Malaysia

The Malaysia Productivity Corporation will ease licensed tour operators’ regulatory burden by no longer requiring an audited financial report in licence renewals between 1 Jan – 31 Dec 2021. They will also allow tour operators to co-share office space

The King has said that there is no need for a state of emergency to be declared in Malaysia, something which was proposed by the current PM. The King held a special meeting with other Malay rulers to consider the proposal

Sabah’s Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO) will be extended until 9 Nov, for another 14 days

Tourism Malaysia will promote Bung Bratak Heritage Centre in Sarawak overseas

Penang government believes that tourism recovery to the state will be a V shape once the pandemic ends. They have seen a severe impact on the tourism industry with the imposition of the CMCO on Kuala Lumpur and surrounding states, as it is a main source market

Google data has showed that Kuala Lumpur is the top searched for domestic destination, followed by Melaka, Penang, Langkawi and Kuala Terengganu

The Sabah Tourism, Culture and Environment Ministry will set up a special committee to revive the tourism industry, made up of industry players

Sarawak needs more tourists guides for when tourism returns, the Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister has said. It currently has just 169 vs Sabah’s 2000. They are aiming for 500 guides in the first Regional Specific Tourist Guide Course 2020. The ministry is also launching an e-learning platform for the industry, called PANDei, and is also looking at reopening the borders of Sarawak to other countries like Singapore and Hong Kong

The Malaysian government is talking to its Singaporean counterparts over a viral video showing a Malaysian who was prohibited to return to Malaysia under the Periodic Commuting Arrangement (PCA) agreement

OYO Malaysia has proposed to the government to support the tourism industry through 3 actions: targeted monetary incentives, implement standardised hygiene labels and waive licence fees, sales and service tax and extend the wage subsidy program

The Malaysia Homestay Experiemce In Penang generated RM65k from Jan – Sep, despite COVID-19, something which demonstrates the potential of the homestay industry, especially for rural communities

The Malaysian government caused confusion by new restrictions on businesses to implement work from home policies in CMCO areas, with conflicting information initially dispersed. The new policy took place from 22 Oct

The head office of The Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) is temporarily closed until 27 Oct. MATTA have also agreed that staggered weekends and holidays should be looked into as well as targeted incentives to encourage domestic tourism

Setting up a Johor Economic, Tourism and Cultural Office in Singapore has been approved, to promote tourism between the two

Malaysia has had 8 consecutive months of deflation, with Sep declining by 1.4%

The Pahang state government is appealing for Taman Negara to remain open, as it is not part of the CMCO order

Melaka International Airport will remain closed, with the State government not ruling out the possibility that it may not begin operations until 2021 due to the increase in cases

The Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) and MATTA have proposed that the government introduce a 2-tier wage subsidy system for those in harder hit sectors such as tourism. MAH said that the ban on interstate travel will impact other states, and overall the confidence to travel was low. They also wanted the government to look at the mechanism for the targeted loan moratorium

Malaysia Convention and Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB) has won 46 new bids during Q3, with 21 conventions and exhibitions, 19 meetings and incentives and 6 trade exhibitions won

AirAsia Group CEO has said that their preferred solution for international travel was testing passengers on arrival without a 14-day quarantine, as well as a contact tracing app. He urged borders to open, saying “We cannot live in a cave for the rest of our lives.”

Sarawak will bear the cost for COVID-19 tests on Sarawakians travelling past Brunei’s borders

Just one tourism destination in Perak has closed due to the increase in cases in the country, Sunway Lost World of Tambun theme park. The state has also launched another initiative for tourism recovery, a voucher which travel agents who book 3D2N packages can claim for their customers

A record high of 869 cases was reported in Malaysia on 17 Oct, with 451 from Sabah state

Malaysia Airlines is continuing its negotiations with creditors and lessors, but it is taking “longer than expected” according to a memo seen by Reuters. The CEO said that they were gaining “encouraging traction”

