THE Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry will consider offering funding aid to tourism players impacted by the Covid-19 outbreak.

Minister Mohamaddin Ketapi said Malaysia’s tourism sector is losing revenueas a result of hotel, holiday packages and flight cancellations. 

“We are currently facing a drop in tourist arrivals, which in turn has an impact on economic revenue. Nevertheless, the ministry will make full use of the economic stimulus package to address the Covid-19 situation and assist those who need it. 

“So far, we are looking into what sort of aid can be channelled (to tourism players). It could in the form of funding. As for the quantum, we will be finding out the details,” he said in Shah Alam today. 

Earlier, Mohamaddin was awarded an honorary doctorate in Tourism Managament and Hospitality by Lincoln University College at its convocation here. 

Asked whether the stimulus package will help achieve Visit Malaysia Year 2020 targets, he said the ministry was not putting too much hope on that as Covid-19 was now a global problem. 

“When faced with a global problem like this, tourists will develop a sense of fear to visit foreign countries. This could impact our tourist arrival projections,” he said. 

The government had imposed a travel ban on visitors from several provinces in China following the Covid-19 outbreak, which was first detected in Wuhan, China in December. 

Last Friday, Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng said the economic stimulus package, to be announced by Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad next Thursday, was neither a new budget nor part of the policies in Budget 2020 but a form of aid to the affected industries. – Bernama, February 20, 2020.