TOURISM industry players are ready to get back into business with strict standard operating procedure in place after the ban on interstate and inter-district travel was lifted.  

They told The Malaysian Insight that the ease in restrictions will allow the industry to recover after a months-long slump. 

Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (Matta) president Tan Kok Liang welcomes the government’s decision and hopes it would put the industry on the path to recovery.

“We took a hard fall in the last three months and this is definitely good news.

“We hope that in the months to come, the conditions throughout the country will stabilise and more sectors can open.”

Interstate and inter-district travel is allowed for all areas in the county except for those under the enhanced movement-control order (EMCO), senior minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said on Sunday.

The announcement came two days ahead of the expiry of the conditional MCO in place almost nationwide on the same day.

Despite the fact that the CMCO continues in some areas, such as most of Selangor as well as Kuala Lumpur, the new rules on travel took effect yesterday.

Ismail Sabri also said police approval is no longer required for travel to other states and there will also be no limit on the number of passengers of a vehicle.

Tan said Matta’s 3,200 members would be certain to take all precautions and follow the SOP, as they want business to recover.

“We also hope to see an ease in more restrictions once the numbers of Covid-19 infections are down,” he added.

Malaysian Tourism Council (MTC) president Uzaidi Udanis said the industry lost an estimated RM45 billion as of November, since the first lockdown in March.

To ensure recovery, the industry must adapt and adhere to the Covid-19 SOP, he said.

Since it is the year-end and many people would be making plans for travel and holidays, the SOP must be adhered to strictly.

“It is crucial to comply with the SOP to ensure that our environment is safe.

“We have already been following SOP for a long time but we hope that all players will be stricter.”

Uzaidi said some 1,000 operators have taken up a programme on adapting to Covid-19 under the Malaysia Productivity Corporation. 

“This is an international standard programme to prepare players for the pandemic. 

“It sets standards on, for example, how many times hotel rooms needs to be disinfected, swimming pools cleaned and public places disinfected, among others.”

He also hopes that the government’s RM200 million allocation for its tourism recovery plan under Budget 2021 would be disbursed to as soon as possible. 

The recovery plan includes initiatives, such as discounts for tourist destinations, family holiday packages, arts and culture promotion, accommodation vouchers and campaigns. – December 8, 2020.