Melaka Tourism Business Club has seen many last-minute cancellations for hotels due to the CMCO imposed on Kuala Lumpur and its surrounding area

Penang will issue an RFP for Penang Hill Cable Car project in Nov. The project is expected to take 3-4 years to complete

Interstate travellers to states under CMCO will need a permit from the police prior to starting their journey

The government expects Malaysia’s unemployment rate to drop to 4.5% by Dec, from Sep’s current 4.7%

A recent proposal which would allow condominiums to ban short-term rental and homestays in Penang has been received with mixed views by the industry. The Malaysian Inbound Tourism Association (MITA) believe that regulation would be better than banning Airbnb, as it does bring in new customers

Sabah state will be open to foreign investment to revive the tourism industry. They also plan to launch an app to store the health data of tourists

The Malaysian Association Tour Agency (MATA) is urging the government to allow the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture to be the ones to administer the Penjana Tourism Financing which was promised to help tourism SMEs. They have said that “not even one percent of the scheme’s amount has been approved by the financial institutions” due to rigid application stipulations

The Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) have said that hotels have recorded a 15% drop in occupancy since 1 Oct, when Malaysia recorded a spike in cases. They anticipate a further drop now that Kuala Lumpur, Selangor and Putrajaya are under CMCO, and estimate that this will cost the industry RM60-100 million in revenue. They had previously expected a recovery period in mid-2021, but now say this is likely to fall at the end of 2021

The Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) has said that they do not think travel bubbles will happen “for a while yet”, whilst the Malaysian Inbound Tourism Association (MITA) believe that tourism players should live with the new reality

Malaysians who have registered for Umrah before the MCO on 18 Mar may have the chance to go on pilgrimage in early 2021, but the government is still waiting for an official announcement from the Saudi Arabian government about the new conditions for umrah. However, the Association of Umrah and Haj Travel Agents warns that pilgrims may need to pay an additional RM3,000 for additional expenses

Hotels and homestay accommodation are allowed to operate in Kuala Lumpur, Selangor and Putrajaya under CMCO, but will be limited to official affairs, work and emergencies, not for leisure purposes

The proposal to ban short-term rentals in Penang could be a threat to its tourism recovery, Airbnb has said

The potential monetisation of customer data by AirAsia Group is being questioned by experts who say that it could violate Malaysia’s Personal Data Protection Act

The WHO has called on Malaysia to respond to new clusters with targeted, localised measures

Firefly will start its jet airplanes operation from Q1 2021, using Penang International airport as its base. The airline will add up to 10 narrow-body jetliners to its fleet in stages, to serve the domestic, ASEAN and APAC markets. Malaysia Airlines Group says that this arrangement will allow Malaysia Airlines to focus on the premium market

Sarawak has extended its entry restrictions on those domestic travellers arriving from Sabah or Peninsular Malaysia until 15 Nov. This includes a ban on non-Sarawakian travellers arriving from Sabah and Labuan, and a 14-day quarantine for those arriving from Peninsular Malaysia

The Hong Kong Tourism Board is partnering with Grab and celebrity chef Ili Sulaiman in a campaign, “Brining Hong Kong to You”. The campaign will deliver food from Hong Kong merchants via the app, as well as tutorials on how to cook Hong Kong-style food

Sabah Tourism Board will look at ways to focus on high yield tourists, as well as rural tourism to diversify the state’s products

2 oil spills near Port Dickson will not impact tourism in the resort town, the government has said

RM120 billion in lending and financing to SMEs was disbursed in H1, according to Bank Negara

Semporna Bumiputra Tourism Association has said that homestay operators on islands off the mainland are impacted by the CMCO imposed on Sabah, as they cannot visit their homestays without the authority’s permission

Resorts World Genting will remain open during the CMCO, but it will monitor the situation

Malaysian Budget Hotels Association (MyBHA) have affirmed that its members have no policies against allowing foreign tourists to stay at their properties, after an incident went viral where a foreign couple staying in Malaysia were refused accommodation after making a booking

