The Malaysian Insight

THE tourism sector can only recover if the government can open more vaccinated travel lanes (VTL) with other countries in the absence of unrestricted international travel, industry players said.

Domestic tour packages have not sold well because consumers prefer to make their own holiday arrangements and use their own transport.

Therefore, only the return of foreign tourists can help revive the industry, which was the worst-hit during the Covid-19 pandemic, tourism groups said.

Malaysian Inbound Tourism Association (Mita) president Uzaidi Udanis said if the government is not ready to reopen borders to international tourists, then more VTL arrangements would help.

In addition to the Malaysia’s solitary VTL with Singapore, using approved buses and flights, similar arrangements could be made for tourist hubs such as Penang, Sabah and Sarawak, he suggested.

He said, since the opening of the VTL between Singapore and Malaysia which began in late November, earnings at some attractions and hotels have improved.

A similar arrangement for Langkawi has also helped local operators, Uzaidi said.

“More than 2,000 foreigners living in Malaysia have visited Langkawi, whether to a hotel or through a local travel agency. These kinds of arrangements give hope,” Uzaidi said, referring to the international travel bubble arrangement to the duty-free island through direct flights from Kuala Lumpur International Airport or Penang International Airport.

He said many travel agencies in Langkawi have received enquiries from foreign tourists. Sales of tour and travel packages to and on the island for Chinese New Year have also been good, he added.

Domestic tourist demand for hotels and travel packages has increased for places Port Dickson and Pulau Redang, he said, but added that locals tend not to opt for package tours.

Meanwhile, locals are beginning to travel abroad now they are allowed to travel internationally.

“We noticed an uptake in flights to places like Dubai, Turkey and Europe at the end of last year as restrictions eased.

“We really hope, too, that Malaysia will re-open to foreign tourists,” he said.

Malaysia Inbound Chinese Association (Mica) president Angie Ng also said tour companies have been relying on domestic packages but reception from locals was poor.

“Locals like to pick tourist attractions that are two to three hours away, such as Tanjung Sepat, Sekinchan and Genting Highlands. These places are now saturated,” she said.

Although plenty of people travelled during Chinese New Year, tour agencies hardly earned anything, because people booked their own hotels and meals, she said, adding that hotels were also doing well, especially those located near tourist attractions.

However, this still isn’t enough to say that the tourism industry has recovered, Ng noted.

The damage from the Covid-19 pandemic is deep, as tour and travel agencies have not earned any income for more than two years, said Malaysian Chinese Tourism Association (MCTA) president Paul Paw.

He said 800 out of the association’s 1,148 members remain active.

“Local tourists would not book packages with agencies.

“With the pandemic, people are also unwilling to mingle and be in a group with strangers.

“Locals can book hotels and restaurants on their own, and there is no need for a travel agency at all.”

Agencies were hoping to develop foreign travel packages, but the Omicron variant has now made the outlook uncertain.

“The pandemic’s ups and downs have left the travel industry at a loss.” – February 6, 2022.