Malaysia

Travellers on the Malaysia-Singapore land VTL will need to undergo an on arrival antigen test to Singapore, a new requirement in light of the Omicron variant

The Foreign Minister has said that Indonesia has been proposed as a 2nd Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) destination, but that the government are “being careful in opening the country's borders especially with the discovery of a new Covid-19 variant from Africa, which is more aggressive”

The Langkawi Development Authority (LADA) expect 300 travellers on a direct flight to Langkawi on 3 Dec, now that the “nitty-gritty details” have been established for the international Langkawi travel bubble. The Langkawi Tourism Association has said that the delay in the SOPs being issued had cost travel agents between RM10-15 million in losses, as they had to refund deposits paid

The Foreign Minister has said that Malaysia will focus on establishing Vaccinated Travel Lanes (VTLs) with neighbouring countries before expanding the scheme

The Malaysia-Singapore Causeway will extend its operation hours to 18 from the current 12, to accommodate the VTL launch on 29 Nov. This will allow transport and logistics operators to be accommodated

Malaysia will impose a temporary ban on inbound international travellers from South Africa, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia and Zimbabwe. Malaysians will not be permitted to visit those countries

The Association of Private Hospitals Malaysia (APHM) has said that it will support the new Malaysia Healthcare Travel Industry Blueprint 2021-2025, and is confident that it is achievable

The Ministry of Health will enforce its SOPs more strictly for businesses, as all states except Perlis, Sarawak and Sabah have seen an increase in cases, with 7 states having ICU beds full at more than 50%

The Ministry of Tourism has said that it will discuss with the Finance Ministry about a cash injection for the Malaysia Convention and Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB), to ensure that the MICE sector can continue to expand

Self-test kits are now available for as low as RM4.90

The 2021 Malaysia Carnival will take place in Taipei to promote Malaysia to Taiwanese residents

The Tourism Minister announced that a job fair aimed at tourism workers will be held soon to help hotels with their lack of manpower

The PM has said that Malaysia is working together with a few Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) partners such as Singapore and Indonesia to establish Vaccinated Travel Lanes (VTLs)

The Malaysian Association of Borrowers and Consumers Solution has forecast that many aged between 30-45 years old will go bankrupt in 2022 once the government financial aid tapers off

The Johor police have denied the rumour in the Singaporean press that snatch thieves are waiting for Singaporeans to cross the border, saying that it is a safe place to visit

Johor state has said that the land and air Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) with Singapore will stimulate the local economy

The Andaman Langkawi is expected to reopen in H2 2023, after suffering a fire earlier in 2021

the Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council (MHTC) has launched a new medical insurance plan in conjunction with Tune Protect Group to cover medical tourists for COVID at private hospitals in Malaysia

The Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) has noted that despite some pick up in domestic hotel bookings, overall it is still low, and they are seeking help from the Tourism Ministry to support their members, including rebuilding confidence, and encouraging more jobseekers to consider the tourism industry

The Ministry of Health is delaying launching its new guidelines for aircrew to undergo rapid antigen tests on arrival to Malaysia, after an appeal from airlines to review them

The Ministry of Tourism has handed out RM58,900 to tourism players in Kuala Lumpur

The Datai Langkawi has closed for 10 days after detecting 16 positive cases amongst its staff

Four Points by Sheraton has launched a new property, Four Points by Sheraton Desaru

The Johor Chief Minister expects that 1,400 people may cross between Johor-Singapore in the first week of the VTL between the two countries. Singapore has said that it is “optimistic” that an agreement over opening up the VTL for the land border could take place by the end Nov, possible even the same day as that between Changi-Kuala Lumpur. The land border would be allocated a small quota to start with. The governments will conduct a pilot test on 22 Nov, and processes are being finalised

The Tourism Minister has said that Malaysia’s natural beauty can make the country a preferred global ecotourism destination

The government sees potential in developing Pulau Papan and Pulau Rusukan Besar into tourism destinations in Labuan

Fully vaccinated travellers will be able to enter Sabah without a test, from 1 Dec

Malaysia wants to be a hub for Hepatitis C medical treatment, and will identify hospitals which will be authorised to offer a new treatment which will be marketed at the overseas market

The Malaysia International Trade & Exhibition Centre (MITEC) has been certified as a “Safe Business Event” (SafeBE) Venue from Bureau Veritas

The Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) stated that the assumption that local tourists were price sensitive has been found to not be always true, with some looking for value instead. This insight could help increase room rates for hotels in Malaysia, which are “one of the lowest in the world”

The Sabah Tourism Board and Sabah Cultural Board will partner to promote cultural tourism, as well as ecotourism

Johor state has allocated RM4 million to tourism industry businesses, with RM621k for tour guides, RM414k for budget hotel operators, RM372k for tour agencies, RM320k for the Johor Tourism Association and RM100k for business events. It would also spend RM2 million on local and overseas tourism promotion

Further details for the requirements for the Singapore-Kuala Lumpur air Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) entry to Malaysia has been revealed: • Travellers from Singapore do not need to apply to enter Malaysia • They must be fully vaccinated, and have stayed in Singapore or Malaysia consecutively for 14 days prior to departure • Travel insurance of RM100,000 for COVID-related medical treatment • RT-PCR test within 48 hours of departure, and on arrival to Kuala Lumpur, where they must take a test and wait until the test results are released • 6 daily flights operated by AirAsia, Jetstar Asia, Malaysia Airlines, Malindo Air, Scoot and Singapore Airlines

Penang wants to work with other northern states to create a Norther Peninsular Malaysia Travel Corridor, which would create tour packages covering multiple states to compete against destinations such as Thailand and Indonesia

The Health Ministry is concerned about the rising infection rate in Malaysia, with an Rt of 1.05

The Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System Link should start operations in 2027. Once opened, it will transport 10,000 pax per hour between the two countries, easing traffic on the Causeway

The Transport Minister has re-stated that Subang Airport is not for sale, and that Malaysia Airport Holdings Berhad (MAHB) will be allowed to enter agreements with private companies to develop it. The proposal for Penang International Airport’s expansion has been put on hold due to MAHB’s cash flow

The Tourism Ministry has reported that the number of female tourism workers dropped to 48.3% in 2020 vs 50.3% in 2019

Sarawak’s tourism arrivals in Oct were 20,926, +14% YoY. 19,310 of these were domestic visitors, +21% YoY

The tourism industry is struggling to recruit staff, with the Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) stating that staff working in the tourism industry are deemed to be “high risk” by banks, and that the shortage of workers is driving up the pay offered. Malindo Air commented that it is “not easy to attract” the non-technical workers required for the airline

The Penang Port expects to resume cruises in Dec at the latest, but called on the government to support the industry to reopen, as it is waiting for approval of SOPs. It, together with Port Klang Authority, were looking at operating cruises to nowhere from Penang and Port Klang initially, but with the opening up of Singapore, routes such as Singapore-Melaka-Port Klang-Penang-Langkawi could be possible, even potentially Thailand. 3 cruises are in talks to operate a domestic route, and are starting to rehire

The Tourism Ministry wants to strengthen community-based tourism (CBT) in Sarawak, and the ministry will look to empower this sector in the state

New Agoda data has shown that the top booked destinations in 2019/2020 have only slightly changed in 2020/2021. The top 5 booked destinations in 2020/2021 were Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Johor Baru, Melaka and Kuantan

The government has said that the next phase after Phase 4 of the National Recovery Plan is the transition to endemic, with the reopening of the borders one of the most important aspects

The Sabah Tourism Board aims to transform Kiulu into a world-class rural destination

The Langkawi Development Authority (LADA) is aiming for 5,000 international arrivals between now and year-end, generating RM24.4 million revenue. On the first day of reopening, LADA stated that no international flights were expected, but some would arrive via Kuala Lumpur International Airport, however “he number of tourists cannot be determined yet”

The Langkawi Development Authority (LADA) reported that the Langkawi domestic travel bubble has so far welcomed 77,939 visitors and generated RM80.3 million

Further guidelines for the Langkawi international travel bubble have been released, including that International tourists must stay 7 days on Langkawi before being permitted to visit other areas of the country

The Langkawi Development Authority (LADA) is in talks with Qatar Airways and AirAsia to launch direct international flights to support the travel bubble

The Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) has said that outbound travel for Malaysians is still slow due to additional costs such as testing and higher airfares. It observed that the majority of tourists are still holidaying locally

The National Security Council has still not released the full SOPs for the international Langkawi travel bubble, leading to complaints from the Langkawi Tourism Association (LTA) that foreign tourists have cancelled their plans due to uncertainties. They also called for the scheme to prioritise travel agents in Langkawi for bookings, so that they can benefit directly from the scheme

The Sarawak Tourism Board has launched a new competition to showcase the state through photos and videography

Brunei has announced that it is in talks with Malaysia to open up a Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL), but “not in detail yet”

The Malaysia Budget Hotel and Business Association (MyBHA) is calling for the government to allow foreigners to work in the hospitality industry, due to a shortage in workers. They also called for the government to regulate online travel agents, and short term rental accommodation

The Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) has called the opening of the Singapore-Malaysia VTL a “good pilot initiative”, saying that it will boost tourism “in time”. They hoped that the government could open up more entry points in Malaysia other than Kuala Lumpur International Airport, as well as with other ASEAN countries

Malaysia will look at adding Qatar to its Vaccinated Travel Lane scheme. Pre-pandemic, there were 5 flights daily between Qatar-Malaysia, and now there is just 2

Malaysia has urged other APEC members to work towards a mechanism to allow safe travels amongst members

Malaysia’s economy declined by 4.5% in Q3 2021, worse than expected, but Bank Negara expects growth in Q4 2021

The Tourism Ministry forecasts an uptick in the number of outdoor activities sought after by tourists

Malaysia and Indonesia have agreed to open up a Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) between the two countries, Kuala Lumpur-Jakarta and Kuala Lumpur-Bali. The details have yet to be released

Johor has urged the Federal Government to open up a Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) at the Causeway (land border) with Singapore, as well as the one established between Singapore-Kuala Lumpur by air. They suggested it could start with a small quota of 300-500 pax per day

Malaysia’s High Commissioner to Singapore has said that the Singapore-Kuala Lumpur VTL is the first step for reopening travel, and that once “minor issues” are resolved on testing and cross-border processes, he was sure that the land border could also soon open. However, it would likely start with a limited number of travellers. It would also likely involve those arriving on public transport initially, as these “will be easier to manage”

Kuala Kangsar in Perak will be proposed as a national heritage site. The state reported that arrivals to Pangkor island were encouraging, and that hotel bookings for some areas of the state had reached 97%

The National Recovery Council has said that Malaysia expects to reopen its borders to international visitors by 1 Jan at the latest

Pan Pacific Hotels are launching two new Kuala Lumpur hotels in 2022, the Parkroyal Collection Kuala Lumpur and the Pan Pacific Serviced Suites Kuala Lumpur

The ecotourism destination Ba’kelalan area in Sarawak is expected to receive a boost from the government’s plan to build and upgrade roads which will be integrated into the Sarawak-Sabah Link Road (SSLR) project in the next few years

The Finance Minister expects that Malaysia’s GDP will grow 3-4% in 2021, and 5.5-6.5% in 2022

Penang hopes that it could also be included in the Vaccinated Travel Lane with Singapore, as it could benefit its manufacturing

The Penang Hill funicular train service may be closed down if it continues to experience breakdowns. The state put it down to a high volume of visitors over the Diwali period

Travel companies have seen a spike in flight bookings between Kuala Lumpur-Singapore, despite a lack of guidelines on the Vaccinated Travel Lane’s implementation. Traveloka recorded double digit growth in bookings, whilst Expedia recorded a 17X increase in search volumes

Sarawak is working on a travel lane with Singapore, the Sarawak state government has reported

Terengganu is targeting 3 million tourist arrivals in 2022, lower than previous years’ 5 million

Sarawak’s Post Covid-19 Development Strategy 2030 is looking at Legacy development, with conventions one of the core strategies. It launched BESarawak’s Legacy (BESLegacy), to encourage planners on how to design events with legacy outcomes at the heart of them

Sabah Tourism Board has launched a domestic tourism campaign, #MansauSabahBoostku, which saw all vouchers fully redeemed in 15 hours

The Ministry of Tourism will launch special investment zones as part of its National Tourism Policy 2020-2030. It is currently working with the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA) to identify and develop the zones. They will be created in each state to encourage public-private partnerships

MATTA Fair is expected to generate RM25 million in revenue and attract 20,000 visitors

The government will launch Malaysia’s first 5G network on 10 Nov. The initial rollout will be in Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Cyberjaya, and then subsequently in Penang, Selangor, Johor, Sabah and Sarawak

The government expects that the cost for Haj 2022 will be known by early 2022. It warned that the prices could increase due to Saudi Arabia raising VAT to 15%, as well as pandemic measures. Pre-pandemic, the cost was RM24,000, but the government subsidised the amount, and pilgrims had to pay RM9,980 only

Malaysia’s Sep 2021 unemployment rate dropped to 4.5%

The Singapore-Kuala Lumpur air route in 2019 was the world’s second busiest air route, according to OAG. In 2019, 1.2 million Malaysians travelled to Singapore, whilst there were 10 million Singaporeans who travelled to Malaysia

Malaysia is in discussions with opening up a Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) with the UK

240,361 domestic tourists have visited Langkawi since the launch of the domestic travel bubble, generating RM247 million in revenue. 133,626 arrived by plane and the rest by ferry. The Langkawi Development Authority (LADA) is forecasting Nov arrivals to be 150,000, possibly even 200,000

The Langkawi Development Authority (LADA) has stated that most international tourists for the Langkawi international travel bubble will arrive via Kuala Lumpur International Airport, and they are still waiting for a list of countries from which travellers are permitted

The development of the Sabah Eastern Zone Pan Borneo Highway could boost the tourism sector in the east coast. It is expected to be completed in 2024

Malaysia and Australia are discussing reopening borders with one another, which should hopefully be “not too far away”

The Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) Penang chapter has stated that the reason for a long check-in at many hotels in the state was due to a shortage of workers, as the industry is in “critical need” of workers for housekeeping jobs, as locals aren’t willing to do the role

The Ministry of Transport has urged airlines to lower their airfares immediately, after consumers raised the issue of expensive airfares to Sarawak

Sabah will transition to National Recovery Plan (NRP) Phase 4 on 8 Nov

The Malaysian Association of Convention and Exhibition Organisers and Suppliers has noted an uptick in interest in small-scale MICE events, and Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre will host 50 events in the next couple of months

100,000 domestic tourists visited Langkawi in one month, the government announced. 47,000 also visited museums, including the National Museum, nationwide. The Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) reported occupancy rates increased by 30% for 4 and 5* hotels in Oct, whilst domestic pax movements at airports in Sep increased by 74%

The Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) forecasts that domestic tourism will pick up faster than expected. It is planning to hold MATTA Fair from 20-21 Nov, which will have 250 booths in 2 exhibition halls, with both domestic and international products on sale. International booth sellers include Korea, Taiwan, the Philippines, Japan, Turkey and Uganda

The Tourism Ministry has allocated RM15.95 million to 14,822 tourism businesses, with RM500 for tour guides, RM3,000 for tour and travel agencies, RM1,000 for spas and RM600 for homestays

The Ministry of Tourism will allocate RM61 million to tourism businesses in Terengganu

Tourism companies who have participated in the Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) programme will have until 10 Nov to register for financial aid

Penang was the most popular state to receive medical tourists in 2019, generating RM750 million from 500,000 patients, according to the Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council (MHTC). In 2019 in general, Indonesians made up 65.58% of all of Malaysia’s medical tourism revenue

The Johor state government will give out RM1.5 million in Johor Tourism Vouchers from 5 Nov, to promote tourism in the state. It will promote RM100 vouchers through its Johor Tourism Interchange app, and 212 tourism packages can be chosen, themed around Nature Escapade, Family fun and Heritage and Culture. If the scheme is successful, it will be extended

The Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council (MHTC) has launched its Malaysia Healthcare Travel Industry Blueprint 2021-2025. It will focus on improving patient care quality, digitising the patient journey, continuing to provide affordable medical offerings to medical tourists and elevating Malaysia’s position as a safe and trusted destination. 2019 saw RM1.7 billion in revenue and 1.22 million healthcare travellers, whilst 2020 saw RM800 million in revenue. It is looking at developing Flagship Medical Tourism Hospitals, and an International Retirement Living programme

