Malaysia

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 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

UMNO ministers will stay in the Cabinet, despite UMNO deciding to split from supporting the Prime Minister’s party

Agoda has seen no international searches from Malaysians in March 2021 or December 2020 make it to the top 30 list

The Malaysian government has said once again that vaccinated travellers must still undergo quarantine on arrival to the country

Bank Negara expect the Malaysian economy to grow 6-7.5% in 2021, achieving pre-pandemic levels of GDP by mid-2021. They presume that herd immunity will only be achieved in Q1 2022, and that international borders could remain closed for the whole of 2021, but lockdown measures would become more targeted

Bank Negara sees modest market conditions for hotels in 2021 due to higher competition and operational costs

The Religious Affairs Minister will soon visit Saudi Arabia to get details on the requirements for 2021’s haj season

The private sector will be permitted to operate at 100% capacity under CMCO areas from 1 Apr

The government will extend a moratorium on loan repayments from Apr-Jun for bus operators

More than two thirds of SMEs expect their businesses to recover by Apr, according to a Mastercard Impact Study

The Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) expects 2021 to be worse than 2020, with no signs of international tourists returning until 2022

Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Johor, Penang, Kelantan will stay under CMCO until 1-14 Apr, and Sarawak under CMCO until 12 Apr. All other states are under RMCO until 14 Apr

Sabah’s Chief Minister has told tourism players that this is a chance to reset strategies. Under the state’s 5 year plan, it wants to balance mass tourism with high yield tourism, and has said that new attractions must be developed and a focus on sustainability

Melaka is looking at partnering with other states to create bilateral domestic tourism programs, including a Melaka-Terengganu Tourism package

Malaysia recorded just 941 cases on 29 Mar, the first time that cases have fell below 1,000 since 9 Dec

The Malaysian Inbound Tourism Association (MITA) will hold an e-travel fair during Ramadan to increase domestic tourism

Kelantan state will provide fiscal support to its tourism industry, including RM500-1,000 one-off grants for hotel operators, tour guides and tour boat operators

Langkawi Tourism Association has called for the government to issue clearer guidelines on interstate travel for tourism between RMCO states, saying that the current situation is unclear and presents large fines for those who misunderstand. Only 10-25% of hotel rooms in Langkawi are occupied

The Mersing Tourism Association is preparing for the district to reopen after the monsoon season has ended. It has been running tour guide courses to upskill them, as well as raising awareness of marine life conservation

Sarawak has extended its CMCO until 12 Apr

Kinabalu Geopark could be listed as a UNESCO Global Geopark by 2022, according to the Sabah state government

The government has extended its COVID-19 Act until 30 Jun 2021, which protects companies under contract from protection from legal action if they fail to meet contractual obligations, including for tourism companies

Domestic travel players have seen travellers increase between RMCO states, according to the Malaysian Inbound Tourism Association

The Malaysian Healthcare Travel Council (MHTC) will try to make healthcare travel into Malaysia more attractive, allowing chartered flights to come in regularly to reduce costs. In 2020 after reopening to medical tourists, Malaysia welcomed around 100 people

Malaysian Association of Convention & Exhibition Organisers & Suppliers (Maceos) have forecast that it can achieve 50% of its 1,138 events in 2019 in 2021, with revenue of RM1 billion

MHholidays packages can now be bought for codeshare partner destinations

The Malaysia Tourism Council (MTC) is calling for local tourism players to develop new products in Malaysia to win the domestic market, such as to Lenggong Valley, a UNESCO site in Perak. They are also planning to host agent fam trips to Pulau Tuba in Langkawi, and islands off Johor

Kuching is now promoting cycling tours

The Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry has prepared procedures should international travel reopen, including using registered tour agents, and small groups. They are aiming to open up activities such as golfing and diving to tourist, and see 6 target countries for travel bubbles: Singapore, Korea, Japan, Vietnam, China and Brunei

Malaysia Airlines has now officially started its restructuring process, and RM1.5 billion of its Islamic bonds will be cancelled on 29 Mar

Shopee, an e-commerce platform which is selling “Jom Cuti-Cuti Malaysia! Experience Malaysia Like Never Before” travel deals has seen 22,000 packages sold since 2 Mar – previously it had sold just 500 between 11 Jan to 1 Mar. 75% of the staycation activities were bought by residents the Klang Valley, Penang, Sabah and Johor. It also saw popularity from Sarawak, Terengganu and Melaka buying Buy Now, Travel Later deals. Popular attractions include Aquaria KLCC, Sunway Lagoon, Zoo Negara, Rainbow Skywalk at The Top Penang and Wonderfood Museum in Penang

The Malaysia Association of Hotels (MAH) has called for the government to allow controlled interstate travel as the high number of cases related to interstate travel were not generated by tourism

Whether interstate travel is permitted for Hari Raya is dependent on the daily COVID-19 situation, infectivity rates, current death rates, hospitality capacity, health workers and sample testing

The Ministry of Health has said that 3,170 cases were down to interstate travel from 1 Jan to 21 Mar

Malaysia is removing its “one dose, one reserve” policy, as it is satisfied with the delivery schedule from its current providers. This will allow the ministry to complete Phase 1, vaccinating 500k people, faster, with up to 20,000 doses given per day

The Tourism Ministry sees potential in ecotourism along the Santaba River in Limbang, Sarawak

Sarawak will no longer require domestic travellers into the state to undergo a COVID test 3 days prior to departure, but they will still need to undergo a 14-day quarantine

The Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) has criticised the government for not having a plan for border reopening. It has said that more than 12,000 hotel employees have been retrenched, lost their jobs or had wages cut, and 90 hotels have closed, either temporarily or permanently

Johor state are disbursing RM1.5 million in tourism vouchers, as well as RM1,000 to 1,000 tour guides in Johor, and RM10,000 to 2,00 tourism associations and companies

Domestic cruises will restart from Penang, the Penang Port and Genting Cruise Lines announced. They will run 1 night and 2 night cruises from Penang to Langkawi on the Star Pisces ship from 13 May, timed to coincide with the Hari Raya holidays

MATTA estimate that 90% of travel agents have remained inactive and are in hibernation in 2021

The Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) has said that a risk-based approach, rather than blanket travel bans, will help boost domestic tourism

Spectators will be allowed at sports events in stadiums and sports venues from 1 Apr

Malaysia will try to avoid nationwide and state-wide lockdowns going forward, to avoid impacting the economy. Instead, the MCO will be imposed only on those high infection areas

The Malaysia Tourism Council has thanked the government for its new economic support, and has urged the tourism industry to be more creative and adapt to the pandemic

The MAH Penang chapter has said that Penang hotels expect a proper recovery in 2022. They predicted a 50% growth in events at Penang hotels if interstate travel is allowed. 9 hotels have announced closure in Penang, but one will reopen under new management

‘This is Pahang’ will be the new theme for the state to revive its tourism industry

The government has released new measures aimed at helping the tourism industry under the PEMERKASA stimulus package. These include: • Extension of tourism tax and service tax for hotel accommodation until 31 Dec • Entertainment duty exemption for entrance fees, including theme parks within Federal Territories • Tax relief of RM1,000 for those who buy packages from registered tour agents • Delay of monthly income tax payment from 1 Apr-31 Dec 2021 • Exempted from Human Resources Development Fund until Jun 2021 • Wage Subsidy Program 3.0 extended for additional 3 months • One-off special assistance grant of RM3,000 for 5,000 tour agents • One-off cash assistance of RM600 for 4,000 homestay operators • Continued 10% discount on electricity bill for hotels, theme parks, convention centres, shopping malls, airline officers and travel agents until 30 Jun

The MAH has said that the government’s continued wage subsidy is appreciated, but they had hoped for higher support for wage subsidies, as well as a reduction in electricity bills. They have recorded just an 18% occupancy rate in Feb and 20% in Jan. They also called for the ban on interstate travel to be lifted. MATTA have called for the government’s plan to reopen interstate travel, as well as international borders, be shared with the trade

The Tourism Ministry has launched a new competition, Cuti-Cuti Malaysia Travel Wish 2021, which aims to promote domestic tourism

The Malaysian Budget Hotel Association (MyBHA) has said that the government still needs to implement more substantial measures to support the industry’s survival

The Ministry of Tourism is drawing up 13 guidelines to ensure that the tourism industry can thrive

The World Bank has said that Malaysia will become a high-income economy between 2024-2028

The Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) has said that it is in close talks with the Tourism Ministry and industry partners such as Costa Crociere SpA to look at SOPs for domestic cruises. The organisation has also been lobbying for Malaysia to have a home-port status

The Tourism Ministry has said that they are holding regular discussions with tourism stakeholders to ensure that all issues raised are looked into

Agoda have shared that they have seen an increase in the number of last minute travel searches for same day and next day check ins for Malaysians vs 2020

The CMCO will be extended in Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Johor and Kelantan until 31 Mar. Perlis, Melaka, Pahang, Terengganu, Sabah, Putrajaya, Kedah, Perak, Negri Sembilan and Labuan will be under RMCO until 31 Mar. Sarawak remains under CMCO until 29 Mar

Ramadan bazaars and mass prayers will be permitted during Ramadan, the government has confirmed

The Sarawak Tourism Minister has said that the Feb 2021 domestic arrivals were just 7,369 vs 199,893 in 2020, and international arrivals 1,600 vs 111,275 in 2020

Kedah has seen an increase in the number of tourists to Langkawi since it was placed under RMCO

Malaysia had its lowest 2021 new daily cases of 1,208 on 15 Mar

The Economics Minister has urged the Tourism Ministry to create a working paper on the issues the tourism industry is facing, and present it to the Economic Action Council

Sabah will allow sea and river recreational activities from 15 Mar

Thai AirAsia will reopen all of its 40 domestic routes in Apr. They will also return their flight frequency and seat capacity to 100% of the pre-2nd wave levels

Putrajaya is aiming to transform itself into a recreational city over the next 25 years

Airbnb’s Meaningful Travel Trends Survey 2021 has shown that: • 82% of Malaysians are more connected to family since the pandemic hit, with 70% planning to reconnect with family once travel resumes • 50% are expecting to spend RM2,000 or less on domestic travel • Family friendly destinations are at the top of the list for travel • Penang, Sabah, Kuala Lumpur, Terengganu and Johor are the top destinations • 60% consider the environment and sustainability when choosing accommodation

The Malaysia Tourism Council are lobbying to set up a dedicated bank for tourism, which would help local and foreign investment, as well as support tourism players financially

The Malaysian Transport Minister hopes that the Malaysia-Singapore border could reopen to boost economies

The CMCO has been extended in Sarawak until 29 Mar

OYO Hotel and Homes have offered OYO Hotels as accommodation for frontliners working in quarantine centres

After Langkawi was declared an RMCO area from 10 Mar, hundreds of tourists have been seen at the jetties to go to the island

MATTA has said that more time is needed for tour operators to develop special packages for interstate travel between RMCO states

AmBank Research has said that it will create a centralised tourism data bank, to help the industry

The Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) estimate that 100 hotels have now temporarily or permanently closed, with job losses of 20,000

The Ministry of Tourism has said that they are in active discussions on travel bubbles with China, and are potentially looking at introducing a travel bubble between Langkawi and Indonesia by Q2. Qatar Airways is also in talks with the Langkawi Development Authority to promote the destination to international travel

The Ministry of Tourism has said that they are focusing on creating personalised eco-packages for smaller groups of tourists. Tourism Malaysia expects the number of international arrivals to increase by end of 2021, and predict the first arrivals will be from neighbouring countries such as Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia and Brunei

Sabah Parks have asked UNESCO to gazette Kinabalu Park as a Global Geopark

Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) Melaka Chapter said that the latest step, allowing interstate travel for RMCO states, was a step forwards, but it was too early to say if it would have a significant impact

The Tourism Minister urged tourism players to take advantage of the new travel bubbles with RMCO states

Johor politicians are calling to allow vaccinated Singaporeans into the state without quarantine

Malaysia’s 2020 tourism receipts dropped 85.3% to RM12.69 bil, whilst international tourist arrivals dropped to 4.33 million from 26.1 million in 2019. ASEAN countries were Malaysia’s top contributor, with 68.1% share, whilst the top 10 international arrivals were Singapore (1.55 million), Indonesia (711,723), China (405,149), Thailand (394,413), India (155,883), Brunei (136,020), South Korea (119,750), Japan (74,383), Australia (72,680) and Vietnam (64,184)

Tourism Malaysia has said that the county is looking into travel bubbles with Singapore, Brunei, China, Japan, Korea and Taiwan. Discussions are still ongoing for the proposed RGL with Indonesia

MATTA has said that the move to allow interstate travel amongst RMCO states “won’t have a significant impact” due to the fact that the RMCO states are not major tourism sources. However, the MAH said that it was an indication that the government is taking the industry seriously

The Negri Sembilan government are encouraging their departments to hold events in hotels to help the tourism industry, so long as it was within their budget

Tourism Malaysia has said that the country is in “safe mode”, but remains active, with overseas offices continuing to have B2B discussions, as well as outreach on social media

30 Malaysian organisations took part in the ITB Berlin NOW event

Malaysia is relying on revenge spend domestic tourists to boost the industry once fully reopened

783,654 My30 unlimited travel passes have been sold since it was introduced

Events with live audiences in the creative industries may be held from 10 Mar nationwide. 50% capacity is allowed for CMCO areas, whilst under RMCO is subject to the venue being able to impose social distance

The work from home policy still applies for the public sector and offices. For CMCO areas, offices should operate at 30% capacity, whilst RMCO is permitted to operate fully

The Tourism Minister has said that the industry is now focusing on maximising existing resources, including ecotourism, rural and experiential tourism, and enhancing niche products

The Tourism Malaysia director-general warned tourism players to continue their focus on domestic tourism once the pandemic is under control

The government will allow interstate travel between RMCO states – however, all travel has to be undertaken using a registered tour bus company, who must seek approval from the police. Interstate RCMO travel in private vehicles will not be permitted. Stopping in CMCO states en route is also not allowed

Malaysia’s unemployment rate in Jan increased to 4.9% vs Dec’s 4.8%. The government have said that this increase is due to a review of business strategies in tourism-related industries. Employment in the tourism industry continued to decrease

The Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) has said that vague SOPs had a role in causing hotels to stop operating during the MCO, after a Minister had said that the government had never instructed hotels to close. They hope the government will extend further support until international tourism returns

Whilst interdistrict travel in all states has been permitted since 5 Mar, the Malaysian Association of Hotel Owners has said that hotels are not likely to benefit from the move

Primary schools fully reopened from 8 Mar

Malaysia has confirmed that those who travel between their 1st and 2nd dose of vaccinations will still be subject to mandatory quarantine on their return. The government are still waiting for official guidance from the WHO for fully vaccinated travellers and quarantine length

The Finance Minister has said that the country has shown signs of economic recovery since the imposition of the first MCO in March 2020, and believes that “the worst is behind us”

The Communications and Multimedia Ministry will support the Tourism Ministry to boost domestic tourism with broadcasts on RTM and BERNAMA

The Melaka state government is optimistic that its tourism can be revived now that interdistrict is permitted once more

The Finance Ministry is looking into more data to develop targeted financial relief measures for businesses. They have said that companies in the tourism sector are among those who need assistance, and that some other kind of help may need to be provided than loans

Langkawi hotels are calling for air travel bubbles from green zone domestic states, to use the island as a test case before reopening domestic travel fully

23 hotels have closed down in Langkawi, including 3* hotels and 15 budget hotels and homestays

A new B2B portal, UPass, to promote domestic tourism niche products will be launched by the Malaysia Tourism Council in Apr. It will have a dynamic pricing feature and instant confirmation

Climbing at Mt Kinabalu reopened on 5 Mar, with 35 climbers

The Health Ministry has said that the interstate travel ban may be lifted by 18 Mar if the infection levels drop to manageable levels. However, it would not be a blanket opening of state borders

The Malaysian Association of Hotel Owners (MAHO) have called for the removal of the interstate travel ban

Foreign workers will be allowed back into Sarawak, but they must undergo a 14-day quarantine

The government is considering whether to allow interstate travel between RMCO states, particularly if travellers have to pass through CMCO states on their journey

For those Malaysians who have to travel to Sarawak, they must do a swab test 3 days prior to departure, as well as undergo a 14-day quarantine, whilst those to Sabah must take a swab test 3 days prior to arrival and are not required to quarantine if they are symptom-free

The Malaysian Retail Association is calling for travel restrictions to be lifted

Hoteliers have welcomed the move to reopen international borders to business travellers

