SABAH has been hardest hit by the coronavirus outbreak as hotels in this Borneo state, popular among Chinese tourists, have reported 30% to 60% cancellations, said the Malaysia Association of Hotels (MAH).

Initial indications show that Sabah will be the worst affected followed by Johor, Malacca, Negri Sembilan (Port Dickson), Perak (Ipoh), Penang, Kuala Lumpur and Selangor, CEO Yap Lip Seng told The Malaysian Insight.

These states will see numerous group cancellations as well as some free independent traveller cancellations.

Sabah is also well known for its flora and fauna, diverse culture, sunny beaches and seafood.

“Group cancellations are the highest compared to online travel agents and other segments. Other states are also receiving cancellations of a different magnitude,” Yap told The Malaysian Insight.

“Room cancellations run up from single digits to the hundreds, depending on size of hotels and their dependency on the China market.

“Losses documented so far range from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands, particularly in Kota Kinabalu, for cancellations up to the end of February 2020.”

Yap said many hotels have agreed to process refunds and waive cancellation fees in view of the unforeseen circumstances.

Affected agents are also advised to approach the respective hotels.

Hotels have taken precautionary measures by ensuring sanitising facilities for both guests and employees are in place. Additionally, screening of guests will also be carried out in critical areas.

“Hotels are taking all needed measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus and will support those by the government.

“We are confident that screening at all access points of the country will be effective.

“We were also briefed that airports and airlines are doing the same to prevent the spread,” Yap said, adding that the outbreak is likely to affect Visit Malaysia 2020 but the industry is ready to recover when the time comes.

A valuable lesson could be taken from the situation to diversify market segments, he said.

“At the moment, the industry is taking initiatives to capitalise on other arrivals and with the rich resources and attractions that Malaysia offers, we are confident that we can gain from other markets, not just China.”

On Sunday, Putrajaya announced a temporary suspension of visas for visitors from Hubei province, the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak.

China has imposed a lockdown on 15 of its cities, affecting about 57 million people as the government races to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Malaysia is one of the countries affected by this lockdown as about 80% of Chinese tour groups have cancelled their reservations here, tour industry associations told The Malaysian Insight.

The viral outbreak has killed more than 106 people in China, with Hubei recording 24 fatalities, while nationwide cases have exceeded 4,500. – January 29, 2020.