The Malaysian Tourism Council has noted that domestic tourists are now preferring to travel in smaller groups and families, rather than large groups

The Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) has said that experiential touring is now the “new black” for touring, particularly for millennials. Storytelling will also “play a big role in this new trend”

Malaysia will be participating in World Travel Mart (WTM), with 10 organisations taking part in the event

COVID rapid tests will be on sale for less than RM7, and the government aims to expand the places which could sell the test kits to include convenience stores

The Kinabatangan Corridor of Life Tourism Operators Association (KiTA) does not anticipate receiving many domestic travellers, as it is usually a destination favoured by international ones

The Malaysia Kampungstay and Homestay Association (MKHA) have called for the requirements to access the matching grants in the Budget 2022 to be more relaxed and flexible, as previous grants were very “rigid” in their requirements, which put some homestays off from applying

The Ministry of Tourism has launched promotional holiday packages for civil servants and retirees, with tour packages from RM120 per pax

The Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) has said that the 2022 Budget allocation for the tourism industry is insufficient, and urged the government to implement tax incentives for local companies who plan domestic MICE trips. The Malaysian Budget and Business Hotel Association (MyBHA) called for the Budget to focus on sustainability, instead of recovery

The appointment of Malaysia’s champion badminton player, Lee Chong Wei, as a tourism ambassador for Sabah, will support the tourism industry, the Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) has stated

Malaysia announced its 2022 Budget, which allocated RM1.3 billion for 7 initiatives. It will include: • Targeted wage subsidy for businesses who suffered at least 30% decline in revenue • RM600 million in business credit through the Penjana Tourism Financing and the Malaysia Development Bank Berhad’s (BPMB) Rehabilitation Scheme • RM85 million assistance for 20,000 tour operators • RM50 million allocated for tourism infrastructure • RM30 million in matching grants for 738 budget hotels for repairs • RM60 million incentive fund for those promoting domestic tourism industry • Extension of the income tax relief for domestic tourism spend of up to RM1,000 • RM20 million allocation to the Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council (MHTC) to promote medical tourism

Penang reported RM66.214 million from business events in 2020. It had originally forecast RM1.7 billion for 202. It has secured 15 international conferences from 2022-2025

: 9 ecotourism clusters in Sarawak have been identified as potential areas which should have their sustainability preserved and focused on, according to the Tourism Ministry

Tourism Malaysia has partnered with Petron Malaysia to launch a Jom Jalan Jalan campaign to incentivise domestic tourism

Tourism stakeholders have expressed concern over the condition for the Langkawi international travel bubble that tourists must use a travel agent to book their services, so that the agent can be held responsible if cases increase. They argue that it is difficult to control tourists’ behaviour, and that it has not yet been defined if a booking via a foreign OTA would be acceptable

The Tourism Minister has said that the country could reopen fully to international tourists by “early December”, and that they will monitor the Langkawi international travel bubble to take a decision

The domestic Langkawi travel bubble has generated 100,000 visitors from 16 Sep-15 Oct, according to the Tourism Minister

Malaysia’s Tourism Minister has said that Malaysia could reopen to Singaporean tourists “very soon”, and that "we are open (to) Singapore as long as Singapore is open to us as well”. She will meet with the Singaporean government next week to discuss resuming cross-border travel

The Langkawi international tourism bubble project will be open to tourists from all countries. Conditions would include that the tourist must book via a registered tourism agency

Tourism Malaysia Northern Region (TMWU) is planning to organise more tourism activities to attract visitors to the region

Johor and Terengganu will transition to Phase 4 of the National Recovery Plan (NRP) from 25 Oct

The PM has announced that an international travel bubble to Langkawi with no quarantine will be launched on 15 Nov, and will run as a pilot scheme for 3 months, whilst its effectiveness and safety was evaluated, before being rolled out to other destinations. Malaysia will aim for “high-yield” tourists, and travellers must: • Be fully vaccinated. Non-vaccinated children under 18 permitted to travel with fully vaccinated parents/ guardians • Stay for at least 3 days • Take an RT-PCR test 72 hours before arrival • Have minimum travel insurance of $80,000 USD • Use the services of a travel agent under the tourism ministry • For arrivals into Kuala Lumpur, travellers must do rapid tests on arrival, whilst those arriving directly to Langkawi can take an RT-PCR test on the second day of arrival. Those staying more than 5 days will need to be tested on day 5 in addition

Johor Bahru and Muar have seen hotel occupancy levels of up to 80% at some hotels, with Desaru Coast reporting an average of 65%. Tour packages for Mersing island-hopping are almost fully booked until mid-Nov, a Johor government official stated

Indonesia and Malaysia have agreed to establish a travel corridor for essential business travel, the respective foreign ministers announced. They stated that it would be followed by academics, then tourists. No start date was given

Pangkor hotels have reported a hotel occupancy rate of 78% since the reopening of interstate travel, with 56% occupancy in Taiping and 50% in Ipoh. 9,888 tourists visited Pangkor from 11-16 Oct

Malaysia will shorten its quarantine for international arrivals to 7 days for fully vaccinated travellers. This could be undertaken either at designated facilities, or at home. Non-vaccinated or partially vaccinated travellers would need to undertake a 10-day quarantine at designated facilities. Malaysians will also be permitted to undertake international travel for Umrah purposes

Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Melaka will move to Phase 4 of the National Recovery Plan (NRP) from 18 Oct, whilst Kelantan, Perak, Penang, Kedah and Sabah will move to Phase 3. From 18 Oct, all states in the country are under at least Phase 3. Under Phase 3, MICE is permitted for those fully vaccinated, but attendees must undertake a pre-event test and are limited to 50% capacity of he venue

A pilot scheme of test and release for returning Malaysians who have undergone official trips with strict itineraries will be trialled from 18 Oct. The PM said that this would be extended to business traveller soon too

The Health Ministry has removed the need for pre-departure tests for the Langkawi domestic travel bubble from 12 Oct, after just 0.4% of travellers tested positive, and no clusters were produced from the travel bubble initiative

Malaysia will permit interstate travel from 11 Oct, after reaching the 90% threshold of adults fully vaccinated. Fully vaccinated residents with their children will be permitted to travel domestically

Malaysians will be permitted to travel overseas without needing to obtain prior permission. However, they will still be subject to a 14-day quarantine on return to the country. The PM said that Malaysia’s “gates are not yet open, except for emergencies, business and official purposes”

The Langkawi domestic tourism bubble has so far generated RM24.9 million as of 6 Oct, with 60,504 travellers and an average of 16 flights per day and 2 ferry trips. Langkawi launched its Langkawi Great Sales 2021 program on 10 Oct, which it believes will boost tourism and facilitate entry to the island’s attractions

Malaysia’s tourism losses for 2021 are expected to grow to RM165 billion from RM135 billion in 2020

Johor will move to Phase 3 of the National Recovery Plan and Pahang Phase 4 from 8 Oct

The Tourism Ministry is studying whether to impose regulatory mechanisms on OTAs, and will also look at the issue of commissions charged. It is also looking into whether Airbnb should be registered premises for accommodation under the ministry

The majority of tourists to Langkawi under the domestic tourism bubble made their own arrangements. A survey also discovered some tourists booking via unlicensed tour operators

Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya will transition to Phase 3 of the National Recovery Plan (NRP) from 1 Oct. Melaka will move to Phase 3, and Kedah to Phase 2 from 1 Oct, meaning that the whole country is under at least Phase 2

Cruises to nowhere are expected to be approved by the National Security Council soon, Penang Port has indicated. It expects Leisure World and Genting cruise operators to have a total of 600 pax daily, at a reduced capacity

The government has said that it expects interstate travel to start in the next 3 weeks

The Melaka Tourism Association has suggested that a healthcare travel bubble could be established for Indonesians, using charter flights to the Batu Berendam International Airport in Batu Berendam

Johor has sent a proposal for travel bubbles to the federal government for Desaru in Kota Tinggi, and several islands near Mersing, as well as Muar

The Mersing Tourism Association has called for the government to allow tourism players in Mersing to operate soon, as it has reached over 90% vaccination of its adult population. They want island hopping to be permitted, allowing operators to generate income before the November monsoon season

The Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) has said that the “industry is on the verge of collapse and domestic travel must be intensified the soonest possible with the opening of international borders.” They are calling for the government to open more destinations, and that vaccinated travellers could travel interstate without restrictions. The Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) also called for more destinations to be reopened, such as Penang, Johor and Sabah, for travel bubbles

Pangkor Island has yet to fulfil all the conditions set by the Tourism Ministry to reopen, the Perak tourism committee has said

The Melaka chapter of the Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) has greeted the announcement that Melaka could be opened to domestic tourists, but has said that clear SOPs are required, including swab tests for tourists staying at hotels, as well as regulation of short-term rentals. However, the iconic Jonker Walk night market is only expected to reopen in Dec

The Malaysian government has announced that there will soon be a mutual recognition between Malaysia and Singapore’s vaccination certificates, to help ease movement between the 2 countries. After that, Malaysia can look into opening the border with Thailand, and other borders

Sabah is ready to launch travel bubbles within the state, allowing residents to travel to different districts, but hotels and travel agents would need to get special permissions to be able to operate, and all tours and stays must be pre-booked

The Malaysia Convention and Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB) is urging the government to reopen the MICE industry to fully vaccinated attendees. It has said that it has secured 164 business events from 2022-2030, but that it is crucial the government understands that the business events industry can reopen safely under strict regulations

12,607 tourists have visited Langkawi from 16 Sep to 22 Sep. 8,587 arrived by air, and 4,020 by ferry. The State Tourism Minister has said that they had expected 30,000 visitors to Langkawi in Sep, but this may not be achieved, due to the strict prevention procedures

The Malaysia Tourism Council has issued 1,500 compliance certificates for the Adopt and Adhere Covid-19 standard operating procedure (SOP), with almost 100% of Langkawi tourism operators receiving it

The Melaka Chapter of the Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) has said that its member hotels are “all ready” for guests and have started to receive bookings

The Department of Statistics have reported that there were only 4.3 million international arrivals into Malaysia, a drop of 83.4% YoY, and the worst drop in Malaysia’s tourism history. The Gross Value Added of Tourism Industries in 2020 was RM199.4 billion, 14.1% of GDP, vs. 15.9% in 2019. Travel agencies recorded -66.7% growth, and accommodation -54.6% growth in 2020. Internal tourism consumption in 2020 was RM52.4 billion vs 2019’s RM182.1 billion, -71.2% YoY. Domestic tourism contributed 73.8% to the internal tourism consumption in 2020. Overall, tourism employed 3.5 million people, 23.1% of the total employment in Malaysia, a drop of 2.9% YoY

The Tourism Ministry has called on tourism stakeholders to start preparing for tourism in the endemic phase

Tasik Kenyir in Terengganu has welcomed 35,000 visitors since reopening on 1 Sep

Johor will submit a proposal to the Malaysian government on reopening the border to Singapore for the Daily Commuting Arrangement (DCA)

The Malaysian Foreign Minister has said that Malaysia will continue to negotiate reopening the borders with Singapore, including the Daily Commuting Arrangement (DCA) and that opening “remains a priority”

Once Sabah reaches an adult vaccination rate of 70%, the state will allow cross-district travel

The Health Minister has said that Malaysia is no longer looking at “herd immunity”, but “the broadest coverage of vaccination as possible”

Businesses will be permitted to operate at full capacity if all employees are fully vaccinated, and restaurants will be permitted to operate longer hours, from 6am-midnight from 23 Sep. The government also announced that tourism centres, premises and attractions such as zoos, aquariums, snorkelling, forest parks and scuba diving can reopen from 1 Oct, as well as spas. The operators and visitors must be fully vaccinated

Interstate activities, tourism centres and islands will be permitted to reopen once Malaysia hits the 90% of its adult population vaccinated mark

A Tioman Task Force has been set up to enforce compliance with regulations for when the island reopens. The state government has proposed that tourists be limited to boarding ferries at the Teluk Gading jetty only, to allow easier screening, and testing would be done at the jetty terminal only

Johor will move into National Recovery Phase (NRP) Phase 2, Pahang to Phase 3 and Negri Sembilan to Phase 4 from 24 Sep

Shares of Genting rose on the prospect of Genting Highlands reopening as a tourist destination from 1 Oct

The Malaysia Tourism Council has said that the tourism industry needs more innovative financing, and that the current financing is too strict for SMEs. They are calling for the establishment of a tourism bank. The Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) also called for specific allocations for the tourism industry, including an extension of the wage subsidy scheme, automatic bank moratorium and waiver of interest, beyond simply giving tax benefits

Penang’s tourism committee has said that Thailand’s new visas could be a contender for the MM2H scheme, and the government should relook at its criteria

Penang Hills Watch, an environmental group, have called for the government to review its proposed project of building cable cars on Penang Hill, to avoid compromising its ecology and the designation of UNESCO biosphere

The Pahang state government has said that it has not received any application for a theme park to be built in Cameron Highlands, and it has not been discussed at any executive committee meetings

The Tourism Minister has announced that they plan to add Genting Highlands, Melaka and Tioman Island to the domestic travel bubble scheme from 1 Oct, although this is subject to approval. More refined SOPs are being developed, including swab tests

Tourism Malaysia Sydney has launched a second series of its Street Food Journeys, a campaign which sees virtual trips across Malaysia which highlight each state’s food culture

The Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre is the first venue in Malaysia to be certified with the Safe Business Events (SafeBE) label by Bureau Veritas

A joint campaign, "Jom Cuti-Cuti Malaysia! Experience Malaysia Like Never Before", between Tourism Malaysia, Shopee and the Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) has launched special promotional deals to Langkawi, with discounts of RM50 and RM100

The Tourism Ministry has pronounced the Langkawi tourism bubble a success when it reopened with 9,500 domestic tourism arrivals and no COVID-19 cases amongst tourists

Fully vaccinated travellers from overseas will be permitted to apply for home quarantine via a new portal from 21 Sep. Their residence will need to be considered suitable for the quarantine, and applications must be submitted 7-10 days prior to the arrival date

The Ministry of Health is looking at preparations at Kuala Lumpur International Airport for the reopening of travel, including reducing the number of forms and stages which travellers have to pass through on arrival

The Association of Tourism Attractions Penang (ATAP) urged the government to look beyond Langkawi’s attractions as a method of deciding whether other attractions in the country should reopen

The Malaysian Budget and Business Hotel Association (MyBHA) have called for the government to regulate commissions charged by OTAs, saying that price wars amongst OTAs was driving prices down

MATTA are calling for interstate travel between Melaka, Negri Sembilan, Selangor, Putrajaya and Kuala Lumpur to be allowed

Mount Kinabalu reopened its hiking activities on 16 Sep for fully vaccinated tourists

The Four Seasons Resort Langkawi has reported an increase in reservations for Q4 2021, with some for 2022 already

The Malaysian Association of Tour & Travel Agents (MATTA) has called for the government to speed up its opening of domestic tourism, as the economy needs a kickstart. The Malaysian Inbound Tourism Association (Mita) is calling for more destinations which have achieved herd immunity to reopen, such as Pulau Tioman, Pulau Pangkor and Federal Territory Labuan. This would also avoid Langkawi from being overcrowded

Gua Musang’s Pos Gob is being considered to be developed as a tourist destination from early 2022

Sarawak has said that it is ready to implement a similar travel bubble to Langkawi’s, although they do not know when the date could be

All accommodation operators in Terengganu are being encouraged to use online booking systems with pre-booking, to avoid overcrowding at jetties once tourism reopens in Phase 3

The ferry from Kuala Kedah to Langkawi will reopen on 23 Sep

The Tourism Ministry has said that those tourists travelling to Langkawi who test positive will be allowed to reschedule their flight tickets and accommodation. The Langkawi scheme will be monitored for 2 weeks before looking at opening up other destinations such as Pulau Tioman, Pulau Pangkor and Labuan

Many 5* hotels in Langkawi are fully booked for the second day of the travel bubble, with the Malaysian Association of Hotels noting that bookings were between 60-80%, whilst 4* hotels and below were at 40%

The opposition has urged the government to provide more subsidies for the tourism industry, saying that it is “too important” to be postponed until later

Pangkor Island will urge tourists to pre-book their ferry tickets once the island opens, to prevent overcrowding