Malaysia launched its first electric bus in Kuching, offering free transportation to locals and visitors to key stops in the city

The Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) has given the government a 37-point list of ways in which the tourism industry could be helped. Some of the measures include extending the wage subsidy program, loan moratoriums, changes in government policy, training, support for local digital platforms, boosting travellers’ confidence and grants for the digitalisation of tourism companies

Malaysia’s Parliament will not reconvene until the State of Emergency expires on 1 Aug, a cabinet minister has said

The government has said that they will allow business travellers to enter Malaysia, both short-term and long-term. They will need to apply via the Safe Travel portal. Those staying for less than 14 days may be allowed to skip quarantine with approval from the committee. Business travellers include potential and existing investors, board members, executives and associates of Malaysian companies, business customers for product inspection before commercial production and technical experts. Longer-term business travellers will be subject to a 14-day quarantine

Patients who test positive for COVID-19, those are under investigation or close contacts ang those under surveillance will need to wear tracking devices from 11 Mar

The Health Minister has said that Malaysia will issue a smart vaccination certification for COVID-19. It will be ready within a month as they are discussing the details with the WHO to ensure that it is internationally recognised

After complaints over the continued interdistrict travel ban in Sabah, it will now allow travel between certain zones to stimulate the economy. Ranau, the district which is home to the Kinabalu Park, has been include din the same zones as Kota Kinabalu, to allow tourism activities to the area

Sarawak is launching new incentives for MICE, called the Tribe Homegrown, with 2 categories. The convention category will see applicants receive a matching grant for their event, while the corporate meetings and incentives category will offer subsidies starting from RM3,000-RM5,000. Sarawak-based tourism industry partners can apply for a one-off RM5,000 grant for advertising, marketing and promotion under Tribe Collaborate

Zoo Negara will reopen on 5 Mar, with 20% of tickets. The number of visitors will be limited to 2,500

Genting Malaysia is planning to cut employees’ salaries once more until May

Johor hopes that those who are vaccinated will be able to travel between the state and Singapore

Malaysia’s lockdown measures will be eased. From 5 Mar, Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Johor and Penang would be put under the Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO), joining Kedah, Kelantan, Negri Sembilan, Perak and Sarawak. The rest of the country is under Recovery Movement Control Order (RMCO). Under CMCO, cultural events are allowed but without an audience, tourist attractions are permitted to be opened, weddings and social gatherings are permitted at 50% of venue capacity, and MICE gatherings also allowed at 50% under CMCO areas (100% with social distancing in RMCO areas)

The Tourism Minister has said that the removal of the inter-district travel ban will stimulate tourism

Sabah has created a travel bubble between two private resorts and Mantanani Island off Kota Belud, allowing travel from Sutera Harbour to the island for those booked under a tour package

Interdistrict travel will be allowed nationwide except for Sabah. However, the interstate travel ban will remain in place

The Health Director-General has said that protecting Malaysia’s “green zones” should be a priority when deciding on allowing interstate travel

Travel between Kuala Lumpur and Selangor will be permitted under the CMCO

Cinemas will be allowed to reopen from 5 Mar

Sunway Resort will embark on a $60 mil USD renovation for its hotel. It will upgrade its technological offering, as well as enhanced sustainability offerings. They will also introduce a Premium Leisure Club, designed for parents to enjoy leisure time whilst their children play in a Kids Club

The Malaysian Association of Convention and Exhibition Organisers and Suppliers (MACEOS) has praised the government for allowing MICE to take place in MCO areas. A recent survey of their members showed that 64% believed they would not be able to survive another 3 months of MCO with no events

New guidelines have been launched for MICE activities under MCO orders, including limited opening hours, a maximum of 25% of a venue’s participants, with a maximum of 250 pax per event. Programs must be limited to 2 hours, and attendees over the age of 60 are discouraged

The PM has promised to hold elections as soon as the pandemic eases

The Tourism Minister is concerned over the announcement by the Health Director-General that an interstate travel ban could be in place until 70-80% of the population is vaccinated

A coalition of almost 1 mil businesses in Malaysia has warned against prolonging the interstate travel ban, calling for targeted lockdowns instead

The government is looking at rolling out saliva tests at government hospitals

Over 3,500 people have received the first dose of the Pfizer vaccination, and 1.2 mil people have registered online via the MySejatera app

Malaysia and the UK are looking into a collaboration which would include reciprocal vaccinations for each other’s nationals, a reciprocal travel bubble and guaranteed access to UK manufactured vaccines for Malaysia

The Ministry of Tourism will prioritise infrastructure in potential tourism destinations, including Sabah and Sarawak. They will also increase their overseas promotions

Tourism associations have said that the tourism industry cannot wait until Malaysia has reached 70% immunity before lifting interdistrict and interstate travel restrictions

The Health Director-General has said that travel restrictions may not be relaxed under Malaysia achieves herd immunity, which could take up to 9 months

The Tourism Minister has said that they are applying for the extension of the one-off incentive under the Domestic Travel Bubble scheme until Dec 2021

The Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) have urged the government for liquidity and financial assistance for SME travel agents, including a loan moratorium, wage subsidy and grants

Sarawak will remain under CMCO until 15 Mar, with the extension of EMCO in certain areas

Sabah has launched a new book now, travel later campaign aimed at Thai millennials and expats residing in Thailand. Amongst others, it will promote adventure and sports tourism

The Sarawak Tourism Federation is calling for the state government to review its 14-day quarantine requirement for vaccinated travellers

MICE activities will be permitted to reopen in MCO areas from 5 Mar, but will be limited to 25% of the venue capacity, with a maximum of 250 people. New statistics have shown that in 2020 MICE generated RM2.2 billion, a big drop from 2019’s RM9.25 billion

The Department of Statistics Malaysia expects Malaysia to have better economic performance in the coming months

Resorts World Genting is set to open its new themepark, Genting SkyWorlds in Q2 2021. It will have 26 rides and attractions, and will be able to welcome 20,000 visitors. Initially, the themepark will require pre-booking and will implement limited tickets to adhere to social distancing. It anticipates a high level of demand from domestic tourists

The Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) has said that more hotel closures is a “harsh reality” of the pandemic, and that the government must provide more financial assistance

Johor hopes that the vaccination program will help to reinstate cross border travel between Malaysia and Singapore

The government has said that Malaysia’s financial recovery is progressing with the start of the vaccination program, and urged tourism players to take advantage of the RM 1 billion PENJANA Tourism Funding scheme. As of 12 Feb, only 282 applications for RM57.1 million had been approved

Many major tourism attractions in Sabah remain closed, despite the easing of its status to CMCO

The government will discuss allowing interdistrict and interstate travel for states under CMCO

The number of active cases in Malaysia has fallen by more than 40% over the past 2 weeks

The government clarified that they did not instruct hotels to close during MCO 2.0, as the restaurants are still permitted to open

The Transport Minister has said that he is discussing a universal certification to recognise those who have been vaccinated with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He revealed that Singapore has also been in contact to ask if a universal certification would be possible

Tourism Malaysia India has been engaging with the Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI) and Travel Agents Federation of India (TAFI) to brief them on Malaysia’s latest tourism products and situation

The Melaka MATTA chapter has said that 50% of its tourism players have closed down, judging by 2021 membership renewals. Those which are still active have not yet resumed operations due to the interdistrict and interstate travel restrictions

Setia City Convention Centre in Selangor has rolled out virtual and hybrid studios for events, and Setia SPICE Penang is planning a similar rollout in Q1. The Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre is also offering new studios with production-grade AV equipment and a team of technical experts

The World Bank has said that Malaysia’s economy is expected to return to positive growth in 2021, between 5.6-6.7%

MAVCOM have insisted that airlines should refund their customers for cancelled flights, and has stated that “The manner of refund should place the affected consumers in a similar position at the point of purchasing the ticket”

Sabah recorded its lowest number of daily cases in 5 months on 21 Feb

The government will use the TracVirus app for all individuals entering Malaysia, starting with a 2-week trial at Kuala Lumpur International Airport before being rolled out to other entry points

The Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) is calling for the government to lift the interstate and interdistrict travel bans, saying that it “does not make sense” for tourist attractions to reopen when these are still in place, making it a “meaningless” move. They warned that tourism businesses would not be able to take another ban, and that the sector “is as good as dead right now.” The Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) also made a statement along similar lines, whilst the Malaysian Inbound Tourism Association was of the opinion that tourism operators have to see the bigger picture of the travel restrictions and could find activities in their own districts

The Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) have said that there must be strict measures for any Reciprocal Green Lane (RGL) arrangements

The Rapid Transit System Link (RTS) between Singapore and Johor should be completed by Dec 2026

Malaysia will start to get 5G connectivity in stages by the end of 2021

Penang state has released the Penang People’s Aid Package 3.1, worth RM8.41 mil. It includes one-off assistance of RM500 for tour bus drivers, registered tour guides and others. And tourism operators will receive a one-off assistance of RM1,000

Schools across Malaysia are set to open from 1 Mar in phases. Pre-school, Year One and Year Two students will resume in-person learning from 1 Mar, Years Three-Six from 8 Mar, and all secondary students in Johor, Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu will return from 4 Apr, other states from 5 Apr

90% of tour guides in Kuala Lumpur have renewed their tour guiding licences, with the remaining 10% moving to other jobs

The government will consider Sabah tourism industry’s appeal to lift interstate and interdistrict travel bans

Malaysia saw 73,000 new jobs created in 2020, a drop from 2019’s 104,000

The government will allow all restaurants nationwide to seat more than 2 people to a table for dine-in from 19 Feb, subject to social distancing

Spas and wellness centres will be permitted to open under CMCO and RCMO areas

Tourism and cultural activities will be allowed to resume at 50% capacity in CMCO areas

The Tourism Ministry will organise a virtual Chinese New Year Open House on 20 Feb

Malaysia is looking at expanding Reciprocal Green Lanes (RGLs) to Bruei, South Korea, New Zealand, Australia and Japan, in additional to Singapore and Indonesia

Sarawak has said that wildlife conservation is a priority for the state

The movement control order (MCO) has been extended until 4 March for Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Johor and Penang, whilst all other states except Perlis, will be under conditional movement control order (CMCO). Perlis will be under the recovery movement control order (RMCO). States under CMCO are permitted to hold social gatherings, and meetings and conferences at 50% of the venue capacity, and economic activities from 6am-12am

Sarawak’s Sia Sitok campign will be launched with a new version in Mar, with 60 packages, double the initial campaign in Jul 2020. Sarawak is estimating a total visitor arrival of 1.1 million in 2021, with receipts of RM2.64 bil. The original campaign generated RM1.5 mil in sales with 941 packages sold and 5,668 tourists. They also plan to enhance the Sarawak Travel app as an e-commerce platform. They will also work on capturing more comprehensive visitor data

79 hotels have signed up to be temporary accommodation for migrant workers

The government relaxed its restriction for states under MCO, lifting its 10km ban, but keeping the interstate and interdistrict travel bans

Penang state government is encouraging tourism players to research and explore new places. They applauded Penang hoteliers for being innovative. The state sees it being a long time for recovery, and that tourism businesses may need to develop big data capabilities, and optimise hotel facilities for generating ancillary revenue. The state will also focus on responsible domestic tourism, and see domestic tourism being a key driver of recovery over the coming years

Resorts World Genting reopened operations on 16 Feb

Melaka hotels are calling for the lifting of interstate and interdistrict travel after seeing a good number of in-dining restaurant bookings for Valentine’s Day

The Malaysia Budget and Business Hotel Association (MyBHA) has said that more hotels will cease operations if the MCO is extended. They stated that around 33% of budget hotels had closed temporarily or permanently, with 10,000 employees made redundant, on unpaid leave or resigned

The Malaysian Association of Hotels has said that hotel occupancy levels are expected to remain at 20% in Q1 2021, but anticipate an uplift once vaccines have been rolled out

Sarawak will continue to be under CMCO from 15 Feb to 1 Mar, including Sibu, Selangau, Kanowit, Kapit and Song districts which are currently under MCO

The Kemaman Zoo and Recreation Park in Kuala Terengganu has seen an increase in its 2020 visitors of 49%

The Malaysian Association of Hotel Owners (MAHO) has urged the government to allow hotels to accept guests for overnight stays and meetings. They also asked for the interstate and interdistrict travel ban to be lifted. They have said that 6 hotels have closed since the latest MCO on 13 Jan, and many others have had to put employees on 50% wage cuts and unpaid leave

The government is aiming to create 500,000 job opportunities in 2021, despite the 4.8% unemployment rate in Dec, the same rate as in Nov. The Finance Minister also revealed that the value of tax exemptions for accommodation providers reached RM1.37 billion

The SME Association of Malaysia have called for inter-state and inter-district travel bans to be lifted, saying it was adversely affecting SMEs. However, the Malaysia Inbound Tourism Association have said that they are willing to accept continued restrictions, but would find them “painful” nonetheless

TixCarte, a Malaysian startup, have partnered with Tiqets for their inventory

Royale Chulan Bukit Bintang hotel will close permanently from 11 Feb

Malaysia’s GDP fell by 5.6% in 2020, the sharpest contraction since 1998 during the Asian financial crisis

The Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) has urged the government not to extend the current MCO, saying that “an extended interstate travel ban would force more into closures.”

Malaysia’s GDP in Q4 contracted by 3.4%, compared to Q3’s 2.6%, due to the imposition of the Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO) from mid-Oct. Services contracted 4.9% in Q4, due to tourism related industries suffering

Malaysia will allow gyms, race tracks and golf courses to reopen on 12 Feb, subject to capacity limits

Penang hotels are interested in turning into low-risk COVID centres or workers’ hostels. 9 hotels have closed permanently in the state, with 21 temporarily closed

Kedah will offer interest-free soft loans to tourism businesses, with the maximum amount capped at RM5,000. The state expects around 400 applicants

The suggestion by the Ministry of Tourism to house foreign workers in hotels has been criticised by the Malaysia Budget & Business Hotel Association, who have said that the rate fixed by the government is too low, and hotels risk being damaged and losing out. The Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) also said that the scheme may not be beneficial for hotels, saying that there would be higher wear and tear, and special controls would need to be in place

Malaysia’s Immunitee Health Passport has partnered with Singapore’s Temasek, allowing it to be accepted in Singapore. It stores immunisation records and vaccine data

Malaysia will exempt Cabinet Ministers who travel abroad on official visits from a 10-day quarantine on return, and will simply be under “supervision” for 3 days. Malaysian citizens and health associations have criticised the double standards

Sarawak will keep its 14-day quarantine policy for anyone entering the state from overseas

Dining in at restaurants will be permitted from 10 Feb, limited to 2 customers/ table, and all retail shops will be allowed to reopen

The Sarawak Tourism Minister has said that the interstate travel ban should remain in place until the COVID-19 situation is under control

The Health Ministry has said that the new daily number of cases in Malaysia seems to have stabilised, and they are hopeful that by 18 Feb, cases will be on a downward trend

Malaysia’s 2020 unemployment rate grew to 4.5% in 2020, the highest since 1993

The Malaysian Association of Convention and Exhibition Organisers and Suppliers (MACEOS) has suggested permanently creating special lanes for Indonesian travellers at Malaysian airports and immigration departments. They have also proposed to the government that their member convention centres are using as temporary mass vaccination centres

The Ministry of Tourism will focus on business tourism and MICE, with the Malaysia Convention and Exhibition Bureau ensuring that MICE tourists strictly followed any protocols in place

A UNICEF survey has shown that unemployment in low-income urban Kuala Lumpur families doubled during the CMCO in Dec 2020, finding that one in three adults were unemployed

A Q4 survey has shown that less than half of respondents agreed that Budget 2021 is sufficient

Malaysia Airlines have confirmed that they are in talks with the government to implement a “health passport”, but did not reveal any more details

Malaysia won the Fourth Most Expected MICE Destination at the China MICE Industry Golden Chair Awards. It has won the title for 5 consecutive years

The Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry are looking at setting up travel bubble arrangements with Brunei, Singapore, Thailand, other ASEAN nations and countries such as Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand. However, it is subject to bilateral discussions

Businesses are desperately urging the government to allow them to reopen for Chinese New Year shopping, saying they are losing more than RM120 million in seasonal goods

Revised guidelines for Chinese New Year have been released, which will allow Malaysians to gather with close family on Chinese New Year’s Eve, so long as they are within 10km of one another

Penang tourism attractions have complained that they should be allow to reopen as they have good crowd control and hygiene levels

