HOTELIERS report an improvement in bookings since the government’s move to allow travel and tourism between and within areas placed under recovery movement-control (RMCO).

Since the announcement last Tuesday, people have begun purchasing vouchers for hotel bookings, said Malaysia Budget and Business Hotel Association (MyBHA) president Emmy Suraya Hussein.

“There are already some good signs since the day Putrajaya announced the reopening of the tourism sector.

“Bookings have been made and people are starting to purchase vouchers under our promotions. These are not for a trip anytime soon, but they have booked in advance, which is a good sign,” she said.

Last Tuesday, Senior Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said tour groups are allowed to travel from one RMCO area to another and within an RMCO area effective March 10.

Called the targeted domestic tourism bubble arrangement, travel can only be done under tours arranged by travel agencies that are registered with the Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry. 

Tourism using private vehicles is still not allowed. 

However, the domestic tourism bubble will not apply to Selangor and Kuala Lumpur, which are still under the conditional MCO (CMCO) until March 18.

Emmy Suraya hopes the government would allow Selangor and Kuala Lumpur to be placed under the RMCO soon, as residents of the state and federal territory are the main sources of income for the tourism industry.

“Many hotels have been forced to do this and we hope this (domestic tourism bubble) is a new start for the industry.

“Hopefully, they will soon allow interstate travel involving Selangor and Kuala Lumpur. These two states are our main source of income.”

Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) president N. Subramaniam also welcomed the bubble arrangement, calling it a big step forward for the hard-hit tourism industry.

“Although at the moment its implementation is limited and responsibility is placed on travel agencies and operators, it is a significant indication that the government had in fact taken into consideration the industry’s views. 

“I hope we are moving closer towards a full reopening of interstate travel,” said Subramaniam.

MAH chief executive officer Yap Lip Seng added that since inter-district travel was allowed since March 5, hotels within the same district have received a number of bookings.

However, the Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (Matta) was more cautious about how much positive impact the tourism bubble will bring, since high-income states such as Selangor and Kuala Lumpur are not involved in the arrangement.

“We welcome the move but it won’t have a significant impact,” Matta president Tan Kok Liang said.

“Most of those states are not major tourism sources as are Kuala Lumpur, Selangor and Penang,” he added.

“What should be done is to have restrictions on more localised Covid-19 hotspots than on a state-wide level, which will also reduce the administrative hassle of police approvals so that the police could be freed up for other areas of concern,” he said. – March 17, 2021.