More economic sectors will be allowed to reopen from 17 Sep. States under Phase 1 will be permitted to open more shops, whilst Phase 2 will see private sector companies permitted to operate at 60% capacity if 40% of their employees are fully vaccinated, and 100% capacity if 80% of their staff are fully vaccinated. Face to face and physical meetings will also be permitted under Phases 2, 3 and 4 for those for are fully vaccinated. Cruise ships will be permitted at 50% capacity, so long as all crew and passengers are fully vaccinated

The government has reported that 1,520 travellers arrived into Langkawi by flight on the first day of its travel bubble, and that most travellers agreed that testing before travel was necessary

Ferries from Kuala Perlis to Langkawi were delayed on the first day of the Langkawi reopening due to tourists being required to undergo testing before boarding

The National Recovery Council is optimistic that more tourists will visit Langkawi, and that although there are processes to be finetuned, overall they hope that confidence will grow

5 COVID-positive tourists were detected who intended to travel to Langkawi on 16 Sep

The Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MOTAC) are aiming for 200,000 domestic tourists to Langkawi from Sep-Dec. They expect 30,000 in Sep

Malaysia Airlines reported that its first flight from Kuala Lumpur to Langkawi was at maximum capacity. Berjaya Langkawi Resort have reported that their bookings have started to pick up

The Hotel Royal Penang in George Town will stop operations on 15 Nov, as part of a restructuring exercise

The Kedah Mentri Besar forecast that the first day of the Langkawi travel bubble would see 2,500 tourists arriving by sea and air

Sarawak has changed its entry rules for domestic travellers, stating that those who are fully vaccinated will not need to quarantine upon arrival. However, they must fill out entry declaration forms and undergo an RT-PCR test within 3 days of departure

The government has allowed more economic sectors to reopen, as keeping everything locked down is no longer feasible and can be detrimental to Malaysians’ mental health

government is planning to reduce virus prevention SOPs to just 10, from the present 181, in an effort to simplify them

Whether Malaysia will further open up the tourism sector is dependent on the Langkawi tourism bubble proving that it can be implemented safely, saying “If Langkawi fails, we will not open other new travel bubbles”. The government is also discussing interstate travel and whether it can be fully permitted

Malaysia’s Q2 2021 unemployment rate fell to 4.8% from 5.1% in Q2 2020

The change to the criteria for the Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) programme has been defended by the government, who say that it will attract high quality participants. It also aims to standardise the program across Sabah and Sarawak

A new Ipsos poll has shown that 80% of Malaysians think it will take 2 years as a minimum for the local economy to recover. It also found that 84% of respondents gauged economic recovery to be the establishment of new business, 83% with an influx of tourism, 76% taking vacations

Sabah Tourism Board is developing stargazing as a tourism product for reopening domestic tourism, which in turn will stimulate rural tourism

Langkawi plans to open a large-scale drive-through testing centre which can accommodate up to 5,000 swab tests in Oct, to support the reopening of tourism

UNESCO has recognised Penang’s Bukit Bendera as a Biosphere Reserve, the third for the country

The Health Ministry announced that travellers aged 7 and above for the Langkawi travel bubble would need to present a negative RT-PCR or rapid antigen test taken within 48 hours of travel, to be permitted to enter. Travellers can either purchase their own antigen tests and bring them along to the airport or ferry terminal, or can purchase self-tests at screening sites at the airport and ferry terminals

AirAsia will partner with Langkawi Development Authority (Lada) to introduce a duty-free shopping experience through the AirAsia Super App, allowing tourists to order products and have them delivered to their hotel the same day

Sarawak has seen 26 industry partners graduate from Society for Incentive Travel Excellence (SITE)’s Certified Incentive Specialist (CIS) course

Penang state government has asked permission to reopen 4 outdoor tourist attractions for a test run for 3 days per week, for fully vaccinated visitors who pre-book tickets. Capacity would be limited to 30 pax at any time. The 4 attractions are The Habitat, Tropical Spice Garden, Penang Tropical Fruit Farm and Penang Bird Park, and the test run would be in conjunction with the Association of Tourists Attractions Penang (ATAP)

The Business Events Council Malaysia has asked the government to reopen business events and MICE urgently, saying that “Reopening the sector now will give us the chance to catch up with the rest of the world in planning, and if we wait any longer, we will lose out to other global cities that are also bidding for a stake of the industry”

The government party in power and the opposition, Pakatan Harapan, has signed a confidence-and-supply agreement, which aims to create a stable government. Amongst points of the agreement include to not dissolve Parliament before 31 Jul 2022 and Pakatan Harapan will support or abstain from voting on the Budget 2022

Malaysia crossed over 2 million cumulative cases on 14 Sep

Schools will reopen in phases nationwide from 3 Oct, depending on their state’s National Recovery Plan (NRP) phase. Those in Phase 1 will not be permitted to open, whilst in Phase 2 it will be largely restricted to examination years, and at 50% capacity

The Langkawi Development Authority expects 400,000 tourists to arrive on the Langkawi travel bubble program between 16 Sep to end Dec, generating RM165 million. For the initial period, they forecast 2,000 arrivals per day, and 30,000 until the end of Sep

The Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) have stated that average hotel occupancy rates for 4 and 5* hotels are at 50% in Langkawi, whilst 3* and below were at 20-30%

The Indonesian Tourism Minister has suggested creating a Phuket, Langkawi and Bali tourism “triangle”

Singapore remains committed to cooperating with the new Malaysian government, the Foreign Affairs Minister has said. Discussions on reopening borders are ongoing, and have “made good progress”

The Malaysian Association of Convention & Exhibition Organisers & Suppliers (MACEOS) has called for business events to be recategorized from social events, to allow them to resume earlier than the National Recovery Plan Phase 4. A July 2021 member survey showed that more than 50% of its respondents said that they could only sustain their operating cash flow for 3 months. They urged the government to allow MICE events to take place under Phase 3 for fully vaccinated people, at 50% capacity

The time to process a MyTravelPass (MTP) application has been increased to 14 days from 7, due to a high number of applications received and an increasing number of business travellers

Visitors to Langkawi will not need COVID-19 tests, the Tourism Minister has said – private vehicles will also not be permitted on the island

Travellers to Langkawi via flights do not require police permission letters, the government has clarified

Schools are set to open from 3 Oct at 50% capacity for states under Phase 2 and upwards

Perak state expects to reopen Pangkor Island to fully vaccinated domestic tourists from 1 Nov, subject to approval from the National Security Council

An expert has suggested that more fig trees be planted in Sabah, to encourage the wildlife to visit particular areas, and boost wildlife tourism

The school academic year in 2022 will start in March, with the long school holidays in 2021 falling between 10-31 Dec

The Sabah State Tourism Minister has said that tourism players should focus on interdistrict tourism. They are encouraging the development of travel bubble programs

Malaysia has proposed a cross-border China-ASEAN travel bubble to boost trade connectivity and tourism

Airbnb Malaysia has reported that 60% of the new Airbnb hosts in the country in H1 2021 were aged between 25-40, with the top 5 states including Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Johor, Sabah and Penang. Hosts from Jan-Jun earned RM680,000

Agoda’s Return to Travel survey for Malaysians reported that: • The top 3 things Malaysians are looking forward to are seeing family and friends, not wearing a mask and travelling • 18% most looked forward to international travel, 16% domestic travel • Over a quarter planned to travel within a month of eased travel restrictions, 48% planned a trip in 4 months • Beach and coastal destinations were preferred

The guidelines for the Langkawi tourism bubble plan have been released, and include: • Open to all fully vaccinated travellers except those travelling from Enhanced Movement Control Order (EMCO) areas from 16 Sep • Travellers by road must use tour agency services, or use transportation services from the journey start point to the Lnagkawi ferry jetty • Travellers by air, as well as from Kedah and Perlis, will not need to use travel agencies • Travellers must apply for a police permit for travel, showing proof of bookings • Daily visits, overnight stays and tour package bookings through licensed travel companies are permitted • Those below 18 are permitted to visit, so long as they are accompanied by fully vaccinated parents • Activities allowed in Langkawi include hotels (with all facilities open), homestays, beach activities, water sports, snorkelling, scuba diving, fishing tours, edutainment centres, recreation parks, extreme/adventure/nature parks, farms, aquariums, zoos and other leisure, recreational and social activities

Travel agents will be permitted to operate without having to register with the Covid-19 Intelligent Management System (CIMS). This would allow agents to be able to start to generate income immediately

Sabah’s tourist sites will now be opened to those visiting from the same district, including hotels. However, MICE activities are still not permitted

The Penang Association of Tourism Attraction (Atap has reported that 70% of its 60 members had either suspended or stopped operations. They urged the government for clarity over a reopening roadmap, saying that they “are on the verge of dying”

The Health Minister has ordered the MySejahtera app team to resolve the issue of people being fully vaccinated but unable to access their vaccine certificate on the app

The Health Minister has stated that interstate travel is still under discussion and ”almost there”, but that good health capacity nationwide would be an important factor

The Health Ministry has admitted that they are “not sure” what is driving the high number of cases in Sarawak, a state which has now fully vaccinated 87.9% of its population

The number of unemployed in Malaysia in Jul 2021 grew to 778,200, 4.8%

The Ministry of Health have now launched granular health data surrounding COVID-19 on a dedicated website

AirAsia’s Tony Fernandes has said that the company’s “transformation is over” and that now it is an “investment holding company with a portfolio of synergistic travel and lifestyle businesses that leverage data and technology”

The Langkawi Tourism Association are seeing interest in domestic travels to Langkawi. It expects the community economy to grow by 70% once it reopens. The Malaysian Association of Hotels Kedah and Perlis chapter stated that “there cannot be a re-shut of Langkawi tourism” and that bookings are at 20% for a start, which is expected to further increase as clarification is made over the SOPs involved for travel

The government has said that reviving tourism will be key to kickstarting the Malaysian economy

The Association of Private Hospitals Malaysia have called for a green bubble concept for medical tourism, as the first way for international travel to restart. They pointed out that the current regulations for permitting medical tourists were too tight, as charter flights needed to be arranged

The Tourism Ministry is targeting 420,000 visitors for the Langkawi tourism bubble from Sep-Dec 2021

ICU usage nationwide rose to 84%, from 68% the on 6 Sep

Sarawak Tourism Board is focusing on quality tourists over quantity, and will place an emphasis on slow tourism with a highlight on Culture, Adventure, Nature, Food and Festivals. The state government is preparing digital travel passes, apps, tourist information and GPS tracking for when tourism reopens

Kuala Lumpur, Selangor and Putrajaya will transition to Phase 2 of the National Recovery Plan (NRP) on 10 Sep. Travel will be permitted between the 3 areas, and roadblocks will be removed. Economic activities permitted under Phase 2 include local tourism at hotels and homestays. More allowances will be given to states under Phase 1 (Kedah and Johor) for fully vaccinated, including allowing indoor sporting activities

Malaysia will start to treat COVID-19 as endemic from the end of Oct, a government minister has stated

Johor wants to focus on 3 areas for tourist bubbles: Muar district, Mersing islands and Desaru Coast

Cinemas, art galleries, museums and showrooms will be permitted to reopen from 9 Sep, subject to certain capacity restrictions and depending on the visitors’ vaccination status

The Malaysian Association of Tour & Travel Agents (MATTA) Kedah chapter has expressed hope that the SOPs for visiting Langkawi will soon be released

The Pahang government is awaiting approval from the National Secuity Council to be permitted to reopen some of their tourism destinations under a travel bubble

Kuala Perlis ferry operators are planning to increase the number of ferry trips to Langkawi. The Langkawi Tourism Industry Organisation has called for stringent SOPs to be issued for the reopening, to prevent cases increasing on Langkawi. They suggested that reopening should be done first for those residing in Kedah, and then from other states

The Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB) has launched a new sponsorship package under its Meet in Malaysia campaign, Let’s Meet Now, which offers 50% sponsorship for a one full-day meeting for Malaysian registered companies, associations and institutions. Since the launch of the overall campaign in 2020, 44 event support applications have been received

Tourism Malaysia donated food baskets to tourist operators on Tioman Island

The Tourism Minister has proposed that vaccinated domestic travellers from all states should be permitted to visit Langkawi under the travel bubble. Travellers would be able to drive to the island, but must obtain police approval for the journey

The Malaysian Association of Hotels has called for a milestone roadmap to signal when interstate travel will be permitted

All travellers who enter Malaysia must verify their COVID-19 vaccination certificates with local authorities

Malaysia Airlines is ready to increase the frequency of their flights to Langkawi, as is Firefly Airlines. AirAsia is also looking to launch campaigns aimed at boosting tourism in Langkawi “with very attractive deals to be announced soon”

Malaysia and Singapore are in talks to mutually recognise one another’s vaccine certificates. The opening up of Johor would be done with strategic locations in phases, including Desaru, Isakandar Puteri and Mersing

The Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) have called for a reopening beyond just Langkawi with controlled itineraries, to allow a “more effective recovery strategy”, allowing destinations like Penang, Terengganu, Pahang, Melaka, Sabah and Sarawak. Nevertheless, they acknowledged that “it is better than nothing”. They also cautioned that other states cannot wait too long, as “the tourism infrastructure and companies would be 'dead' by then."

Kedah/Perlis Malaysian Association of Hoteliers chairman has said that hotels in Langkawi are expecting a 20% boost in occupancy rate, which they expected would increase after Oct

The KPI for the Health Ministry is to ensure that 80% of the adult population is fully vaccinated within 100 days

The government has said that less than one quarter of applicants for the home quarantine program have been approved, based on a risk assessment. Those 400 who have been permitted have been monitored with a digital tracking bracelet in a pilot program

The Ministry of Tourism has said that 7 main tourism activities will be permitted in Langkawi when it reopens to local tourists: hotels and homestays with all facilities, MICE, tourism and cultural events, water sports, snorkelling, scuba diving, fishing, edutainment centres, theme parks, recreational parks, nature parks, special interest tourism including golf, yachting, and eco geo-adventure activities such as camping

The Malaysia Convention and Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB) has joined with Thailand, Korea and Taiwan to create the Asia Convention Alliance (ACA)

The government has said that interstate travel SOPs are being finalised, before a decision is made on whether to permit it

Melaka will enter Phase 2 of the National Recovery Plan (NRP) and Melaka Phase 3 on 4 Sep. The only remaining states under Phase 1 NRP include Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Putrajaya and Kedah

Hospital bed ICU occupancy has reached 90% nationwide, with Selangor at 99% capacity and Kuala Lumpur at 77% capacity

Penang has seen one hotel converted into a low-risk quarantine and treatment centre (PKRC), whilst 3 others have applied to convert into a PKRC or a quarantine centre. The Penang government see tourism recovery taking a few years

The Malaysian Tourist Guides Council have called for tourism bubbles to be looked at beyond just Langkawi, including those islands off Mersing coast

The government has set a ceiling price of RM19.90 for self-test antigen rapid kits, to ensure reasonable prices for consumers

The RISE conference, which was meant to be held in Kuala Lumpur in 2022, has now been cancelled, and will be held in Hong Kong once more

The Tourism Ministry has warmly greeted the PM’s announcement of reopening Langkawi as a travel bubble for domestic tourists. They highlighted Langkawi’s strengths were having a network of domestic and international flights, as well as a variety of accommodation. If the pilot is successful, “it can restore the people's confidence to travel because seeing is believing”

The PM has announced that Langkawi will reopen to domestic tourists from 16 Sep as a pilot project, with other tourism destinations permitted to open once their local vaccination rate hits 80%

The latest Finder’s Travel Index has shown that 34% of Malaysians are planning to travel over the next 3 months, compared to Jul’s 30%

The government will review the new criteria for the Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) scheme, but did not give a timeline as to when this would be done

Perak’s Tourism Association has said that Perak tourism attractions should have “compliance certificates”, which could be displayed for visitors to view, and reassure them of their safety

Bus and tourism operators in Malaysia are facing a “critical situation”, and the Sekretariat Gabungan Bas Malaysia are calling for more financial support from the government

The government is preparing new procedures for an endemic COVID-19, which will be less complicated and easier to practise. A transition to these would take place once 80% of the population is vaccinated

The Health Ministry will make its data more transparent and granular from next week