Malaysia and Indonesia have agreed to a Reciprocal Green Lane (RGL) between the 2 nations, which the Tourism Minister expects will revitalise Malaysia’s tourism industry. The date has yet to be announced

Penang government has called for the public to support hotels who have started to sell food during the MCO to generate revenue

The Ministry of Tourism is working with the Department of Labour to provide temporary accommodation for workers in hotels, with applications now open for hotels to register their interest

The Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) is calling on the government to provide immediate assistance. It said more than 100 hotels had stopped operations, directly affecting 7,000 employees who lost jobs. MAH continue to call for the government to consider its 19-point proposal, including that hospitality workers are prioritised for the vaccine

Bank Negara have allocated an extra RM2 billion for the Targeted Relief and Recovery Facility for SMEs, bringing the allocation to RM4 billion

Zoo Negara have said that it can only cover costs until April if the MCO continues

More than 1,056 people have been evacuated due to floods in Sarawak

Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council forecast that medical tourism will generate just half of 2019’s revenue in 2021, aiming for RM800 million and RM1 billion by 2022

The Malaysian Retail Chain Association has said that almost on third of small retail businesses have “collapsed” since the new MCO 2.0 was implemented. They also forecast more business closures and staff layoffs

The MCO will be extended by an additional 2 weeks until 18 Feb. Only Sarawak will remain under the Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO)

At least 88% of businesses in Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Johor Bahru saw a decrease in sales over a period of 12 months to Aug 2020, according to a survey by Think City

Industries Unite, which represents 40 industries, has called on the government to provide more assistance to businesses

The PM has reaffirmed that once the COVID-19 situation eases, he will dissolve Parliament and call a General Election

573 applications have been received for the PENJANA Tourism Financing scheme, of which 277 have been approved for a total financing of RM55.4 million of RM1 billion

The government released guidelines for Chinese New Year celebrations, banning lion dances, and limiting gatherings to those in the same household only

Terengganu state will allocate one-off incentives of a total of RM132,200 to tourism workers whose income is impacted, including 50 rickshaw drivers, 18 passenger boat drivers, tourist guides and mountain guides

The Malaysia Budget Hotel Association has said that 40% of budget hotels are on the verge of closure. They will all for the government to regulate short-term rental accommodation, as well as disallow OTAs from charging high commissions

The former Finance Minister has accused the current Cabinet of gross incompetence, saying that it is doing nothing to overcome the dire tourism sector’s situation

Singapore and Malaysia have reached an in principle agreement for travel in cases of family bereavement

Selangor will grant full exemption on entertainment duty on entrance fee tickets to theme parks in the state, from 18 Mar 2020 to 31 Dec 2021. They will also reduce the duty rate from 25% to 5% from 2022-2026

The Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council have signed an MoU with DoctorOnCall, to allow telehealth services

Sabah’s state tourism minister has said that the state’s tourism will take a longer time to recover compared to others in Malaysia, due to the dependence on flights to bring in travellers. The Sabah Tourism Board are looking at promoting alternative destinations off the beaten path, catering for smaller groups of tourists, as well as increasing the number of flights other districts in the state. Their focus is to “upgrade the tourism facilities for high yield tourists”. They will also give RM300 financial aid to mountain porters, tourist guides and art industry businesses, and are looking at how to help the hotel industry in Sabah

Knight Frank Malaysia have said that Malaysia is the 3rd most attractive country for hotel investment in SE Asia

Sarawak received just 1.99 million tourists in 2020, -74.2% YoY, with only 363,304 of them international. Domestic tourists dropped by 65.67%. Its overall 2020 state tourism receipts dropped 75.12% YoY to RM2.88 billion

The Tourism Ministry have revised its hotel occupancy forecast down to 27.8% for 2021, without taking into account the implementation of MCO 2.0

Perak will launch 2 new tourism products after the MCO has finished, the state Tourism Committee has said. They will launch The Maze@TT5 and Datuk Lat’s house and gallery in Batu Gajah. They will also continue their #TravelPerakLah campaign to boost tourism. They will also launch a virtual run which will take place over 12 locations in Perak

The number of hotel guests in Perak dropped to just 488,000 people in 2020, compared to 1.3 million in 2019. International tourists dropped by 64.3% YoY to 52,000

Mersing District Council have started to produce their own newsletter on sustainable tourism, as part of its 5-year Sustainable Travel Mersing (STM) campaign

The National Union of Hotel, Bar and Restaurant Workers Peninsular Malaysia have said that its 8,000 members are in distress, not receiving salaries on time or forced to take unpaid leave. They have said they are saddened that the government did not include them in the financial stimulus packages

Two more districts in Sarawak, Song and Kapit, will be under MCO from 2-14 Feb

Johor state wants the Reciprocal Green Lane (RGL) agreement between Malaysia-Singapore to continue

The World Islamic Tourism Council called for Malaysian tourism stakeholders to start thinking about how to integrate Muslim friendly facilities into their offerings

MATTA have said that Sabah’s tourism will be reliant on travellers from Peninsular Malaysia, and that Sabah tourism stakeholders need to focus on FITs, as well as aspirational travel and ecotourism

The Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (Matta)have criticised the newly launched National Tourism Plan launched in Dec, saying that it does not address many of the issues in the industry, nor give a clear plan to reinvigorate the tourism industry. They also said there was no formal consultation with key industry leaders to create such a document

The Reciprocal Green Lane arrangements with Malaysia, Germany and South Korea will be suspended for 3 months from 1 Feb, due to the high case numbers

The Malaysian Association of Hotels Johor Bahru has said that the news of Penang hotels closing has “sent chill waves”, but “it comes as no surprise.”

All businesses which are allowed to operate under the MCO will be permitted to stay open until 10pm

Moody’s rating agency affirmed that Malaysia will keep its A3 rating, with a stable outlook

LokaLocal are successfully running their VR platform, launching 160 virtual tours across Malaysia and different tourism sectors

Tourism Selangor has been criticised by environmentalists after sharing a video which promotes trapping birds

The SME Association of Malaysia has urged the government not to implement a full lockdown, and instead implement strict measures and tracing systems for those undergoing home quarantine

Sarawak has extended the MCO on Sibu division and the CMCO across the whole state until 14 Feb

MCO 2.0 will pose further challenges for the SME tourism sector, the government’s chief statistician has said

Chinese New Year will have its own set of restrictions, with a maximum of 20 people gathering together likely to be the cap, and no interstate travel

The Association of Ex-Staff of Tourism Malaysia (AESTOM) has urged the government to restore the operational autonomy of Tourism Malaysia’s Board, and ensure there is representation from all areas of the industry

The Association of Ex-Staff of Tourism Malaysia (AESTOM) has urged the government to restore the operational autonomy of Tourism Malaysia’s Board, and ensure there is representation from all areas of the industry

Shangri-La Hotels Malaysia has offered a voluntary separation scheme (VSS) for the Golden Sands Resort as well as the Shangri-La Rasa Sayang in Batu Ferringhi, Penang

Tourism Malaysia have launched a new campaign in Canada, ‘Book Now Travel Later, Malaysia Awaits You’

The Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) Penang have said the closure of the Hotel Equatorial Penang is just the start of hotel closures on the island, and "if this goes on any longer, it is only a matter of time before more hotels cease operations.” Hotels are reporting just 2-4% occupancy rates

The former Finance Minister has said that the government does not understand the critical state that the tourism industry is in and that the government’s predicted occupancy rates of 58.4% are absurd

Johor has been told that they can bring up the issue of vaccinated Malaysians working in Singapore being exempted from quarantine on their return to Malaysia

A new online hotel booking platform, JustTonite, has launched in Malaysia, specialising in last-minute bookings to help the industry dispose of inventory

The Health Ministry is aiming to complete vaccination by the end of this year or early 2022. The first phase in March-May would include 500,000 vaccines for frontline workers

The Malaysian Budget Hotel Association (Mybha) have said that budget hotels are willing to be turned into low-risk quarantine centres, allowing the authorities to monitor patients as well as generate income for hotels

The 5* Equatorial Hotel Penang will close permanently by 31 Mar

Only 50% of Malaysian workers have come back to Singapore for work since the borders reopened 5 months ago

EuroCham have warned its members that the government is considering a total economic shutdown if the cases are not starting to be under control by 4 Feb

EuroCham have denied that the government is considering a complete lockdown, and that the leaked memo was designed for members only

