Emmy Suraya Hussein said that if the conditional motion control order (CMCO) continued through the end of the year, 40 budget hotels in major urban areas would be forced to close. and some 2,000 workers would lose their services. jobs, if the government doesn’t intervene.
“There is no other way. Hotel operators can’t afford expenses, including employee salaries. Imagine, even getting a one-night reservation is difficult. How can we survive another month or two?
“We really need the government’s help to survive. We have employees and they have families and commitments. Not only hotels, all players in the tourism industry are also affected by Covid-19, ”he said.
Emmy Suraya said that among the aid the government could consider, in addition to the special allocation in the budget, was the extension of the moratorium period so that industry players could focus on restructuring the finances of companies.
What made matters worse, he claimed, was that Penjana’s RM 1 billion tourism finance facility announced by the government was very difficult to obtain, adding that only 3% of applications submitted by its 2,300 members had been approved. due to strict rules imposed by banks.
Malaysia Bumiputera Tour Guides Association President Zulkifli Ismail agreed with Emmy Suraya and expected the 2021 budget to be revised by providing one-time assistance of at least RM1,000 each to tour guides.
He highlighted that 80% of the 9,000 members of the association are part-time employees without a fixed salary and have been greatly affected since the implementation of the MCO and had to look for other jobs.
Therefore, he said, among other help the government may consider is providing locations for associations and their members to sell tourism-related products, such as handicrafts, in an effort to revive the industry.
On November 6, Finance Minister Tengku Zafrul Aziz, presenting Budget 2021, announced, among others, that the government will provide employment opportunities to 500 people in local communities and Orang Asli as tour guides in all national parks. to boost the ecotourism segment.
In addition, to ensure the availability of tourist hotspots, a total of RM 50 million will be provided for the maintenance and repair of tourist facilities across the country.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Malaysian Bumiputera Tour Operators Association, Mohd Ali Ab Malek, suggested that a special allocation be given to the tourism industry as the sector has been contributing to the country’s economy for decades.
“The special allocation is highly anticipated by the tourism industry, which consists of travel and tourism agencies, tour guides, hotels and inns, operators of recreation centers and theme parks, operators of transportation, food and beverages, as well as shopping centers.
“The tourism sector has been seriously affected. The industry urgently needs help from the government, ”he said.
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