The Ministry of Tourism has created a new email address dedicated to receiving ideas and feedback from the tourism industry, to ensure the sustainability of the tourism industry

The government is expected to be advised whether a third booster shot is necessary by the end of Sep

Malaysia’s next Parliament sitting has been postponed to 13 Sep

Terengganu will reopen its tourism sector on 1 Sep to fully vaccinated individuals, including resorts such as Pulau Kapas and Pulau Redang. From 1 Sep, activities such as snorkelling and diving will be permitted, but museums and theme parks must stay closed. Pulau Perhentian will also remain closed, after positive cases were reported on the island. The state will organise tourism promotion under the campaign, “We are safe to visit”

Perak tourism players will receive one-off cash assistance from the state government. Tourist boat owners will receive RM500, whilst Pulau Pangkor Resort and Hotel Association members will receive RM2,000. 560 registered hotels would be exempted from licensing fees, and a tax exemption will be given to theme parks. The state is planning to hold two events, Pangkor Endurance and Taste of Perak, in Nov and Dec, and they are also planning to launch a Revisit Perak campaign

The PM has said that he believes that Klang Valley could move into Phase 2, as it has reached 89.5% vaccination rate, but it would need to be finalised by a Special Committee

Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) data has shown that the top 3 states for average hotel occupancy in H1 2021 were Sarawak (62%), Perlis (42%) and Terengganu (35%). The occupancy rate in Terengganu in particular is driven by the quarantines required for the oil and gas sector

The Ministry of Tourism is aiming for Langkawi to be the first tourism destination to reopen, as it will soon reach herd immunity

Travellers who enter Malaysia via Johor must submit applications for undergoing home quarantine at least 7 days prior to their arrival, and undergo an RT-PCR test within 3 days of departure

The Tourism & Creative Economy Minister has said that tourism is starting to increase, with tourist villages becoming a symbol of its revival

The Tourism Ministry will focus on improving infrastructure in ecotourism areas

Nancy Shukri has been reappointed Tourism Minister in the new cabinet line up, and has pledged to continue to revive the tourism industry

The Department of Statistics (DOSM) has cautioned that Malaysia’s economic recovery in Q3 could be thrown by record breaking new cases, despite the vaccine rollout

Sarawak has tightened its interdistrict travel policies from southern zone districts until 5 Sep, and is only permitted for those who have police permits and RT-PCR tests

The Sabah Association of Tour and Travel Agents (Satta) has stated that the new conditions for the Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) program will drive away tourists from Sabah

Jakarta expects all schools to restart face to face learning from Jan 2022

Malaysia reported a record high of 393 daily deaths

Malaysia reported a record daily case high of 24,599 on 26 Aug

The Sabah Housing and Real Estate Developers Association (Shareda) have called for Sabah to have its own Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) guidelines, and not to follow the newly issued federal ones, to avoid losing foreign investment

The Immigration department, rather than the Tourism Ministry, will take over the Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) program application processing

The Department of Statistics Malaysia (DoSM) has reported that business confidence in Q3 2021 has fallen to -21.3%, a drop from Q2’s -3.1%

Genting Malaysia saw net losses in Q2 2021 of RM348.11 million, from RM900.42 million in Q2 20202. Its Malaysia revenue in Q2 2021 was RM155.7 million from its increase in overall gaming and non-gaming business

The first Virtual Tourism Expo 2021 (VTE2021) will be held from 27-29 Aug, organised by the Digital Travel Technology Association of Malaysia (DiTTAM). It hopes to attract 2 million online visitors, and will see 120 tourism players take part

Kelantan’s tourism industry lost RM2.6 billion in 2020, with 2.5 million fewer tourists visiting

The Malaysia Convention and Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB) has said that in 2021 it had targeted a 5% increase in 2020’s total RM1.1 billion revenue generated by business events, with an economic impact of RM2.5 billion, but this original target was based on international visitors

The Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) Penang has called for the state to be included in a tourism bubble, particularly the Batu Ferringhi area, particularly as those hotels have higher operating costs

The Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) Penang launched a campaign, “Hands of Hope”, which sees 600 food baskets given to hotel staff from 40 hotels

From 26 Aug, Labuan will transition to Phase 4 of the National Recovery Plan, with all economic activities permitted to resume. MICE activities will also be permitted at 50% capacity. Negri Sembilan will be permitted to transition to Phase 2

Sarawak has announced that it will not be impacted by the new requirements for the Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) program, as it has its own guidelines

The Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) have launched an aid program, MAH Cares, which will see RM200,000 distributed to its local chapters to help with food and essential items for those workers impacted by the pandemic

The Department of Islamic Development Malaysia in conjunction with the Islamic Tourism Centre (ITC) have launched a new Diploma in Islamic Tourism

Malaysian nationals can enter Sarawak if they have proof that they are fully vaccinated at least 14 days prior to their travels, and provide an RT-PCR test. Non-essential/ leisure travellers are still not permitted to enter the state, and travellers must need a reason to visit

A new Prime Minister has been appointed by the King, Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob, a member of UMNO. The King hopes “that all MPs can set aside their political agenda by uniting and cooperating to address the Covid-19 pandemic for the people and the country” with the appointment

The government has announced that dine-in at eateries under Phase 1 of the NRP will be subject to the eateries reaching a certain percentage of its workers fully vaccinated, and capacity should be limited to 50%. Restaurants can operate from 6am-10pm

The 10km limit for residents in Phase 1 of the NRP has been removed for those who are fully vaccinated, but interdistrict and interstate travel remains banned. Children below the age of 17 years old are not encouraged to be in public places

Malaysia would be keen to collaborate with Indonesia and Thailand to develop a common framework of Muslim-friendly tourism standards

Malaysia reported record cases of 22,948 on 19 Aug

8 tourism centres in Pahang are waiting for approval to reopen tourism activities, including Rompin State Park, the National Park, Genting Highlands, Cameron Highlands, Pulau Tioman, Fraser’s Hill, Kuala Gandah and Janda Baik. These areas have achieved 80% vaccinated adult populations. Pulau Tioman hopes that it could be given immediate approval, before the monsoon season starts in Oct

Fully vaccinated residents of states under the Phase 1 NRP will be permitted to dine-in at eateries, after Malaysia reached 50% of its adult population vaccinated. Sports and leisure activities with no physical contact outdoors, including camping, will be permitted from 20 Aug. Data from the Health Ministry has shown that all states under Phase 1 are seeing a decrease in the number of hospitalised patients

Sabah Tourism Board hopes that tourism can reopen for interdistrict travel for residents by Oct. A survey they have conduced showed that 85% of tourism businesses surveyed had received at least one vaccine dose, and 47% were fully vaccinated

The Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) has said that tourism bubbles are the right step to open up travel, but they must be implemented properly, and booked with a controlled itinerary through a tour operator, avoiding any “unnecessary contact with the local community”

The Langkawi Development Authority (LADA) have given squid-fishing equipment to tourism workers who are impacted by the pandemic, to give them a way to generate income, under Langkawi’s HELANG program

The Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) has said that they have seen some advanced purchases of hotel deals, but the “public is still cautious”. The Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) said that the industry is “cautiously optimistic”, but that domestic tourism will only increase once Klang Valley residents are permitted to travel interstate

The Malaysian Prime Minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, resigned from his position, stating that he no longer had the confidence of Parliament

The Malaysian Inbound Tourism Association (MITA) has commented that it is disappointed with Bank Negara’s position on not waiving accrued interest payments on loan moratoriums, saying that the banks should support the tourism industry, as has the Malaysian Association of Hotel Owners

The Malaysian Ringgit fell to its lowest levels for one-year after the rumours of a change in Prime Minister

Sarawak is the first Malaysian state to join the Global Destination Sustainability Index (GDS-Index) for Business Events and Tourism

The Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau and the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre will co-host the IAPCO (International Association of Professional Congress Organisers) Edge Seminar from August 25-27, 2021. It aims to help Malaysia’s MICE workers to develop their skills

More activities will be allowed under Phase 1 of the NRP for fully vaccinated residents from 16 Aug, including hair salons, electric goods, sales centres, morning markets and clothing stores. Parks will also be reopened. More commercial activities will also open in Phase 2 including creative industry and toy shops

The government is looking at running Langkawi as a travel bubble project once it reaches 80% vaccination. It will only allow those fully vaccinated to visit, and is being studied by Ministry of Tourism. It is also looking at other destinations with good exit and entry points, including island destinations

The PM is expected to resign on 16 Aug, and will give a speech tomorrow

The government has postponed the reopening of schools to 3 Oct. It will happen in stages, starting with those classes with examinations

Malaysia will start to vaccinate those aged 12-17 years old, starting with those with underlying medical conditions, and then moving onto those with no medical conditions by age

Bank Negara forecasts that all states will have transitioned to at least Phase 3 NRP by October, with Perlis, Sarawak and Labuan tipped to transition to Phase 4 by that time

Penang has called for the government to consider opening outdoor tourism attractions, as non-contact sports and outdoor recreational outdoor sports are permitted in Phases 2 and 3 of the NRP

Malaysia recorded a 16.1% GDP growth in Q2 2021. GDP grew in Apr by 40.1% and May by 19.8%, but just 4.4% in June, due to the implementation of MCO 3.0 in mid-May, and Phase 1 of the NRP in early Jun

The PM has called for the Opposition to work together with his party, ahead of the confidence vote, to ensure bipartisan input in the recovery of the country

The Health Ministry has said that Operation Surge Capacity has led to a decrease in hospital admissions across age groups 20-79 years old

The PM has promised a General Election will take place by end Jul 2022

The Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) Penang chapter reported that some beach, city and business hotels had registered up to 5% occupancy for this weekend, and they expected bookings to pick up next week

Electric digital trackers will be fitted to those who undertake home quarantine, with a pilot for 1,000 foreigners. It will be outsourced to a private company

Bank Negara expects Malaysia’s 2021 GDP to grow between 3-4% in 2021, from its previous forecast of 6-7.5%

The government has clarified that those who have been vaccinated overseas can easily update their status in the MySejahtera app by validating them at a district health office

An OECD report has stated that Malaysia needs to address the vulnerabilities of self-employed workers, especially women, younger people and lower-skilled workers, to be able to prepare them for retirement

Malaysia has reported 21,668 cases, a record high

Agoda has launched a new campaign, Vaxxed To Go, which will offer vaccinated travellers special deals. It is a pilot program which Agoda hopes to roll out to other markets soon

A confidence motion for Parliament has been scheduled for 7 Sep, one day after the next parliament meeting reopens

Genting Malaysia is in its final stages of preparing the new theme park, Genting SkyWorlds, for reopening. However, a specific date has yet to be announced

Sabah will restrict dine-in to those who have been vaccinated, despite being in Phase 3 of the NRP and having allowed dine-in for the last month. All tourism activities except homestays and hotels will not be allowed to operate, unless they are within a travel bubble

Kuala Lumpur is set to reach an 80% fully vaccinated population by this weekend

The Digital Travel Technology Association of Malaysia (DiTTAM) will hold its first Virtual Tourism Expo 2021 from 27-29 Aug, under the theme “Malaysia has it all”. They expect 40,000 visitors with RM2 million in sales. It will mainly sell domestic tourism packages

Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB) has joined the Hybrid City Alliance with Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Kuching and Kota Kinabalu

The Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) has said that there had been an increase in advanced room bookings, but the numbers were not much, as the public are “still being cautious”. MATTA called for the government to introduce travel corridors for those states under Phase 2, to encourage travel

Malaysia’s first charity hotel, Rumah Prihatin @Grand Seasons, has opened in Kuala Lumpur. It provides meals, beds, counselling and vaccines to those who need help. 300 rooms are available for RM30 per night

Fully vaccinated Malaysians in Singapore are pleased with the government’s decision to allow home quarantine

Almost 90% of Negeri Sembilan’s tourism workers have received at least one vaccine dose

The Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) program will be restarted in Oct, after being paused for evaluation. It will reopen with stricter requirements, including setting a ceiling to the number of participants at 1% of Malaysia’s total population. Income requirements have also become stricter, as have the liquid assets and processing fees

The government is looking at easing restrictions for fully vaccinated residents of Phase 1 NRP states, including allowing activities such as parks and night markets

The Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) has welcomed the move to ease measures for vaccinated residents, saying that the “the industry can now prepare itself for reopening”

The Muslim Jewellers and Money Changers Association Penang have said that if the lack of tourism continued, many members could stay in business for another 6 months maximum before having to close

Melaka Zoo will need to be restructured if it cannot operate until the year-end

The government is looking into Umrah procedures, particularly those related to visas, before allowing Malaysians to travel once more

The Association of Tourism Attractions Penang (ATAP) called for the reopening of tourist attractions, calling it “utterly ridiculous” to have attractions shut, but hotels open

The Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) Penang have called for clarification on whether hotels need to have fully vaccinated staff to be able to reopen, estimating only 500 hotel workers in Penang were fully vaccinated. The Association of Tourism Attractions Penang (ATAP) called for the reopening of tourist attractions too

The Ministry of Tourism has called the relaxation of measures for vaccinated travellers a “boon to tourism operators”

The Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB) has launched the Business Events (BE) Stewards Programme, in conjunction with the Malaysia Association of Convention and Exhibition Organisers and Suppliers (MACEOS). It provides business events staff as volunteers at vaccination centres

Tourism Pahang expects that its tourism sector will reopen in the next 2 weeks, including to destination such as Fraser’s Hill, Tioman Island and Janda Baik. They will launch campaigns to encourage Pahang residents to explore the state. They have also launched an online Reskilling Training Programme, which will help tourism businesses with their digital skills

The Jun unemployment rate grew to 4.8% from May’s 4.5%

1,000 more Grab drivers have completed the Sarawak Ambassadors Programme on E-learning for E-hailing Drivers. The drivers will be cultivated as Sarawak Tourism ambassadors and 2,183 drivers have so far completed the program

Malaysia has announced new measures for vaccinated residents under Phases 1-4 of the National Recovery Plan from 10 Aug, including being permitted to dine-in, same state hotel and homestays and non-contact sports. They will also announce more easing for economic sectors soon

The government has approved home quarantine for fully vaccinated Malaysians and returning foreigners nationwide, regardless of the National Recovery Plan phase they are in. They will be given a digital Home Surveillance Order

Malaysia Tourism Council has said that it may take time for people to feel confident to travel again domestically, and that the impact of the new rules for vaccinated residents under Phases 2-4 for domestic tourism may not be felt “immediately”

The Malaysian Association of Hotel Owners have said that permitting vaccinated travellers to go on staycations would have little impact, as Kuala Lumpur and Selangor were still not included. The Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) argued that tourism sector businesses should be permitted to reopen if all workers were vaccinated, and the “major impact” will only be seen once interstate travel is permitted once more

The Health Ministry has said that it would only recommend relaxing measures when more people are vaccinated and mask wearing is maintained for vaccinated people

The government will now look at symptomatic COVID-19 cases which require hospitalisation as an indicator to move from Phase 1 to Phase 2 of the National Recovery Plan (NRP), instead of daily cases. It should be a maximum of 2,000 cases nationally, or 6.1 cases per 100,000 residents to transition to Phase 2, 1,000 to transition to Phase 3 and 400 to Phase 4. However, states must first reach 50% full vaccination. They are taking this approach to measure the severity of the pandemic

Tourism Pahang has identified Fraser’s Hill and Tioman Island as the first destinations which would reopen under a “tourism bubble” for interdistrict or interstate travel, and have drawn up strict safety guidelines

The Deputy PM has said that the government will convert 100 tourist vans into ambulances to help with urgent cases, particularly in Klang Valley

Masjid Negara will launch a 360 degree virtual tour with live guided tours in English, Chinese and Malay. LokaLocal is behind the technology for the tours

The Department of Statistics has reported that household income has been strongly impacted by the pandemic, with the number of “poor” households increasing from 405,400 in 2019 to 639,800 in 2020

The Health Ministry expects Malaysia’s cases to keep rising until it achieves 80% vaccination by the end of Oct

The Sarawak Tourism Board is encouraging take-up of its Sarawak Tourism Online Ecosystem Fund (STOEF), aimed at helping tourism businesses to strengthen their digital presence. Companies can receive up to RM5,000 per application, and so far 45 companies have used the funds

Ecotourism attractions in Malaysia are struggling to survive, with some turning to online tours to survive, whilst others such as The Habitat Penang Hill relying on its shareholders to keep it going, as well as downsizing the staffing