Kedah Tourism have said that they will continue tourism promotion through social media despite the MCO. They have observed that visits to Baling and Yan districts in the state increase “tremendously” every time inter-district travel is permitted

There were queues at the Singapore-Malaysia border after the mandatory tests were imposed by Singapore for entry

More sectors will be considered essential services in states under MCO, including film editing and e-commerce

The decision to allow only SPM and STM students back to school in areas under MCO is “balanced”, making up around 20% of the student population

Tourism and creative businesses in Penang can now apply for funding assistance through PEKA 2.1

Government linked companies who own hotels are being encouraged to open them for use as quarantine hotels

Tourism Malaysia participated in a Southeast Asia Virtual Roadshow organised by AVIAREPS, with 4 booths representing DMCs, hotels and theme parks

Malaysia has extended its MCO until 4 Feb for Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya, Labuan, Penang, Selangor, Melaka, Johor, Kelantan and Sabah, to align the timelines nationwide

Malaysians working in Singapore are still permitted to return to Malaysia under the PCA, but must undergo quarantine on arrival back to Singapore

Melaka state government wants to regulate condominiums being turned into Airbnbs, hoping that upcoming projects will be required to be focused solely on residential purposes

The Health Ministry is aiming to increase its testing capabilities to 150,000/ day

The Bumiputera Tourism Operators Association of Malaysia (Bumitra Malaysia) have appealed to the government to extend the PERMAI package, including a more robust wage subsidy scheme and a loan repayment moratorium

Penang Convention and Exhibition Bureau held its 4th Annual Penang Roadshow in India for Chennai travel agents on 20 Jan virtually

Sarawak has ordered all social events and gatherings to stop, after a triple digit increase

The Malaysian Association of Convention and Exhibition Organisers and Suppliers’ (MACEOS) has criticised the government’s new PERMAI package, saying that it was “not enough”. They called instead for wage subsidies up to 50%, and believe that many business events industry companies are “on the brink of winding up”

Melaka Tourism Business Club is concerned that undocumented migrant workers are coming into the state

The Finance Ministry has said that the government expects to lose RM600 million daily during MCO 2.0, as opposed to the RM2.4 billion daily from Mar-May 2020. They are maintaining their GDP forecast for 2021

The Sabah Tourist Association has said that the PERMAI package does nothing to assist their members and called for a review

All states except for Sarawak will be put under the Movement Control Order from 22 Jan to 4 Feb

The Malaysia Budget Hotel Association have said that the PERMAI package is not sufficient, and the Malaysian Association of Hotels has said that it “fell short of the industry’s expectations”

The Ministry of Tourism, Arts and culture are planning to submit a proposal for “Malaysian breakfast” to be included in the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list

Under PERMAI, The Wage Subsidy Programme 3.0 will be improved, with all employers in MCO areas eligible to apply, regardless of the sector. Employers can receive a RM600 subsidy for each employee earning less than RM4,000 for one month. The government will also speed up the implementation of microcredit schemes

Seremban and Port Dickson in Negeri Sembilan will be under MCO from 19 Jan to 1 Feb

The Sarawak Tourism Board have launched Sarawakian themed ang pow packets for Chinese New Year, featuring buffalo racing at the traditional Babulang festival

The Malaysian Tourist Guides Council have called for more to be done to support tour guides, although it welcomes the one-off RM500 gesture from the government

The PM unveiled a new financial assistance program, PERMAI, worth RM15 billion. Key initiatives for the tourism industry include: • Banks to continue to offer loan moratoriums • One-off RM500 grant to 14,000 tourist guides • Discount of 10% on electricity bills from Jan-Mar 2021 for 6 business sectors, including hotel operators, theme parks, convention centres, shopping malls, local airline offices as well as travel and tour agencies

The Malaysia Budget Hotels Association has demanded fast action from the government to assist tourism players, with increased wage subsidies and tax incentives

Sarawak will place 11 of its 12 districts under Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO) from 18 Jan for 2 weeks after an increase in cases

Malaysia hit a new record daily case high of 4,029

The Malaysia Budget Hotels Association is asking the government for fast support to help their members and all tourism businesses impacted by the MCO

Kelantan state and Sibu in Sarawak will be put under MCO from 16-26 Jan

Penang signed an agreement to start works on an underwater tunnel between the island and the mainland, which is expected to start on 1 Feb and be completed by 3 Jan 2025

The Penang tourism industry has appealed for more financial aid, to ensure that companies “survive”. The Association of Tourist Attractions Penang (ATAP) reminded the government that a collapse of Penang’s tourism industry would be devastating, spilling over into other parts of the economy

Malaysia hit a new record daily case high of 3,337

The Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) have called for an extension to the wage subsidy schemes and loan moratorium until 30 Jun 2021, reliefs on rental, insurance and statutory licensing fees. They said more than 5,000 tourism businesses are now “in the ICU condition” and policy change is needed to provide flexibility and remove overlapping jurisdictions from multiple government agencies

HCBC forecasts that Malaysia’s GDP will grow at 6.7% in 2021, and that the Ringgit will strengthen against the USD

MAH has said that the hotel industry is set to lose RM300 million in revenue for every 2 weeks of MCO. They warned that a tipping point for the survival of hotels could be the end of Mar, when the wage subsidy is set to end. Occupancy rates peaked at 43% in 2020, with the average rate at just 27.5%, with a revenue loss of RM6.53 billion in 2020

The Penang Tourism and Creative Economy Committee have proposed a 6-month moratorium on repayment of its Skim Peka 2.0, a Penang Business Continuity Zero Interest Loan given to Penang tourism businesses in 2020

AirAsia is aiming for 50% of its revenue by 2024 to come from non-aviation sources

Japan has suspended its Business Track and Residence Track programs to allow overseas business travellers to visit the country, including from Cambodia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam

Gordon Ramsay will open his first restaurant in Malaysia at the Sunway Resort Kuala Lumpur

The Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) said that the MCO will re-impact the tourism industry once more, and hopes for government assistance

Resorts World Genting has forecast a decline in visitors due to the MCO, and will be operating at a lower capacity than usual

The Malaysian PM has been criticised for imposing a state of emergency in Malaysia

A fire at the Andaman Resort in Langkawi has been brought under control, with extensive damage

Economists have said that the decision to reimpose MCO will “dent the Malaysian economy significantly”

Langkawi hotels have reported bookings dropping by as much as 60%, and 100% of hotel bookings cancelled for the Chinese New Year period. The Langkawi Tourism Association said that the majority of Langkawi’s business is generated from the 6 states under MCO. They also believe that the tourism industry could lose RM120 million from the restrictions imposed

Malaysia’s business associations are asking for similar government assistance as was implemented during March 2020’s MCO, to assist with the new one in 2021

The Reciprocal Green Lane and Periodic Commuting Arrangement with Singapore will continue during the MCO period

The Malaysian PM has declared a state of emergency, which will last until either 1 August or as long as it takes to control COVID-19. He reassured the public that this “is not a military coup”. It will prevent a general election from being called

The government is looking at introducing more financial stimulus to support people impacted by MCO 2.0

MICE activities will be banned even in states under the CMCO

Perak believes that it can attract 5 million domestic tourists in 2021 once the travel restrictions are lifted

The MAH has said that hotels will lose all revenue streams with the new implementation of MCO across the country, and called for a wage subsidy from the government for 50% for those with salaries below RM4,000 and 30% for those up to RM8,000. It has also said that 6% of hospitality workers have been made redundant since last year, which others have had paycuts or are on unpaid leave

The number of unemployed increased by 4.8% YoY in Nov, to 764,400 people

Only 5 sectors will be allowed to operate during the MCO: factories and manufacturing, construction, services, trades and distribution, and plantation and commodities

No interstate travel nationwide will be permitted during the MCO, as well as activities with mass gatherings, meetings, seminars and group sports activities. Inter-distict travel in states under MCO will also not be permitted. Restaurants will be permitted to operate takeaway services only

Malaysia will impose new, stricter lockdowns on 5 states and 3 federal territories, reverting to the Movement Control Order (MCO) conditions: Kuala Lumpur, Melaka, Johor, Penang, Selangor, Sabah, Labuan and Putrajaya. It will be applied from 13-26 Jan. Pahang, Perak, Negeri Sembilan, Kedah, Terengganu and Kelantan will be under the Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO), whilst Perlis and Sarawak will be under the Recovery Movement Control Order (RMCO). The lockdown restrictions were imposed due to rising case and death numbers

Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre has launched studios which can handle hybrid virtual-physical events

As of 11 Dec, only 245 SMEs have claimed RM49.9 million from the PENJANA Tourism Financing fund of RM1 billion

Inter-state and inter-district travel restrictions could be implemented once more to control the spread of COVID-19

Malaysian citizens with Permanent Resident status in Singapore are now eligible to use the Periodic Commuting Arrangement (PCA) between the 2 countries from 11 Jan

The government will announce new measures to stop the spread of COVID-19 on Monday 11 Jan

The Keningau Tourism and Culture Association in Sabah has been created to promote the tourism sector and introduce new products

88 tourism companies were certified by the Malaysia Productivity Corporation (MPC) with the Certificate of Compliance COVID-19 Adopt and Adhere Guidelines and relevant government standard operating procedure (SOP) by the end of 2020

The Housing Ministry has allocated RM8.9 million for the upgrading of tourism facilities in Selangor, Negri Sembilan and Johor. They will focus on small-scale projects, and plan to upgrade recreational areas in Port Dickson, a popular beach tourism area

The EU-Malaysia Chamber of Commerce and Industry has warned that a second strict lockdown could lead to the collapse of the economy, with the closure of many businesses

50,000 people have been evacuated and 6 have died due to monsoon rains on Malaysia’s east coast

Penang’s Thaipusam celebrations have been cancelled for the first time in a century

YouTrip, a mobile multi-currency wallet, is looking to expand into Malaysia in the next 6-12 months, in partnership with Visa. It sees a $12 billion USD outbound market in 2021

79 tourists who were stranded in Taman Negara National Park due to rising flood waters since the end of Dec have now been rescued

Sarawak is looking at opening up a trade and tourism office in Brunei Darassalam

Malaysia hit a new record high of cases, at 3,027

Spending more quality time with loved ones is what Malaysians are most looking forward to for travel in 2021, according to a new survey from Agoda. Travelling at a slower pace is also important

Malaysia’s health director-general is calling for targeted lockdowns as the health system is near “breaking point”, and expect cases to continue to spike over the coming weeks

The Grand Hyatt has launched The Grand Getaway, a plane themed dining experience, where passengers “board”, check in luggage and even walk through a mock Kuala Lumpur International Airport

An Ipsos survey has shown that 82% of Malaysians believe that 2021 will be better than 2020

Vaccination will not be mandatory in Malaysia

Sarawak’s inbound tourists in 2020 were just 1.2 million, down 71% YoY. The State Tourism Board is encouraging tour operators to look at Siasitok, a campaign to encourage Sarawak tourism to Sarawakians, with discounts of up to 50%. They also have urged tour operators to look at inbound tours, rather than outbound, and promote Sibu as a gateway to the central region

The Business Events Council Malaysia has said that the government allocations to the Meet in Malaysia campaign will not be sufficient to help the industry supply chain, and is calling for a reduction in utility costs, tax breaks and ease licensing requirements. The Malaysian Association of Convention and Exhibition Organisers and Suppliers has also said that business events businesses have seen losses of RM2.25 billion, a drop of 90%, since the MCO was implemented in Mar, with 5,619 employees laid off

The Malaysia Association Tour Agency (Mata) is calling for the borders to reopen, saying that the country is “ready to welcome tourists from green zone countries”, whilst the Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) has said that the government needs to look into standardising protocols with targeted countries

The Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) expects hotel occupancy to peak over Chinese New Year and other festive periods, but that it would remain around 20-30% for Q1 2021. However, it would be higher at tourism destinations such as islands and beach resorts

The Melaka Horror House, a new tourist attraction, is set to open in May and attract 300,000 visitors every year

The Ministry of Tourism has suggested that the Kaamatan, Sabah’s Harvest Festival, and Gawai, Sarawak’s Harvest Festival, are added to the Cuti-Cuti Malaysia itinerary as a major festival, to promote unity

More than 6,500 people have been evacuated due to heavy flooding in Johor state

Malaysia and Singapore are in talks on standardising protocols for those who need to travel between the 2 countries on compassionate grounds

Central Terengganu is targeting to receive 1 million visitors for Visit Kenyir Year 2021

All educational institutes should reopen according to the academic calendar on 20 Jan, the government has reassured, even in those areas still under the CMCO

The Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) have welcomed the cancellation of the High-Speed Rail link between Singapore-Kuala Lumpur, saying that if it had been implemented, Malaysia’s airports and cruise ports would have been “feeder providers”

Tourism Malaysia have launched a “Leisure at the Zoo” stimulus campaign with discounted tickets for selected zoo attractions until 31 Mar

The Recovery Movement Control Order (RMCO) has been extended until 31 Mar

Penang government plan to focus on domestic tourism for H1 2021, including family-oriented holidays, eco-tourism and creative cultural tourism

Sarawak is looking at creating Bau into an ecotourism destination

The Tourism Minister has said that 2021 will be the year to support Malaysia’s economic recovery through domestic tourism, calling for Malaysians to explore

Tourism Malaysia, Shopee and the Malaysian Association of Hotels have launched their new joint campaign, PRE1.0 “Jom Cuti-Cuti Malaysia! Experience Malaysia Like Never Before”. It will run from 31 Dec-31 Mar, with e-vouchers available of RM50 for 3D2N stay at 1-3* hotels, and RM100 for a 3D2N stay at 4-5* hotels

The Health Ministry has said that around one third of Malaysians polled are afraid of the vaccine

Malaysia will intensify its efforts to develop vaccines with the UAE

The Kuala Lumpur International Logistics and Transportation (KiLAT) 2020 exhibition has been postponed once more to 5-7 Oct 2021. LIMA 2021 has also been rescheduled to 2023

Online Service providers of accommodation bookings must register with the Malaysian Tourism Tax System before Jul 2021. The government expects this tax to generate between RM21-46 million in tourism tax

The National Tourism Policy 2020-2030 is expected to drive rural tourism in Sabah, the Mesilou Atamis Homestay Association has said. The Coalition of Sabah Rural Tourism Association also said that the human resources side of the policy would held to produce highly skilled workers, but the quality of infrastructure in Sabah must be improved

The Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council (MHTC) are confident that the government’s new tourism strategy for 2020-2030 will help “uplift” Malaysia’s image and that the incorporation of healthcare tourism into investment zones would generate higher income for the country. They will embark on 3 initiatives: raising Malaysia’s profile as a World Healthcare Marvel, strengthen the country’s position as the fertility and cardiology centre of Asia and work with selected hospitals to become landmarks of world-class healthcare

The Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) have said that the country must create new strategies to develop tourism products, promote digitalisation, infrastructure development and incentives for domestic and foreign travel plans. They also hope the government will encourage locally developed industry online platforms to book travel products, rather than foreign platforms

South Korea have said “when the Malaysian side is ready, a travel bubble can be implemented immediately,” for officials and businessmen

The government has reconfirmed that it cannot prevent overseas Malaysians returning home from countries which have seen the transmission of the new COVID-19 strain

Genting Malaysia will focus on the completion of its new outdoor theme park, Genting Skyworlds, for mid-2021 opening, whilst Malaysia Airlines has said that it will focus on assisting vaccine distribution, reconnect global economies and revitalises businesses in 2021

The Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO) in Sabah, Selangor and Kuala Lumpur has been extended until 14 Jan. Some subdistricts of Penang, Negeri Sembilan and Johor Bahru have also been extended until 14 Jan

Tourism Malaysia expects hotel occupancy rates to increase once the RMCO is lifted – they are targeting an increase of 20%

The Tourism Ministry continues to look at negotiating travel bubbles with green zone countries such as Singapore, Brunei, Korea, Japan, Taiwan and New Zealand

Melaka looks to introduce seaplanes in 2021, with an investment of around RM500 million. The State Tourism Committee have also said that new products will be introduced to attract domestic and foreign tourists. Arrivals to Melaka over the last 2 weeks has increased

The Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) has seem a spike in hotel bookings over Christmas and the New Year, with an expected occupancy rate of 50-60%

Malaysia recorded its highest number of daily cases, 2,335

Malaysian travel agents have asked the government to negotiate on haj charges, saying that previously it cost RM30,000 but now it might be up to RM80,000 per pax due to restrictions on the number of pilgrims sharing a hotel room

