TOURISM industry captains are all for the Tourism Ministry’s proposal to include clean and hygienic places, including public toilets, in next year’s tourists consumer guide book.

Malaysian Business Hotel Association deputy president Jarod Chia, said it fully endorses the ministry’s plan.

“Put yourself in the tourist’s shoes. When you travel abroad, you would also want to go to clean and hygienic places,” he told The Malaysian Insight.

Tourism, Arts, and Culture Minister, Tiong King Sing, said the ministry has received frequent complaints from tourists about the lack of attention to cleanliness and the need for improvement to public restrooms in hotels, shopping malls and restaurants.

Pointing to the super clean public toilets in Japan, Chia said that was one reason why many tourists prefered to visit that country.

“In a country with good hygiene, tourists won’t have to worry about being struck by food poisoning,” he said on Facebook.

Hygiene, he added, should be at the top of Malaysia’s tourism priority list.

He said that of the association’s 2,700 member hotels, there are some that have not moved on to the required level of cleanliness of their public restrooms and bathrooms.

The members include boutique hotels, business hotels, budget hotels, star-rated hotels, city hotels, resort hotels and home stays.

“We are constantly urging these members to upgrade their facilities. Not only their bathrooms and toilets.

“Some still have door locks with hard to find parts,” Chia said.

Chia, who is also the chairman of the Johor chapter of MyBHA said to improve the standard of hygiene requires the assistance of many, the various government departments, the businesses community and the general public.

“It’s not only restaurants, malls and places frequented by tourists. Supermarkets, coffee shops and other public places not so frequented by tourists should also do their part.”

Chia said the responsibility to keep such places clean and safe is not the sole responsibility of the tourism ministry.

He said educating Malaysians on personal hygiene should start in schools.

This, he said, should be the responsibility of the Education Ministry.

“I like reading comments on social media, posted by foreign visitors. They love our culture, our food, and attractions, but when it comes to our standard of cleanliness and hygiene, they always say there is room for improvement.”

Tony Goh, chairman of the Penang chapter of the Malaysian Association of Hotels, said he welcomed the tourism ministry’s action.

“It would enhance the image and standard of Malaysia’s tourism industry,” he said.

He said the goal could only be achieved if everyone worked towards the required standards.

It should not be left to the Health Ministry and state governments to be the cleanliness watch dogs.

The industry must do their part, he added.

The vice-president of the Restaurant and Bistro Owners Association, Jeremy Lim, said it’s not only the cleanliness of restaurant wash rooms that should come under scrutiny.

“Toilets at highway rest stops, coffee shops, and markets should also improve their cleanliness. Our’s have much to be desired.

“Compared to those in Singapore, we are so far behind. This we must admit.”

Lim blamed authorities who were entrusted to uphold such standards of not doing their job.

“Our restrooms are supposed to be regularly inspected by officers from the local councils. That’s not the case as the councils say they do not have enough people to do so.

“With fewer checks, some business owners might overlook the management of their restrooms.”

In his Budget 2024 speech on Friday, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced that RM150 million has been allocated to maintain and repair public toilets in 150 local councils across the country next year.

Tiong also said people everywhere had just experienced an unprecedented pandemic and therefore their concern is on their personal hygiene when they are out of the safety of their homes.

“To cater to this trend in consumer behaviour and to make it more convenient for international tourists to access comprehensive information about Malaysia, the ministry will evaluate places frequented by visitors, including tourist attractions, shopping malls, restaurants.”

The evaluation, Tiong added, would cover service quality, environmental hygiene and the deliciousness index.

“The Tourism Ministry will introduce a more detailed and comprehensive recommendation ranking next year as a tourist consumer guide for visitors to Malaysia.”

Tiong said with modern travellers, there has been a shift in how information is sought before traveling.

Rather than haphazardly searching for travel information on the internet, travellers now prefer to use specific applications or websites to plan their trips and avoid unpleasant surprises.

He said a tailored, detailed, and information-rich tourist consumption guide would be a powerful tool for boosting Malaysia’s tourism industry.

Travellers would be able to use the guide to “customise” the most suitable travel itinerary, improving their experience and satisfaction.

For example, Muslim travellers can use the guide to search for “Muslim-friendly” hotels or halal restaurants and make consumption choices based on their budget.

“It is hoped that through this series of measures, we can stimulate healthy competition among the tourism industry. We must recognise the close link between hygiene and tourism.

“We hope that everyone will strive for higher ratings as a starting point to ensure that Malaysia’s tourism industry thrives and stays up to date,” Tiong added. – October 15, 2023.