The number of COVID-19 cases with serious symptoms (categories 3-5) will be used as an indicator for National Recovery Plan transitions to Phase 3 and 4, rather than the number of cases, as many cases in Phase 2 states were asymptomatic or mild

Sarawak is aiming to hit herd immunity by mid-Aug or Sep

Sabah believes that 60% of its adult population will be vaccinated by 21 Sep

2,000 tourism frontliners are still to be vaccinated in Perak. They are planning to designate 5 areas in the state COVID-19 Free Destination areas, including Ipoh, Kuala Kangsar, Kampar, Batu Gajah and Lumut

Malaysia reported a record daily case high of 20,596 on 5 Aug

The implementation of lockdowns in Malaysia in 2020 led to a decrease in the mean monthly salary of up to 9% YoY. Its overall unemployment rate also increased to 4.5%, the highest in almost 30 years

The Malaysian PM has said that he still has a parliamentary majority, and he will table a motion of confidence when Parliament reopens in Sep

The Association of Tourism Attractions Penang (ATAP) has said that tourism attractions “continue bleeding out”, and that attractions “have been trying so hard to hang on but we can’t go on like this indefinitely”

The Arts, Live Festivals and Events Association has estimated that the industry lost RM250 million in 2020, not including the income that live events generate for hotels, transport and F&B. They forecast that 90% of the industry could die without any help

The Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) hopes that fully vaccinated people will be permitted to travel interstate as part of the benefits given to vaccinated residents, as this would kickstart the tourism industry once more

The Tourism Minister has said that Malaysia will promote “clean, healthy, family-oriented tourism”, as this is something that tourists will be looking for post-pandemic

A new attraction, ESCAPE Cameron Highlands, is being planned to open in 2023 under its 1st phase, with the project being completed in a decade. It will include an artificial ski slope, and will be themed under 5 different European villages at different elevations of the park. These zones will include accommodation, and sustainability is set to be one of the park’s core values

Malaysia received the UK’s donation of 415k AstraZeneca vaccines

Malaysia’s emergency laws annulment will be debated in Parliament in Sep, the PM has stated, after controversy ensued over its during the emergency sitting

Record highs of ICU patients have been recorded nationwide on 3 Aug

Penang’s Tropical Spice Garden have made a plea on social media for their crowdfunding campaign, Spice Fam to save the attraction, as it is running out of funds

Malaysia forecasts that the peak of infection will be reached in Aug, and then the impact of the vaccination program will start to come into play

A new theme park, ESCAPE Cameron Highlands, will support the government’s plans to restore confidence to travel and revive domestic tourism, the Tourism Ministry has said

Perlis, Sarawak and Labuan will transition to Phase 3 of the National Recovery Plan from 4 Aug

The special sitting of Parliament rescheduled for 2 Aug will be postponed until further notice, due to health risks, the government has said

The Pahang Chapter of Malaysian Association of Hotels has said that most hotels have temporarily closed whilst they wait for interdistrict or interstate travel to restart

At least 400 protestors marched peacefully in Kuala Lumpur, demanding the PM resigns

Sarawak has extended its State of Emergency until 2 Feb 2022, which would mean that the state election would not need to be held until then

Malaysia reported 17,786, a record new number of cases on 31 Jul

A Kota Kinabalu themed flight to nowhere has proven to be successful in the Korean market, flying out of Incheon International Airport on 25 Jul. It was hosted by Sabah Tourism Board and Tourism Malaysia

The Sarawak Ministry of Tourism forecasts that domestic tourism will reopen to the state before the year-end, and international travel be permitted in 2022. It will also consider “green bubble travel” with vaccinated travellers from Brunei, Singapore, Indonesia and other countries

Malaysia had a record 1,043 COVID patients in ICUs across the country

AirAsia Group will be presenting their recommendations paper on restarting the tourism industry to the National Recovery Council

AirAsia Malaysia CEO has said that he believes that a full travel recovery could be possible by 2022 year-end, depending on aggressive vaccination

Johor state has also called for vaccinated Malaysian workers in Singapore to be permitted to quarantine at home

Negeri Sembilan state government will give one-off assistance of RM2,000 to hotels, homestay operators and RM250 to tourist guides. It will also give a 50% discount on assessment fees for hotels in H2 2021. The total package is worth RM1.7 million

Malaysia reported 17,405, a record new number of cases on 28 Jul

There have been 199 cases of the Delta variant detected so far as of 28 Jul

Malaysia has said that the UK donation of vaccines could open the door for reciprocal recognition of vaccine recognition, as well as travel bubbles

A one-off grant of RM3,000 through the PEMERKASA financial aid program will be given to Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) tour operators

Labuan state has reached 80% of its adults population fully vaccinated

Malaysia and Indonesia will look at collaborating to boost tourism

Malaysia will boost its capacity to process genome sequencing for COVID-19 samples

Penang plans to reopen applications for its zero-interest loan, Skim Peka 2.2, aimed at tourism businesses. The loan amount is from RM5,000-50,000

The Sabah Tourism Board has said that it is looking at launching a Green Tourism certification and COVID-19 insurance policy, to increase visitor confidence. They also called for the speeding up of vaccinations for tourism frontliners, and said that it will be “more aggressive” in marketing and promotions once the outbreak is under control

Unemployed graduates grew by 22.5% YoY in 2020. The mean monthly salaries of graduates also declined by 10.6% YoY in 2020, whilst degree holders’ declined by 11.5% YoY

Contract doctors who went on strike on 26 Jul will not be penalised by the government

Malaysia hit a second day of highs for the number of COVID deaths, at 207, and 1,023 patients in the ICU, the highest number yet

Malaysia’s State of Emergency will not be extended past 1 Aug

The PM has said that most Malaysian states are expected to transition to Phase 4 of the National Recovery Plan (NRP) by Oct at the earliest. They are also aiming for 100% of adults to be fully vaccinated by Oct

The Small and Medium Enterprises Association of Malaysia (Samenta) has forecast that 900,000 SMEs could collapse if a lockdown is extended beyond Sep

Pulau Pangkor is expected to reach 80% vaccination by early Sep, as it will be part of the Covid-19 Free Destination programme pilot project

Malaysia reported a record high of 17,045 cases on 25 Jul, bringing total cases to over 1 million

The government has said that it expects cases and hospital admissions to decline in Aug, once 40% of the country’s adult population is fully vaccinated

The Malaysian PM has said that benefits for vaccinated residents may include sports, social activities and dine-in. The government will announce the measures in the next few days

The Malaysian PM has said vaccinated residents may be able to undergo home quarantine instead of at a hotel or centre upon their entry to Malaysia. These people could be given a wrist tracker, and would need to take a swab test

Pahang plans to reopen tourism at Fraser’s Hill soon, and then later Pulau Tioman

The different transition thresholds for the National Recovery Plan may be changed as more Malaysians are vaccinated, and if most infections are not serious, case numbers may not be the “correct indication” for transitioning

Sabah will be given the CanSino single dose as a priority once received in Aug, as well as the Johnson & Johnson vaccine

The Tourism Productivity Nexus (TPN) is creating an e-directory for tourism businesses and services in Perlis, expected to launch in Oct, and then integrated with the Universal Pass, a site which will offer niche products not available via OTAs

Malaysia Airports has signed an MoU with Skyports and Volocopter to look at implementing electric air taxis in Malaysia. They will first start a study to see the feasibility of vertiport solutions, customer flow and demand. It would form part of the plan to regenerate Subang Airport

The government has admitted that public hospitals are under strain from the spike in cases, but they are preparing for more

Benefits for fully vaccinated individuals may only kick in once the country is 30-40% fully vaccinated. The Health Ministry expects that once the country reaches 40-50% vaccination that daily cases will also start to drop

The Sabah Association of Tour and Travel Agents (Satta) has proposed that tour buses be converted into mobile vaccination centres, to be able to reach more remote places. They are also planning to run the Sabah Virtual Travel Fair from 16-29 Sep, to boost the tourism industry

The Malaysian Association of Convention and Exhibition Organisers and Suppliers (MACEOS) are calling for event industry businesses to support the vaccination rollout, with 20 venues now vaccination delivery centres, and 150 MICE workers performing as volunteer stewards

The Ministry of Tourism Arts and Culture (MOTAC) are drawing up a tiered plan to relaunch tourism activities. Tier 1 would see intra-district travel and tourism activities permitted, tier 2 inter-district travel and tourism activities, tier 3 interstate travel and tier 4 international travel and inbound tourists

The Ministry of Tourism Arts and Culture (MOTAC) has selected Langkawi and Kuching as pilot travel destinations for its COVID-19 Free Destination Program, reopening international travel in the initial phase. Phase 2 would see Redang, Perhentian, Pangkor, Tioman and main attractions in Johor, Melaka, Penang and Sabah, and Phase 3 would be all other destinations

Malaysians working in Singapore are urging the governments to remove quarantine for vaccinated workers, and to recognise one another’s vaccines

Marriott International is planning to open 3 new properties in Malaysia in 2021

The Malaysian Association of Theme Park & Family Attractions is urging the government for the reopening of their core businesses under Phase of the National Recovery Plan (NRP). It has said that the current timeline, where they would be permitted to operate in Oct at the earliest, “will further break the tourism industry in ways it has already broken”

An Amadeus study has shown: • 42% of Malaysians believe that the travel sector will improve over the next 12 months • 68% said that the increased risk of cancellations is a barrier for booking travel in 2021 • 51% say refund uncertainty is a barrier to booking, 48% inability to change booking date/ time, and 47% for inconvenient refund processes

Malaysian tourism businesses have been helping the needy, with Asian Trails raising money for orphans and disabled in Selangor, Laili Basir Event Adventure assisting Bajau Laut families to secure food supplies, and hotels in Sunway City donating home items to those who suffered flooding in Pahang

Private hospitals have been ordered to take in all non-COVID patients in the Klang Valley, to make room for medical wards dedicated to COVID in public hospitals

Malaysia has reported 199 deaths, the highest yet

The Health Ministry has approved two self-test COVID kits for import and distribution

Sarawak is implementing a four-phase recovery plan, including reopening domestic tourism by phase 3, which they anticipate would happen by the end of Aug, and restarting Sarawak tourism and events in Q4

OYO Malaysia & Singapore have said that delays to reopening hotels will impact tourism workers’ jobs and that the industry “cannot wait” for case numbers to be under control. They called for a more targeted approach

The government will look at easing restrictions for fully vaccinated residents next week. This may include being allowed to cross districts for shopping

4 areas in Selangor will be placed under the Enhanced Movement Control Order (EMCO) from 18-31 Jul, whilst the rest of the state will transition back to the Phase 1 of the National Recovery Plan (NRP) on 18 Jul

A new campaign, Operate Surge Capacity, will aim to vaccinate every adult in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor by 1 Aug, 6.1 million. They are aiming to increase daily doses administered in the 2 localities to 272,000 per day from the current 180,000. Once the campaign is complete, walk-ins will be allowed for all at vaccination centres

Vaccination for Langkawi will be enhanced, to ensure that it reaches 80% immunity, allowing it to be a pilot destination for the COVID-19 Free Destination Programme

The Tourism Minister is optimistic that tourism could be revived by Nov or earlier under Phase 4 of the National Recovery Plan

The Sarawak Tourism Minister expects that the tourism industry could open up in Q4 once more, as the state will have obtained 80% vaccination rate

Tourism cooperatives are urged to participate in the Cooperative Movement Economic Transformation Programme which encourages cooperatives to look at new business opportunities to diversify their income. It offers grants of RM100,000

Schools will reopen in stages for face to face learning from 1 Sep

The Malaysian Association of Hotels Penang chapter has said that allowing vaccinated residents to travel would give a boost to domestic tourism, as did the Kedah/ Perlis chapter

Sarawak Tourism Board launched a virtual B2B event on 14-15 Jul, with 30 sellers and 200 buyers from West Malaysia

The first Malaysian produced rapid antigen self-test kit, Salixium COVID-19 Rapid Antigen Test, will be available for sale to the public on 19 Jul

Dine-in will be permitted in Sarawak from 16 Jul

The 5-day Parliament sitting from 26-29 Jul is a “special sitting”, and Parliament will resume on 6 Sep

The government has said that it may give some “leeway” to those who are fully vaccinated, including interstate travel and dine-in at restaurants

Malaysia came out on top in the Global Muslim Travel Index (GMTI) 2021 as the most Muslim friendly destination for travellers

Melaka and Lazada have partnered to create a virtual Melaka e-bazaar with its “Buy Now, Travel Later” campaign. It will promote tourism products up to 50% off from 7 Jul-30 Sep. The travel products have open dates, with a validity until 2022

The government has approved the import of COVID-19 self-test kits

The government has said that states which have transitioned to Phase 2 of the NRP will not move back to Phase 1, even if their case numbers increase. Instead, there may be an Enhanced Movement Control Order (EMCO) on certain areas to control the spread

The Department of Statistics have reported that the mean salary of Malaysians was 9% lower than 2020, RM2,933

Zerin Properties has seen a 40% YoY increase in the number of Malaysian hotels being sold, with interest from both local and overseas investors, with prices dropping 10-35% vs pre-lockdown. As of mid-Jun, 91 hotels have temporarily closed out of 320, and 2 permanently closed, according to the Hotel Industry Survey Report by the Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH)

A Mastercard report, Recovery Insights: Ready for Takeoff? has shown that demand for business travel outstrips leisure travel in Malaysia

The Sabah Tourism Board has launched a new series, “Enchanting Sabah Live”, with virtual sessions promoting different attractions across the state. The first episode featured the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre (BSBCC)

Malaysia will lower its 2021 GDP expectation to 4% due to the lockdowns

The Langkawi Development Authority (LADA) hopes to generate RM288 million from Sep-Dec, through the Langkawi 2021-2022 Tourism Recovery Plan. They expect to receive 590,000 tourists. In 2022, they forecast revenue of RM1.17 billion, with 2.5 million tourists

Sarawak will move to Phase 2 of the National Recovery Plan on 14 Jul

The Health Director-General has said that it is intensifying its efforts against the virus in Klang Valley, and that high risk areas and sectors under Phase 1 NRP will be prioritised for vaccination

Malaysia’s cases have spiked due to more targeted screenings, and they should stabilise over the next 1-2 weeks

Pangkor assemblyman has called for the government to provide more assistance to Pangkor tourism operators. A new aid program, Pangkor Island Care Programme, was launched by the Pangkor Island Hotel and Resort Development Association, with essential food items given to 400 employees. More than 300 staff have lost their jobs after the MCO this year

The Tourism Ministry is planning various initiatives to kickstart Kuala Lumpur’s tourism, including rehabilitating heritage buildings, turning historical sites such as the Kuala Lumpur Royal Malaysian Police Museum into an interactive exhibition, a drive—in cinema and nightlife nature experiences

Malaysia reported record cases of 9,353 on 10 Jul

Malaysia recorded its highest case numbers of 9,180, despite a one month lockdown

The R-0 rate is above 1.0 for two thirds of the country

Malaysia is due to hit 30% vaccination rate by the end of Aug. The Science, Innovation and Technology Minister has said that at this point, the focus should stop on cases numbers and instead be on deaths and hospitalisation rates. 10% of the country is now fully vaccinated

The US Ambassador has said that overseas investors are being discouraged by Malaysia’s confusing government regulations, but that the country was generally seen as a good place to invest

The Malaysia Tourism Council has signed an MoU with UNITAR International University to provide upskilling and reskilling for tourism workers

The Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Minister has warned that MSMEs are on the verge of collapse, which could lose to 7 million jobs lost. More than 500,000 businesses face closing down by Oct if they are not permitted to reopen

Malaysia saw a record 952 patients in intensive care, and 135 deaths on 8 Jul, the highest yet. The country is setting up more ICU beds, field hospitals and low-risk treatment centres

The PM has said that his government will continue to function without the support of UMNO, after it declared that it had withdrawn its support

Sabah will transition to Phase 2 of the NRP from 10 Jul

Agoda has said that Malaysia recorded the highest domestic tourism market growth in H2 2020 in ASEAN countries

Hospitals in Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Negeri Sembilan and Labuan have exceeded their maximum limit for treating COVID-19 patients, and the health system faces paralysis if the situation continues. More than 90% of ICU beds are occupied