Ipoh City Council is aiming to make Ipoh one of the most attractive destinations in Malaysia by 2025. They are focusing on the 3 Hs: hipster, heritage and health

Tourism operators and tour guides will be given a discount of up to 40% to pay any fines until 30 Jun

The Department of Statistics Malaysia forecasts that Malaysia’s economy will continue to recover in early 2021

Perak state has allocated RM10 million for tourism, with RM4.4 million used to upgrade infrastructure of products. 300 tour guides would receive RM700 each, whilst travel agents would receive RM2,000 to help create packages to promote Perak. They will also make one-off payments of RM10,000 to 12 associations and NGOs to stimulate the industry

Attractions in Penang are starting to see an increase in visitors over the year-end, with The Habitat seeing over 200 a day vs 50 during the CMCO period, and Penang Hill to 3,000 during weekends, from 1,500

The Ministry of Tourism hopes all tourism stakeholders will join together to strengthen Malaysia as a top tourism destination through the National Tourism Policy (DPN) 2020-2030. Malaysia will prioritise quality tourists, and position the country as an eco-tourism destination

Malaysia has launched its National Tourism Policy (DPN) 2020-2030. It includes 6 key areas, including: governance transformation, creating an inclusive tourism investment zone and intensifying tourism digitisation, enriching the experience and satisfaction of tourists, strengthening commitment to sustainable tourism, and increasing the capacity of human capital in all tourism sub-sectors. Technology-based tourism investment will be encouraged, and the government is looking at establishing Special Tourism Investment Zones for tourism products. Their target is for Malaysia to be the ‘Top of Mind Ecotourism Destination of the World’

A new campaign Safe2Spa Jom Spa, has been launched by the Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry to help the local spa industry recover, with 10,000 discount vouchers worth RM30 each distributed to customers

The government has seen the retail sector starting to recover, as well as hotel occupancy rates grow to 23.4% since the CMCO was lifted in the majority of the country and interstate travel was permitted once more

Malaysia’s plan for “cruises to nowhere” is on hold, with Penang Port saying that its proposal submitted in Sep is still awaiting approval, with no movement any time soon. They have said that 64% of the Swettenham Pier Cruise Terminal’s 1.16 million pax in 2019 were from the “cruise to nowhere” packages offered by Leisure World and Oriental Dragon cruise ships

The government has said that it is still not the right time to open Malaysia’s borders, even to “green zone” countries

International students will be allowed entry into Malaysia from 1 Jan, except for those from the UK

Penang has launched a new campaign, “Experience it all in Penang, responsibly”, to attract domestic tourists, comparing 14 local tourist attractions to international ones

Sabah tourist attractions can reopen at 50% capacity. MICE and weddings and celebrations are also allowed at 50% of the room capacity

The relaxation of regulatory requirements for tourism businesses, such as the size of the premises and permission to conduct other businesses in their premises, has been extended until 30 Jun

The exemption period for licence renewal fees and additional licences for tourism businesses has been extended from 1 Jan-30 Jun 2021

Sabah has continued to promote itself for tourism in 2020 through the online MATTA Fair, MITA e-Travel Fair, fam trips for bloggers, media and travel agents and digital campaigns

The Pillars of Sabah 3.0 art project will be another tourism product for Kota Kinabalu

Prasarana Malaysia has launched a My30 Plus 30, Buy 1, Free 1 Package, an unlimited travel pass for travel throughout Kuala Lumpur and the surrounding area for just RM30 per month

Sabah is putting emphasis on rural tourism in its state budget, allocating RM17.2 million for its development, an “unprecedented” amount

The Malaysia Convention and Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB) is drawing up a plan to allow delegations from neighbouring countries to enter Malaysia for business events, including Singaporeans in Desaru, Thais in Langkawi and Bruneians to Sabah and Sarawak

The Malaysia Convention and Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB) will launch its 10-year strategy for 2021-2030, with 3 strategic pillars: optimisation, foresight and competitiveness

Kuala Lumpur will not have its usual New Year’s countdown

The Former finance minister has said that the Malaysian tourism industry can’t expect to recover from its RM100 billion losses without direct assistance, and that he thought the numbers did not reflect the full devastation of the industry. He also said that “false” projections of high hotel occupancy levels are downplaying the severity of the situation. He urged the government to expand the wage subsidy scheme, extend loan moratorium payments and offer a RM10 billion credit line to them

The government should conclude a negotiation with AstraZeneca on 21 Dec to purchase enough vaccine for 20% of the population. This now brings the total to 50% of population covered, and they will try to get all vaccine supplies in Q1 2021

Sabah expects 1.3 million tourist arrivals in 2021, generating RM2.51 billion. This is conditional on the borders being reopened. The state government is allocating RM227.97 million to fund the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Environment Sabah and stimulate growth

The Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) has said that bookings are increasing again at resort hotels and beach areas, but bookings in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor are still low. They are looking at average Dec hotel occupancy levels of 30% nationwide, with the last week of Dec reaching 50-60%. The Sarawak Tourism Federation has said that hotels in the state are struggling, as hotels which are quarantine hotels are not allowed to receive guests, and in Kuching, nearly all hotels are quarantine hotels

Kelantan state has had 456 evacuees after flooding in the state

Langkawi Development Authority have seen encouraging hotel bookings for the year-end, with 27 flights arriving on the 18 Dec, and 23 on the 19 Dec

The Wangchuan (wangkang) ceremony and related practices have been inscribed into the UNESCO Intangible Heritage list after a joint nomination by China and Malaysia. Pantun, a type of Malay poem, has also been listed

The Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) and Bureau Veritas Malaysia have signed a “Travel Safe Malaysia” Hygiene Excellence and Safety Label, to position Malaysia as a safe country. It will be supported by the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MOTAC) and offered to all MATTA members

The Conditional Movement Control Order in Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Seremban and Sabah will be extended until 31 Dec, with just 3 areas exempted

Tourism and cultural sectors under CMCO will be permitted to reopen from 19 Dec, including MICE, tourism products, cultural and heritage exhibitions, theme parks, family entertainment centres and indoor playgrounds. Visitors are limited to 50% capacity. Water sports and recreation sectors would in principle be opened from Jan 2021

Google has said that drops to retail and recreational locations in KL dropped by 36% vs the baseline between early Nov – mid-Dec, from its mobility trends data

Zoo Negara has reopened, but will operate at reduced capacity

Mt Kinabalu is expecting to receive more visitors over the year-end, based on forward bookings. Only 10% of its current 450 mountain guides are working

Selangor is launching a new campaign, “Nak Bercuti? Pusing Selangor Dulu!” (Want to go for a holiday? Explore Selangor first!) to promote tourism. The tourism vouchers will be available though Touch ‘n Go and Lazada e-wallets from 8-31 Jan. 10,000 tourism vouchers worth RM200 will be available, with 3,000 Selangor frontliners will receive a RM200 tourism package voucher in 2021, part of its Selangor Tourism Voucher subsidy programme. The state expects 5 million tourists in 2021

TruTrip have said that over 6 million Malaysians have travelled since Apr

Penang has welcomed the government’s decision to allow its ferries to remain in service, after it had been announced that the ferries would be grounded from 1 Jan 2021 until refurbishment of the terminal is completed by 2022

Spiritual tour packages could be introduced in Melaka, the Chief Minister has suggested

Penang is calling for the government to designate it a duty-free island once more, to attract tourists

A senior minister has said that Malaysians have to “accept the reality that we have to live with Covid-19”

The Deputy Transport Minister has said that airlines might take 3 years to recover completely

The Malaysian 2021 budget has been passed in Parliament, after doubts whether it would pass at all

Kedah is promoting itself through an influencers’ roadtrip through the state. It has also seen an increase in the number of tourists, particularly those from Penang

Those returning to Sarawak from overseas will be permitted to undergo a 10 day quarantine at stipulated facilities, and will then be able to self-isolate at home until the 14th day

Tourism Malaysia have launched the first Malaysia Truly Asia ASEAN Virtual Hunt 2020, virtually connecting 30 teams of media reps from 9 SE Asian countries who will use Zoom for a virtual treasure hunt around Malaysia

Melaka has had heavy traffic congestion since 11 Dec, with tourists entering the city, something that the Melaka chapter of the Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) is thankful for, but acknowledge it is still a long way to recovery

The PM has suggested that a group farming vegetable in Sengkang set up an agrotourism centre