A new Deputy PM has been appointed, Ismail Sabri Yaakob

Tourism Malaysia won The Special Award for Best Camerawork at the 21st WorldMediaFestivals in the Tourism and Travel Media Awards category

Sabah hopes that most of its businesses can be reopened if it reaches 60% of the population vaccinated

The Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) has said that a recent survey has shown that 63.13% of workers are on unpaid leave, whilst 44.6% have cut hotel workers’ salaries and 14.06% have retrenched the workforce. 70% of hotels are still operational, with some being used as quarantine centres, whilst others are relying on oil and gas and medical sectors. The average occupancy rate does not exceed 20%. The MAH also commented that the new PEMULIH stimulus package was not enough to support the tourism industry

commerce transactions in Q1 2021 rose +30% YoY

Parliament will resume from 26 Jul-2 Aug, the PM has confirmed. The National Recovery Plan will be presented

Penang will move to Phase 2 of the NRP from 7 Jul

Tripfez Travel, a Muslim-focused OTA, is planning M&A deals with other Malaysian tourism industry players

Kelantan, Pahang, Perlis, Perak and Terengganu will transition to Phase 2 of the National Recovery Plan (NRP), from 5 Jul, as they have met the necessary criteria. Under Phase 2, more economic activities will open, including individual sports, hairdressers and essential services can operate at 80%

The Finance Minister has explained the formula for the daily case average required for states to be able to transition to Phase 2, 4000 x (state population/ Malaysia’s population)

8 more areas in 4 states would also be placed under the Enhanced Movement Control Order (EMCO) from 4-17 Jul: Sabah, Sarawak, Kedah and Penang

Perlis state is expected to transition to Phase 2 of the National Recovery Plan (NRP) by next week, depending on the decision from the federal government

Malaysians have started a new #BenderaPutih movement (white flag), to help those in need with food packs

Many districts in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor will be placed under an Enhanced Movement Control Order (EMCO) from 3-16 Jul after cases increased. Under the EMCO, residents are only permitted to leave their house for essential reasons, within 10km of their homes

Selected factories producing essential goods in Selangor and Kuala Lumpur will be permitted to operate during the EMCO

Hotel Istana Kuala Lumpur will be stopping operations from 1 Sep due to the pandemic

The King has requested that Parliament be reconvened before the state of emergency expires on 1 Aug

Malaysia’s 2020 domestic tourism spend dropped to RM40.4 billion from RM103.2 billion in 2019, with visitors dropping 44.9% to 131.7 million. In 2020, Selangor was the most visited state by domestic tourists (19.7 million), followed by Perak (13.2 million) and Kuala Lumpur (12.4 million)

The PM sees that SMEs will gradually recover in 2021

The Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB) are discussing a new initiative with the private sector, the MySafe Business Events Planner, expected to be ready in Q4 2021. It will provide information about safety measures in place in Malaysia, as well as help with the advanced planning

The Malaysian Association of Theme Park and Family Attractions (Maatfa) is urging the government to allow reopening of tourism businesses like theme parks, shopping malls and hotels and family entertainment centres in Phase 2 of the NRP. If they are only permitted to reopen in Oct, this could result in many permanent closures of its members

The Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) has said that the PEMULIH package does not address the tourism sector’s needs. The Malaysian Association of Hotel Owners also were of the opinion that there was nothing “special” to help hotels survive

A new Virtual Reality OTA called Igoroom has been launched which will focus on customised luxury travel experiences at resorts across the world

The government reported that on average Malaysia is seeing 4 suicide cases per day in Q1, with 336 reported in total vs the whole of 2020’s 631 cases

The Finance Minister has said that it is expecting to revise downwards its financial forecast for 2021 given the current COVID-19 measures in place

The government has said that it will assess whether to permit interdistrict travel for those states with low COVID-19 cases

Pahang state government will propose reopening Tioman Island to domestic tourists at least, after 80% of the island have completed vaccination

The government will consider allowing companies with fully vaccinated staff to resume working

As part of the PEMULIH package, the government will offer RM3,000 to more than 5,300 travel agents with the third phase of the NRP begins. It will also defer the payment of monthly income tax payments, and exempt tourism tax and service tax from hotel operators until year-end

Sabah will permit more sectors to operate under NRP Phase 1, including dine-in and non-contact sports

Sabah is planning to set up a trade and tourism office in Singapore

The Tourism Ministry will focus on business events for vaccinated delegates during the NRP period. They reported that there are 81 events scheduled for this year, with 56 conventions and 24 exhibitions

Sarawak will allow bookshops and stationery stores to open from 29 Jun, but will impose a curfew of midnight-5am

The PM has launched a new aid package, PEMULIH, worth RM150 billion. Some measures aimed at the tourism industry include: • 3-month extension of 10% electricity bill discount from Oct-Dec • Wage subsidy scheme with RM600 per worker for 4 months, with extension of 2 months if unable to open under NRP Phase 2 and an additional 2 months if unable to open under NRP Phase 3

The government has clarified that more businesses will be permitted to operate under NRP Phase 2, including book shops, whilst under NRP Phase 3, interdistrict travel could be permitted, and staycations and tourism activities within the state allowed

The Malaysia Association of Hotels Penang Chapter has advocated that Penang should also be considered a tourism bubble target

MyEG have proposed to buy 10 million doses of Zhifei, meant for the private market

The Malaysian Inbound Tourism Association (MITA) is encouraging its members to sell non-travel products to their clients, and recently organised a virtual tourism bazaar

Sarawak’s MICE industry has launched the Industrial Covid-19 Vaccination Centre programme, with over 2,000 tourism workers expected to be vaccinated in a 4-day program

An expansion to Penang’s cruise terminal has been complete, which will allow 2 mega-sized cruise ships to dock and handle 12,000 pax simultaneously. It is waiting local authority approval by Jul

Aquaria KLCC is losing RM4.75 million in monthly revenue thanks to the MCO

The PM has said that the current MCO will not end on 28 Jun, as the country has still not reached the necessary threshold to move to phase 2. The government will announce more financial measures on 28 or 29 Jun

The Small & Medium Enterprises Association Malaysia (SAMENTA) has released survey results showing that 2 of 3 SMEs have expressed zero hope for any recovery in 2021

Sarawak’s Ministry of Tourism has said that it will ensure tourism workers get vaccinated as soon as possible

Sandakan will develop more “dark tourism”, promoting a supposedly haunted house. The Sabah Tourism Minister plans to draw up more plans, under an e-seram campaign

The Ministry of Tourism has launched a Tourism Recovery Plan, which will be implemented in three phases. Phase 1 will see Langkawi as a pilot travel destination, with vaccination accelerated in the destination. The other destination in Phase 1 will be Kuching. Phase 2 will see vaccination accelerated for popular tourism resorts, including Redang, Perhentian, Pangkor and Tioman. Phase 3 would see government ministries coordinating to identify tourist attractions which could be promoted

The Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) has said that more than 120 hotels have stopped operations, either temporarily or permanently. They estimate that the hospitality industry has lost over RM11.3 billion so far, and there is “still no sign of a full recovery”

The Ministry of Tourism in Sarawak hopes that requirements can be relaxed for the tourism sector to be able to operate, hopefully as Sarawak reaches 80% vaccination by Aug

The Melaka chapter of the Malaysian Association of Hotels has called for the government to prioritise hotel workers for vaccination

Agoda’s Travel in 2021 survey has shown of its Malaysian respondents: • The top ways for travel are exploring local destinations never visited before, taking short trips, and using OTAs to search for travel deals and added perks • Malaysians are second most likely regionally to consider their accommodation as destination itself • 13% are willing to splurge on accommodation • F&B benefits, experiences and early check-in/ check out are the top-rated benefits for accommodation packages

The Malaysian government has said that the country will likely see a strong economic recovery in Q4

The World Bank has said that median Malaysian SMEs have 2 months of cash flow left. It also reported that 60% of smaller and micro companies are in arrears or risk falling into arrears in the next 6 months. They have said that without accelerated transformation, Malaysia has limited potential to create high value jobs

The Finance Minister has said that the government is still working on the fine details of a financial assistance plan during the National Recovery Plan implementation period

The government has said that Malaysians and non-citizens still must undergo a 21-day quarantine for travellers from India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal and Pakistan, whilst those from other countries must undergo a 14-day quarantine

Malaysia and Brunei plan to collaborate to explore growing cultural tourism in both countries

The Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) has said that 2021 is worse than 2020 so far, with an average occupancy rate of only 20%, mainly due to quarantine hotels. MAH expect occupancy to remain low for the next 6 months, and forecast another 50 hotels to close temporarily during the lockdown in addition to the 100 who had already done so

The World Bank has said that the government needs to do more to support the poor in the country financially, and the number of vulnerable households is expected to increase

The Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) has said that “controlled” travel bubbles with fixed numbers of people and set itineraries, could boost tourism. The Minister for Tourism said that if a Langkawi travel bubble were effective, the same measures could be launched in Kota Kinabalu, Penang, Desaru Coast, Pulau Perhentian, Kuching, Malacca, Genting Highlands and Pulau Tioman

The World Bank expects Malaysia’s economy to grow by 4.5% in 2021, less than its originally forecast 6% due to the spike in cases

Two members of the PM’s political party have said that a general election could be held by the end of the year, but would depend on the vaccination rate

The Rainforest World Music Festival’s first virtual experience attracted more than 56,000 people to watch online, exceeding the expectations of the Sarawak Tourism Board

The government has said that discussions are ongoing between Malaysia and Singapore for the recognition of the MySejahtera app as a vaccination passport. They are also in discussion with other countries too

The government has said that it is looking at lifting restrictions for vaccinated Malaysians, including potentially opening up interstate travel

The Tourism Ministry has extended the licence fee waiver for tour operators and tour guides until 31 Dec 2021

The Finance Minister has said that the 2nd phase of the National Recovery Plan (NRP) will still be a stringent MCO, with social activities barred, but that more sectors will be permitted to operate at greater capacity

The Health Minister has said that daily cases must be below 4,000 cases for 7 consecutive days to move to the second phase of the National Recovery Plan (NRP), and bed usage at ICUs must be down to 75%, as well as having 10% of the population fully vaccinated

Malaysia and Saudi Arabia will work together to revive tourism through joint promotions on social media

The Penang Hill Festival has been cancelled due to the MCO

The Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) has said that another 6 months of restrictions will result in more hotel closures and jobs losses if the government does not assist financially. They called for an extended wage subsidy until the year-end, at 50% for those earning up to RM4,000/ month and 30% for those above RM4,000, utility bill subsidises and relaxation of business licence fees. The Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) proposed that domestic tourism should be permitted for those who are fully vaccinated, instead of waiting for Phase 4

The Bank of Thailand and Bank Negara have launched a cross-border QR payment linkage between the 2 countries which will allow consumers and merchants to make and receive instant payments

Melaka Crocodile and Recreational Park has launched online tours of the park to generate income

The PM has said that he will listen to the King’s call to reopen parliament immediately, but did not set a specific timeline. The King has also rejected the idea of extending the country’s state of emergency beyond 1 Aug

As of 4 Jun, 666 tourism businesses had applied for the PENJANA funding, with 327 approved for RM65.1 million

The Finance Minister has said that the government is reviewing its financial assistance and will announce new measures soon

Eurocham has said that the NRP is a good start, but they were concerned that it unnecessarily extended the MCO, which could impact the economy further

Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) has said that it will be difficult for travel agents to survive until the end of Oct, when domestic tourism is expected to reopen

The PM has announced a 4-stage National Recovery Plan (NRP): • Phase 1: Only essential services • Phase 2: once cases are below 4,000, moderate ICU usage and 10% of population are fully vaccinated (expected Jul-Aug). More economic sectors can open at 80% capacity, social sectors remain closed • Phase 3: once cases are below 2,000, comfortable ICU usage and 40% of population are fully vaccinated (expected Sep-Oct). Majority of economic sectors allowed to operate (except clubs, beauty salons, etc), education and some social activities permitted to reopen • Phase 4: cases less than 500, safe ICU usage, 60% of population vaccinated (expected Nov-Dec). All economic and social sectors permitted to reopen, interstate and domestic travel allowed

The PM has said that Malaysia has RM1 billion daily losses during the current MCO 3.0

Qatar Airways wants to resume direct flights to Langkawi, and has proposed a travel bubble between Malaysia and Qatar when borders are opened. The Ministry of Tourism has welcomed the idea

The Malaysian Healthcare Travel Council (MHTC) will target countries with a short flight to Malaysia as their target market, but are also looking at new markets including India and the Middle East

The Malaysian Inbound Tourism Association has postponed its eTravel Fair to 15-19 Aug

The Health Director-General has said that the next 2 weeks are critical to get cases back down to 4,000

Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya are hoping to reach herd immunity by Aug, as more vaccination centres have been opened

Malaysia and Singapore have said that they are looking forward to reopening travel when they can to one another

Sabah will also extend its lockdown by 2 weeks until 28 Jun

Sabah has extended the opening hours for restaurants from 7am-7pm daily

Research house MIDF has noted that domestic consumer demand is expected to rebound, and that customers have become more adapted to the new normal to buy online when they are unable to do offline shopping

Malaysia’s lockdown has been extended from 15-28 Jun, as daily case numbers still were in excess of 5,000. The regulations will remain the same as from 1-14 Jun

Quarantine and treatment centres nationwide have reached 60% capacity

Sabah tourism players are happy with the state’s aid initiatives, but the Saba Tourism Federation has said that the tourism industry needs a “bigger share” of funds. Sabah has allocated RM2.88 of its RM154 million package for the tourism industry, with funds dispersed to tour guides, mountain porters, hotels, tour operators and homestay associations

The Ministry of Tourism hopes that tourism workers in Langkawi would be prioritised for vaccination, as the island could be a part of a “green travel bubble” pilot. Langkawi has been chosen due to its popularity with international tourists, as well as having international flights facilities

Business Events Council Malaysia (BECM), Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB), and Malaysia Convention and Exhibition Organisers (MACEOS) are encouraging MICE venues to get certified under a Safe Business Events Venue Certification scheme

Genting Malaysia has a “cautious stance on the near-term prospects of the leisure and hospitality industry”. It sees the launch of Genting SkyWorlds, its new outdoor theme park in Genting Highlands, to be a “key growth initiative” for the company, and will open in mid-2021

The Retail Group Malaysia expects retail sales to be hard hit by the latest FMCO

ICU bed usage nationwide has now dropped to 90%

Malaysia’s R-0 rate has fallen below 1.0 for 2 consecutive days

Tourism Malaysia has released Q1 2021 international arrival numbers, which show a drop of 99.4% YoY. It received just 25,256 visitors. The top source market was Thailand, then Indonesia and China, whilst Singapore was 4th place, with just 322 arrivals

Schools must continue home-based learning for the new school term from 13/14 Jun

The Penang Convention & Exhibition Bureau ran a Penang Virtual Roadshow China 2021, with 92 Chinese buyers attending

The Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MOTAC) has extended the relaxation of its tourism regulations until 31 December 2021. This allows businesses to co-share office space, as well as permission to conduct other business in their premises

As of 21 May, 657 tourism businesses had applied for the Penjana tourism fund, with 325 approved and RM64.6 million funding given

More Malaysians aged 25-44 years old are choosing soft adventure travel, including glamping, slow travel and community-based travel programs

Perak’s Sejahtera financial aid package will include hotel licence exemptions for 565 local hotels, RM3,000 for the Perak Malaysian Association of Hotels, and RM2,000 for the Persatuan Umrah, Haji dan Ziarah (PUHAZ). It will also give RM2,000 to homestay management and RM500 for tourist boat operators

Malaysia’s civil servants have had their monthly allowance cut for 3 months, which will be channelled to the COVID-19 disaster trust fund

The Penang state exco have asked Putrajaya to class tourism workers in Penang as economic frontliners, to assure the viability of the future of the tourism industry

The Express Rail Link (ERL) from Kuala Lumpur to Kuala Lumpur International Airport has been suspended from 4 Jun until further notice due to the stricter MCO. It has noted that in 2020, its average daily riders have declined by 69% YoY, and with the start of the FMCO, it dropped 89% compared to its 2020 level

The Sarawak Trade and Tourism Office Singapore (Statos) has noted an interest in the Sarawak-Malaysia My Second Home (S-MM2H) program. It is the only state still accepting applications for the MM2H program

The Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) has praised the Permerkasa Plus financial aid package, but have said that the acceleration of the vaccination rollout is key, especially that for tourism workers. They said that the rehabilitation package for tour buses is crucial, as they estimate that its members own more than 9,000 vehicles. They called for the loan moratorium to be extended until 31 Dec, as well as contributions to the Human Resources Development Fund (HRDF), renewal of company licence and deferment of penalties for late tax payment

The Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) has called for more hotel staff to be vaccinated, saying that they had submitted a list of 35,000 names in March, and had yet to receive any updates

The Finance Minister has said that the “total lockdown” could slow down Malaysia’s economic recovery, and will come back soon with a revised forecast

Children under 12 years old will only be allowed in public for 4 reasons during the total lockdown: emergency, medical treatment, education and exercising

The PM has announced a new Permerkasa Plus financial aid package, with some measures targeted at the tourism industry including: • RM1 billion for bus and taxi hire purchase rehabilitation scheme, loan moratorium for up to 12 months and option to extend loan period to 36 months • Tour driver vehicles to receive RM500 one-off aid • Hotels, shopping centres and theme parks to receive 10% discount on electricity bill • Automatic approval for bank moratorium of 3 months for SMEs not able to operate during the FMCO, or a 50% reduction in repayments for 6 months

Sarawak has chosen to match up its implementation dates of its state MCO to 1-14 Jun with the nationwide dates

The PM has said that the only hope for the world to end the COVID-19 pandemic is to ensure as many people are vaccinated as possible, and called for equitable access to the vaccines

Bank Negara will increase its Targeted Assistance and Rehabilitation Facility for SMEs by RM2 billion, bringing the fund to a total of RM7 billion

The Health Director-General has warned that the occupancy rates at hospitals, quarantine and treatment centres is increasing, and doctors may soon have to prioritise who can receive ICU care

200,000 people managed to bypass roadblocks and return to their hometowns over the Hari Raya period, the government has estimated

Most industries will be required to close during the FMCO period of 1-14 Jun, with exceptions for essential services such as food and beverage, banking and e-commerce

All shops in shopping malls except for supermarkets and those selling essentials, will be closed from 1-14 Jun

The government is planning to set up free community rapid antigen test centres in Kuala Lumpur, Labuan and Putrajaya from 7 Jun

The Malaysian Association of Tour & Travel Agents (MATTA) have called for financial aid for tourism players following the total lockdown. It is urging the government for an automatic loan moratorium with zero interest, wage subsidies extension until year-end and proper frameworks for the conditions of reopening domestic and international borders. They also called for the revamp of tourism policies and the cancellation of the Travel & Tour Enhancement Course (TTEC)

Malaysia will enter a “total lockdown” from 1-14 Jun, with all social and economic activities banned, and only essential services and economic activities permitted to operate during Phase 1. Under Phase 2, which will last for 4 weeks, will allow the reopening of some economic sectors which do not need mass gatherings and where physical distance can be maintained. Phase 3 would see the country return to the current MCO where all economic activities can operate with restrictions, but no social activities. The Finance Ministry will draw up a financial aid package

The 3rd phase of the vaccination program, for those aged 18 and above, is set to start in Jun

Sarawak will look at the measures proposed for the new total lockdown, and will decide whether to adopt it or not. It is under MCO from 29 May until 11 Jun

Sabah will follow the nationwide strict lockdown from 1 Jun, but will likely make some adjustments

The Small and Medium Enterprises Association have urged the government to reinstall the loan repayment moratorium, as well as continue the wage subsidy scheme, as many SMEs have now “run out of reserves”

Sabah will ban dining in at restaurants from 29 May-2 Jun, covering the Harvest Festival weekend. There is also an interdistrict travel ban in place for the period

Malaysia had its 4th consecutive day of record case highs, with 8,290 on 28 May

As of 16 Apr, RM2.57 million had been given to 858 tour operator companies as part of the Strategic Programme to Empower the People and Economy package

Sarawak has allocated RM1.63 million to the tourism industry, with 216 travel agents receiving RM3,000, homestay operators RM600, and tourist guides RM1,500

Sabah’s Tenom district has the potential to become an agrotourism hub

Malaysia’s economy is expected to improve in Q2 2021, the government has said, as it is coming off a low base

The Ministry of Health is looking at implementing breath tests for COVID-19 and will run a clinical trial on its efficiency. A test kit for home use will also be approved soon

Johor state is planning to launch a new financial aid package

The Malaysia Budget & Business Hotel Association (MyBHA) should introduce special tax breaks for the tourism industry until 2022, including increasing the SST threshold to RM1.5 million for hotels, as well as electricity subsidies. They also asked for a special tourism financing scheme with loan approvals processed by the Ministry of Tourism, rather than financial institutions

Genting Malaysia is aiming to open the Genting SkyWorlds outdoor theme park in Q3, but has said that it depends on the COVID-19 situation

Increased clusters of cases in Malaysia has been linked to interstate travel between Apr-May, the government has said

Travellers to Labuan will need to take an RT-PCR test 3 days prior to departure and be quarantined for 14 days upon arrival. Residents of Labuan would need to serve a 10-day home quarantine

Kapit in Sarawak will be positioned as a tourist attraction under the Culture, Adventure and Nature concept, with water sports activities on its lake

The Health Director-General has told Malaysians to “prepare for the worst” with exponential growth of cases, urging people to stay at home

Two LRT trains crashed in a head-on collision in Kuala Lumpur, with preliminary investigations indicating that it was down to driver negligence

The Malaysian Inbound Tourism Association has urged the government to implement a 2-week strict lockdown

All Malaysian returnees from Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka will need to undergo a 21-day mandatory quarantine. Meanwhile, quarantine for other returnees has been extended to 14 days from 10 days

The Penang government have now opened applications for the electricity bill subsidy for the tourism industry. 5* hotels will receive subsidies of RM5,000, 4* hotels RM4,000, 3* hotels RM3,000, theme parks RM5,000, tourist attractions RM1,000 and travel agencies RM1,000

The Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) is calling the government to design a tourism recovery roadmap, as the tourism industry is “still a long way off from recovery”

Marriott International will add the Palm Garden Hotel near Putrajaya to its Tribute Portfolio

The Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) has called for more assistance from the government, saying that the industry “can no longer sustain”. They are calling on the government to implement a total lockdown with measures similar to Mar 2020’s MCO 1.0, and that as long as travel restrictions are in place for both domestic and international travel, the tourism industry will not survive. They estimate that losses in 2021 for the hotel industry so far are RM5 billion, worse than in 2020

Malaysia has recorded a new high of 6,976 cases

The Malaysian PM has said that the government has not reimplemented a strict lockdown like MCO 1.0 in March 2020 as it almost led to economic “collapse”, costing RM2.4 billion per day

Malaysia’s total cases surpassed the 500,000 mark

Malaysia announced tighter restrictions for its MCO from 25 Mar, including: 90% of civil servants and 40% of private sector should work from home, public transport capacity will be cut by 50%, and operating hours of businesses will be limited to 8am-8pm

The Malaysian Association of Tour & Travel Agents (MATTA) is calling on the government to prioritise tourism workers’ vaccinations. They said that “without a game-plan from the government and its non-committal wait and see approach on loan moratoriums, financial support, extension of wage subsidy program, waiver of compliance costs, utilities and rental rebate due to MCO 3.0, it has virtually left SMEs tourism business and 3.6 million workers dejected”

The labour market saw some recovery in Q1, with an unemployment rate of 4.8%

Malaysia recorded 2 consecutive days of record case highs with 6,806 cases on 20 May

SME Malaysia has warned that a full lockdown of the economy could see 40% of SMEs go bankrupt. 91% of SMEs expect the current MCO to impact business revenue, with 37.5% expecting a decline of more than 50%

A tour company who took tourists from Kedah to Genting Highlands has been found to be in compliance with all the relevant procedures for the domestic tourism bubble, despite a cluster of cases arising from the trip

Low-risk COVID patients can choose to stay in quarantine centre hotels with permission if they can afford to do so, the government has announced

ICU beds in the Klang Valley have reached 89%

The Finders Travel Index has shown that 44.36% of Malaysians are planning to travel in the next 3 months, up from 38.52% in Mar

The Malaysian Inbound Tourism Association (MITA) has said that Malaysia needs to start planning to allow vaccinated travellers into the country, with a sandbox to test specific destination arrivals

The Malaysian Inbound Tourism Association (MITA) has called for the domestic travel bubble to be reinstated after the end of the MCO, with bookings via travel agents only. They also called for an automatic loan moratorium with zero interest for tourist players, and a tax waiver from 2021-2025 and more cash assistance. A survey amongst members has shown 10% of its travel agents have closed, 70% are dormant and 20% are surviving with less than 2 employees

Sabah will tighten its entry restrictions, including 14-day quarantine for non-Sabahans at selected hotels and 14-day home quarantine for Sabahans

Sabah will reintroduce an interdistrict and interzone travel ban from 27 May-3 Jun

The Association of Tourism Attractions Penang hopes the government will freeze interest and loan repayments to help tourism attractions

Sarawak has extended its CMCO for Sarawak from 18 May-7 Jun

The Health Ministry has said that many hospitals in Klang Valley are almost full and at maximum capacity

Malaysia reported its highest number of deaths on 15 May, 44

Malaysian returnees from India will have their quarantine period increased from 14 to 21 days

The Health Ministry has warned that Malaysia could see 7,000 cases daily by Jun if the public doesn’t follow the safety measures

Penang state government will give an electricity bill subsidy for the tourism industry, with RM1 million allocated for hotels, travel agents, tourist attractions and theme parks

Malaysia recorded a high of 39 deaths on 12 May, and the highest level of cases in 3 months, 4,765

The Prime Minister has said that the economic sectors must remain open during MCO 3.0, otherwise the country will lose billions of ringgit per day

Tony Fernandes of AirAsia is confident AirAsia will recover faster than many of our competitors, as more than 50% of our business is domestic leisure, which is going to pick up before regional or business travel.” He forecasts that domestic short-haul will rebound by Q3 2021, and international could reach pre-COVID levels by 2022 end

The Public Investment Bank has estimated that Malaysia’s MCO 3.0 will cost the country RM300 million daily

The former Tourism Minister has said that the industry is on the brink of collapse, and that MCO 3.0 will worsen conditions, coming over the Eid festive season

The Health Director-General has warned that 80% of new cases are now sporadic, and no longer in clusters, as well as that the new variants of concern have also been detected in Malaysia

The Finance Minister has said that the implementation of MCO 3.0 will not have a significant impact on the country’s economic growth, and they are confident of growth between 6-7.5% in 2021. In Q1 2021, Malaysia announced a contraction of -0.5%, smaller than Q4’s -3.5%

The Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) have urged the government to lift the blanket ban on dine-in during MCO, saying that hotels have committed manpower and extra perishables over the festive period. MAH have suggested stricter measures, including served buffets, 2 per table and even testing for guests checking in from other states. Last year, they estimate hotels lost RM135 million in F&B alone

Sabah will continue with its CMCO measures, despite the country moving under MCO

1,300 travel agent employees in Terengganu will receive a handout of RM300 through the Terengganu People’s Economic Aid (Berkat) 2.0 incentive programme

The Prime Minister has announced a blanket MCO for the whole country from 12 May-7 Jun. He said that this would be necessary due to the rapid increase in cases. Restrictions include one third of management staff are allowed to work at the office, as well as dine-in at restaurants banned

All educational institutions will closed under the new MCO, but childcare nurseries and kindergartens will remain open

The Malaysia Tourism Council (MTC) has urged the government to include tourism players in their discussions to draw up clear guidelines

Applications for cross-border travel between Singapore and Malaysia are now open. Only 2 visitors per case are allowed for situations such as death or critical illness. Malaysia also announced that all travellers from Singapore must undergo a 14-day quarantine, instead of 10 days

Travellers from Singapore into Malaysia under the Periodic Commuting Arrangement (PCA) will need to serve a 14-day quarantine at government facilities from 13 May, after Singapore has been listed as a country with variants of concern being locally transmitted

The Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre now offers interactive virtual tours of the facilities, to allow meeting organisers to plan

Most hospitals in Klang Valley have surpassed 70% usage of their ICU beds

The MAH Penang Chapter has said that it expects the new MCO to severely impact the 6,000 hotel employees in the state. They would not be surprised if more hotels close down, both permanently and temporarily over the next 2 weeks. The Association of Tourism Attractions Penang (ATAP) is worried that some members may not survive until the end of the year if the MCO continues

Malaysia will ban all inter-district and interstate travel from 10 May in all states, even those under RMCO, until 6 Jun. Social gatherings, both public and private, will be suspended in this period nationwide, too. Certain COVID-19 potential hotspots (HIDE) have also been identified and closed immediately for sanitisation for 3 days, with shopping malls and supermarkets included, a move that has been slammed by retailer associations

The Ministry of Health has said that saliva tests for COVID-19 will soon be launched

Kuching is in the process of being recognised in the UNESCO Creative Cities Network under the gastronomy category

Malaysia has recorded over 4,500 cases for 2 days running, but the government says it is not planning to implement a nationwide MCO

Kuantan, Pahang and 3 districts of Penang and 1 sub-district in Perak will impose the MCO from 10-23 May

All Ramadan bazaars must close from 10 May

Penang has launched a new Penang Tourism Master Plan 2021-2030. It intends to widen the positive impact of tourism beyond George Town in the state. The 4 main strategies are diversification of tourism products, positioning Penang as a premier destination, ensuring sustainable and responsible tourism and becoming a smart tourism destination

China considers Malaysia to be one whole when it comes to reopening borders, and therefore it would be impossible to reopen borders only to Sabah

Penang held 156 events in 2020, the Penang Convention & Exhibition Bureau announced

A survey has shown that whilst 77% of Malaysians worry about getting COVID-19, 89% were worried about losing their jobs

Sarawak has imposed new regulations for its CMCO until 17 May, including a maximum of 5 permitted as a group in public places. Social gatherings are also prohibited. Essential services must operate at 50% only, and dine-in at restaurants is banned

Sabah will ban inter-district travel from 10-16 May during Hari Raya

The Malaysian Association of Hotel Owners has expressed disappointment that the government has suspended the RMCO travel bubble scheme, particularly as no cases have been reported relating to tourism. They have said the ban will impact on whether hotels decide to reopen in the near future, and they would not be surprised if more hotels close temporarily or permanently. The Malaysian Association of Travel and Tour Agents (MATTA) has said that the move will also mean that travel agents will suffer, as financial institutions’ requirements will become even tougher. They called for the government to provide more financial aid

Research by Finder.com showed that: o 44.36% of Malaysian respondents want to travel in the next 3 months, up from Mar’s 38.52% o 23.11% are looking to travel in Mau, 7.97% in Jun and 5.64% in Jul

Gyms and sporting facilities must close in areas under MCO, the government has announced

Kuala Lumpur will be placed under the MCO from 7-20 May. MCO will also be enforced in Johor Bahru, Kulai and Kota Tinggi in Johor state, in Taiping in Perak state and 14 subdistricts in Terengganu state

Travellers from Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Nepal will be banned from entering Malaysia

Travel agents have been warned not to accept travel reservations from those planning to travel to their hometowns for Hari Raya

All schools in Selangor, Putrajaya and Kuala Lumpur have been ordered to close for 2 days on 6-7 May, ahead of the Hari Raya break

The government has announced that all economic sectors under the MCO in Selangor will be able to operate, except for dine-in at restaurants. Offices will need to revert to the previous rule of only 30% of management being permitted to work from the office

Sarawak will limit Hari Raya visits in CMCO areas to the first 3 days of the festival only

No gatherings, including MICE, will be permitted in MCO areas

The RMCO interstate travel bubble scheme will be suspended due to the increase in cases

Malaysia released its measures in place for Hari Raya. For MCO areas, visits will be permitted on the first day with up to 15 people, and under CMCO and RMCO, visits will be permitted from day 1-3, with a limit of 20 for CMCO areas and 25 for RMCO areas

MCO will be imposed on 6 districts of Selangor from 6-17 May: Petaling, Hulu Langat, Klang, Gombak, Kuala Langat and Sepang . Inter-district travel will not be permitted in these districts

An MP in Perak has called for COVID-19 testing to be mandatory for tour operators after a bus driver who was involved in a tour programme, Wow Cuti, organised by Tourism Malaysia in Perak, tested positive in Perak

The Health Minister has warned that intensive care bed occupancy in the Klang Valley has reached 90%

Singapore and Malaysia will facilitate cross-border trips for compassionate reasons from 17 May, after a visit from Malaysia’s Foreign Minister to Singapore. They also agreed to work towards resuming essential cross-border travel, and announced that the meeting between the 2 PMs would be delayed, as it was not the “right environment” to discuss resuming cross-border travel on a larger scale given the rising number of cases in Malaysia. Both countries are also working towards the mutual recognition of their vaccine and test certificates

The government has said that the situation is becoming critical once more for COVID-19

The government has said that the situation is becoming critical once more for COVID-19

The Penang chapter of the Malaysian Association of Hotels has said that some hotels are rehiring as they reopen fully. Beachfront hotels in Penang are seeing up to 70% occupancy on weekends, but weekday occupancy drops to 20%. However, hotels in the heritage zone are seeing low occupancy rates of below 20%

Tourism Malaysia will be a diamond partner at the virtual Gulf Travel Show 2021

As of 16 Apr, the government has approved RM63.9 million in loans for 321 applications for the RM1 billion Penjana Tourism Sector Financing scheme

Fitch Solutions forecasts that Malaysian household spending will be slow to recover in 2021

The ADB forecasts that Malaysia’s economy will grow by 6% in 2021, and stabilise at 5.7% in 2022

Daily cases have exceeded 3,000, the first time since 25 Feb

Sabah will not change any of the restrictions in place, despite moving under CMCO from RMCO

The launch of the Genting SkyWorlds Theme Park is expected to create 1,500 new jobs

The government has confirmed that interstate travel will not be permitted over Hari Raya, except between RMCO states with tour agency registered vehicles

Sabah will impose Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO) from 29 Apr-17 May due to the increase of red zones within the state. It will also maintain its ban on inter-district travel over Hari Raya

The CMCO in Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Johor, Penang and Sarawak has been extended until 17 May

As of 23 Apr, 10,788 long-term business travel applications have been received, with 93% approved, whilst 441 short-term applications have been recommended for approval

Malaysia and Singapore are looking into the possibility of establishing a green lane pass for Malaysian workers who have been vaccinated in Singapore

A temporary ban on flights to and from India has been imposed from 28 Apr, and any travellers who started their journey from India were not permitted to enter the country, except for Malaysian citizens

The government has announced that schools will be closed for an additional 2 weeks after the Hari Raya holidays from 16-27 May/ 17-28 May, to avoid the risk of COVID-19 spreading in schools

Johor is working on a plan to allow vaccinated Malaysians working in Singapore to be able to return to Malaysia for Hari Raya

Travellers entering from countries with certain variants will be subject to 14 day quarantine, including the UK, South Africa, Brazil and Japan

The CMCO in Sarawak has been extended until 10 May

Taiwan has confirmed that Malaysia has been enthusiastic about establishing a travel corridor between the 2

Civil Servant Holiday Packages for Sabah and Labuan have been launched on 23 Apr, with 88 packages offered by 37 travel agents, 22 hotels and 5 products participating until 31 Dec

The Transport Minister has said that the future of Malaysia-EU trade is dependent on mutual vaccination certification recognition

The government will continue to ban interstate travel

AirAsia has partnered with RinggitPlus to establish airasia money, which will have financial services under its super app

The government has allocated RM26.9 million to develop tourism products in Sabah, and RM3.4 million to maintain existing tourism destinations and products

Malaysia’s unemployment rate hit 4.5% in 2020, compared to 3.3% in 2019

The Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) is calling for dialogue with the government, saying that regulations are being “implemented from the ‘top down’”, and that the tourism industry is facing an “economic pandemic”. They are calling for a more “pragmatic and holistic framework”

The Ministry of Tourism has said that they are cooperating with tourism associations to create plan to revive tourism, including restoring public confidence in touring, promoting unique destinations and creative tour products online

The Melaka state government have given out RM253,500 to 199 tourism industry players, including 120 travel agents who received RM1,000 each, 9 homestay operators who received RM2,000 and 67 Bumiputera chalet operators (RM1,500 each). RM5,000 was given each to the Melaka Tourism Association, Malaysia Association of Hotels (Melaka chapter) and Melaka Budget Hotel Association. Melaka have also exempted the service tax for hotels from Mar-Dec 2021

Malaysia is still identifying travel bubbles other than Singapore, the Tourism Ministry has said

Sunway Healthcare Group sees medical tourism recovering in Malaysia when the country can achieve herd immunity

The Singapore- Kota Kinabalu travel bubble is under discussion, a Sabah minister has said

Tourism Malaysia have launched 5 interactive digital brochures, hoping that digitalisation will be the key to generate interest from travellers post-pandemic. The guides use text, audio, animation and video, as well as Google Maps functionality

An Ipsos survey has shown that fewer Malaysians are as worried about the pandemic as they were in H2 2020, with results dropping to 61% from 69-77%. They also showed a mental wellness improvement of 12%, and 68% are optimistic that life will start to return to normal in the next year, the 3rd highest rating in APAC

All districts in Kelantan are now under MCO under 29 Apr

Langkawi’s focus post-pandemic is to rebuild domestic tourism, as well as build up relations with overseas tour operators in the medium-long term, as part of its LND2021 strategy. It will also focus on domestic MICE business

Langkawi has launched a Langkawi CycloTourism Trail, with 7 routes

Sarawak has closed all schools and childcare centres in its red zones for 2 weeks from 20 Apr

Kelantan Museum Corporation has launched a RM10 museum passport, which will allow visitors to visit 9 museums for just RM10

The 17th Malaysia International Halal Showcase (MIHAS) will run on 9-12 Sep in Kuala Lumpur, in a hybrid format

Johor is set to propose measures for Malaysian workers who cross the border to work in Singapore, ensuring that they receive the vaccine, and potentially limiting their movement within Singapore

The Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) expects the reopening of international borders in stages by 2022, and that it might take until 2024 for the tourism industry to recover to pre-pandemic levels

Malaysia is working on a mutual recognition of vaccination certificates with Australia, especially since 19,000 Malaysian students are waiting to return to Australis for their studies

The opposition party criticised the government for appointing a deputy minister of tourism, saying that it has not taken meaningful action for the tourism industry

The Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB)’s Malaysia Business Events Strategic Marketing Plan 2021-2030 (SMP21-30) will focus on 3 strategies: optimisation, foresight and competitiveness. They plan to aggressively target APAC’s business events market such as China, India, Korea, Taiwan, Australia and New Zealand. It is also planning to compete for events such as the World Expo

Interstate travel for work, medical and educational purposes will only be permitted from Mon-Thu

The Association of Private Hospital of Malaysia (APHM) has called on the government to establish an internationally recognised vaccine passport, which could help to boost medical tourism

Tourism players in Sabah have stated that a cluster caused by a man who travelled from Sabah to Terengganu for a wedding was not due to interstate travel, but people not following the proper regulations. The Sabah Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) chapter have said that the extension of the interstate travel ban is hurting the industry, which had been battling no revenue since the start of the pandemic – they believe the only way to rescue the industry is through vaccination and lifting the ban on interstate travel, as well as borders between Sabah, Brunei and Sarawak

Saliva tests have now been approved for use by the Health Ministry

The Malaysian Convention and Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB) have launched their Malaysia Business Events Strategic Marketing Plan 2021-2030 (SMP21-30). It aims to generate 3% of the tourism industry and 25,883 employees by 2030. Its most optimistic scenario for revenue sees RM47.32 billion by 2030

Sabah will permit interzone travel for tourism, provided that it is handled by registered tourism companies, with transportation via registered vehicles. Tourists from outside Sabah are still not permitted

Malaysia Airports forecasts 20 new international destinations and 80 additional domestic flights for its network of airports (including Istanbul)

Malaysia’s Rt rate has increased to 1.14 as of 14 Apr, with daily cases exceeding 2,000 for the first time since 5 Mar

The Ministry of Tourism has resumed its tourism fund “Gamelan” for tourism businesses who want financial assistance for marketing and promotion. The allocation ceiling for each company has been increased to RM300,000, and those taking part in virtual sales missions and online travel exhibitions can apply for matching grants

The PM has said that he does not plan to impose a nationwide MCO once more, but that manufacturers must address poor housing facilities for workers, as 83% of the cases are from that sector

The Health Minister has called for interstate travel over Hari Raya to be postponed as cases are increasing once more

The Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agent (MATTA) has called for the government to reopen interstate travel with SOPs in place, as “at this rate, we’ll see many in the industry bleed to death over the next three months”. They stated that the travel between RCMO states has had little to no impact on industry players, something which the Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) agrees with. The Malaysian International Chamber of Commerce and Industry has said that domestic tourism will have a “huge impact” on the nation’s recovery as a whole

The government is looking at opening special lanes for international MICE business travellers

The government has said that family members can travel interstate to bring a dependent for vaccination

The government has imposed MCO from 16-29 Apr on 7 districts in Kelantan, after a spike of cases

Pahang’s new theme for its state tourism, Inilah Pahang (This Is Pahang), will highlight the strengths of the state and its diverse products

Malaysia and Singapore will discuss the border reopening during the Malaysian PM’s visit to Singapore on 4 May

The CMCO has been extended in Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Johor, Penang, Kelantan and Sarawak for another 2 weeks, until 28 Apr (with the exception of Sarawak which is until 26 Apr). Interstate travel from CMCO states remains banned

The government has warned that Malaysia could be on the cusp of a fourth wave

Foreigners who have been in Malaysia under expired social visit passes have been advised that they must leave the country by 21 Apr

Kudat, Sabah is now promoting its Tun Mustapha Museum, which opened up in 2020

: Bank Negara is maintaining its prediction of 6-7.5% GDP growth for 2021. Challenges it foresees is issues affecting the vaccine rollout both domestically and internationally, but it expects the economy to return to 2019 pre-pandemic levels by mid-2021

The Tourism Ministry has launched a “Jom Dive!” campaign aimed at scuba diving and marine life activities, in conjunction with the Malaysia Scuba Diving Association. It will offer 1,000 special packages for those wishing to get their diving licence

Malaysia will allow food premises to remain open from midnight-6am during Ramadan

Aung San Suu Kyi has been given a new criminal charge, section 25 of the natural disaster management law

Langkawi’s Bukit Malut has earmarked land for a racing circuit, resorts and other attractions. The Langkawi Tourism Industry Organisation praised the development, forecasting that it will boost the economy

The government will announce if Hari Raya travel can go ahead during Ramadan

The Tourism, Arts and Culture Support Grant (GSPSB) grant of a total of RM30 million, will restart its disbursement, after being delayed due to the MCO

Penang hotels are seeing an increase in occupancy and events, particularly for weekend bookings, even over Ramadan which is traditionally weak

The Health Ministry will decide if interstate travel over Hari Raya can go ahead, based on a risk assessment

Tour buses’ age limit will be extended to 15 years

The government is refining the procedures for Malaysian outbound travellers, including for umrah and ziarah. The Tourism Ministry is amongst those on a working visit to Saudi Arabia

The Feb unemployment rate for Malaysia declined to 4.8% from Jan’s 4.9%. Jobs in tourism-related industries remained on the decline

The government is looking at an international travel bubble for Langkawi, similar to the Phuket sandbox model. Travellers, including domestic tourists, would need to be vaccinated, as would Langkawi residents. Malaysia will also discuss travel bubbles with Singapore and Thailand, as they believe that ASEAN-wide regulations will take too long to fall into place

Sarawak will extend its CMCO from 13-26 Apr

The Tourism Minister has called for Malaysians to visit domestic destinations they may have overlooked before

The government is looking for the private sector to build more museums in Malaysia

The Penjana Tourism Sector Financing scheme has approved 308 applications out of 626 for a total of RM61.9 million. The fund is worth RM1 billion in total

A new study showed that digital payments in Malaysia were up 908% YoY in 2020 in Malaysia, whilst digital wallet payments grew 171% YoY

The RAM Business Confidence Index for Q1 2021 showed pessimism for Q2, with around half of those surveyed expecting revenue to decline

An NGO has called for the Penang government to convert some of the bungalows on Penang Hill into eco-friendly homestays

CBRE | WTW’s Real Estate Market Outlook 2021 have stated that average hotel occupancy in Klang Valley dropped to 30% in Q3 2020, from 81% in Q3 2019. They see 1,870 rooms opening in 2021 in Kuala Lumpur, with 25 more hotels planned for 2023

Those looking to enter Sarawak, both non-Sarawakian Malaysians and non-Malaysians, must undergo 14-day quarantine at designated centres

The Ministry of Tourism has said that hotel occupancy nationwide has increased to 24%, rising to 33% during the school holidays last week. In January and February, the average was 20% and 18%

The IMF is maintaining its GDP 2021 forecast for Malaysia of 6.5%, and expects its unemployment rate to decline to 3.8%

The decision to allow interdistrict travel for certain Sabah zones has seen an uplift in domestic tourism, with occupancy levels in some resorts around Kota Kinabalu climbing to 70% over weekends and school holidays

A Michael Page Malaysia survey showed that 33% of companies are looking to increase their headcount, whilst 40% will maintain the current number

The government has said that there are plans with 7 countries to resume international flights with Malaysia

Putrajaya Corporation are welcoming development ideas from private companies to create new tourism products. One such project the government is looking at is glamping at the Wetlands Park, as well as a new Safari Park

Malaysia and Brunei have agreed in principle a Reciprocal Green Lane (RGL) and are looking into the rules of such an arrangement. They also pledge to cooperate in potentially recognising one another’s vaccination certificates

Sabah Tourism Board is working with Tourism Malaysia for joint promotional plans for the domestic and international markets. They plan to bring Sabah tourism stakeholders to Penang and Klang Valley for B2B events. Internationally, they are working on a Sabah ASEAN Webinar, with ASEAN travel agents attending

The government will reinstate the original alignment of the East Coast Rail Link, allowing it to carry more freight

Sarawak has launched its Sia Sitok version 2.0 intra-state tourism campaign to boost domestic tourism. It will be until 31 Oct, and focuses on Sarawakian residents and foreigners residing in Sarawak discounts of up to 50% off Sarawak tour packages

A survey undertaken by Tourism Malaysia in India showed that Indian travellers are interested in off-the-beaten-track destinations and soft adventure activities in Malaysia once travel resumes

A Penang Street Food Festival in Bangkok on 3 Apr was well received by locals in Thailand

The Sabah state government have said that a lifting of its interstate travel ban depends on the state of COVID-19 in the rest of the country, as Sabah tourism players plead to reopen. Domestic arrivals into Sabah are subject to a test 72 hours before arrival

The government has approved a 3rd MRT line to be built in the Klang Valley, the Circle Line, which was previously cancelled

Sabah Parks will launch an online booking system for Mt Kinabalu soon

Malaysia and China have in principle agreed to recognise one another’s vaccination certificates. They have also established a Malaysia-China committee for cooperation on areas including travel facilitation

Miri has introduced a new sunset cruise

Sabah Tourist Association have called for the government to reopen interstate travel, saying that “the industry has seen practically zero income for more than a year now” and more jobs may be lost if an interstate travel ban continues. 30% of Budget Hotel Malaysia Association Sabah chapter’s members have closed temporarily

Sabah is working on a plan for a travel bubble with Singapore to start after Hari Raya. It involves a safe travel route from Singapore to Sutera Harbour Resort, Kota Kinabalu and Sutera@Mantanani. The Sabah Tourism Ministry is waiting for the green light from the state government, and needs to finetune procedures with Malaysia Airports, too, Tourism Malaysia and Singapore

Tourism Malaysia has said that nationals from Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia would likely be the first permitted to enter Malaysia in Q2, with China, Japan and Korea in Q3

Convention centres are reporting low forward bookings and do not see recovery in H1 2021, even though MICE events are permitted at 50% capacity under CMCO areas

Tourism Malaysia sees India and the Middle East as key markets, and has launched a #WeMissYou campaign aimed at Middle Eastern and Indian tourists at the Gulf Travel Show. Gujarat in India in particular remains a key target

Tourism Malaysia has launched specially discounted domestic tour packages for civil servants