MATTA has warned that the CMCO has “practically destroyed” demand for domestic leisure travel, and “it’s only a matter of time before most travel operators close down.” MAH agree that the CMCO is necessary, but it is a “step backwards” for the tourism economy, and call for a targeted wage subsidy

Malaysia’s Aug unemployment increased +4.7% in Aug YoY, but remained steady compared to Jul 2020. Statistics Malaysia predicts that there will be “challenges” which will hinder the market due to the increase in cases

SMEs should talk to financial institutions to get help, said the PM

All domestic travellers returning from Sabah state must undergo a full 14-day home quarantine, even if they test negative

Malaysia will be on China’s priority list for the COVID-19 vaccine, which it expects to receive before the YE

Malaysia announced a new Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO) for Kuala Lumpur and surrounding states, Selangor and Putrajaya, after an increase of cases in Selangor. Schools and places of worship will close, but commercial activities such as businesses and restaurants will remain open. The CMCO will run from 14-27 Oct

Penang’s unemployment rate is now more than 3%, compared to 2% in 2019, something which the state government has attributed to the retrenchment of hospitality workers

The Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) has said that implementing staggered weekends and school holidays is welcomed, but the government must introduce more targeted incentives to tour domestically

China’s Foreign Affairs Minister will visit Malaysia from 12-13 Oct

Theme parks are now seeing a decline of 90% in daily visitor since the 3rd wave of cases hit the country at the end of Sep. The Malaysian Association of Amusement Theme Parks & Family Attractions estimates that the industry has had RM1.58 billion in losses from Mar-Sep. They say that some parks may have to temporarily shut again due to poor attendance. They are also continuing to appeal to the government to lift the 25% entertainment tax to boost visitorship

Sarawak hotels are expecting a decline in occupancy again, after numbers starting to increase after interstate travel was allowed. The Malaysian Association of Hotels expects that it will drop to below 30%

Sarawak is considering extending its quarantine from 14 to 21 days

All schools in Sabah state will be closed from 10-25 Oct, due to the spike in cases

Pahang state are considering changing work arrangements, weekends and school holidays to boost domestic tourism. They have proposed that workers be split into 2 groups allowing each group 3-day weekends, and schools have staggered school holidays to boost off-peak travel

Mersing in Johor state could become a tourism destination to drive economic growth post COVID-19, the East Coast Economic Region Development Council (ECERDC) and the Johor State government have said

Malaysians who travel to Sarawak from Peninsular Malaysia must undergo a 14-day quarantine on entry from 10 Oct

Travellers who visited Sabah before the mandatory quarantine order was imposed on 27 Sep are advised to go for a COVID-19 screening to be safe

Applications to enter Malaysia, both for Malaysians and foreigners, can now be made by MyTravelPass on the Immigration Dept website

Four zones will be under Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO) from 9 Oct for 14 days, including Klang in Selangor state, Sandakan, Papar and Tuaran in Sabah state. Only essential services will be allowed to operate, and residents should remain at home

The Malaysia Virtual Experience (MyVXP) was launched by the Tourism Productivity Nexus, and aims to have 150,000 virtual tourists by Jan 2021. It has 150 products available for virtual experiences, and has now trained 450 hosts to develop products

The Malaysia Budget Hotel Association has launched a “Jom Nginap” campaign in collaboration with Touch N Go e-wallet and Gkash, encouraging hotels to participate in the e-wallet cashback schemes

Miri is planning to develop the 100 year old Makam Permaisuri site into a park and tourist site

Japan will lift its travel advisories for citizens to travel to Singapore, Thailand, South Korea, China, Hong Kong, Macao, Australia, New Zealand, Brunei, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Taiwan

Interstate travel to and from Sabah will be banned from 12-25 Oct, with only certain residents allowed entry

The Malaysian PM confirmed that it is not currently considering a nationwide lockdown, as they are afraid that this would “crash the social and economic system in the country”. The PM admitted that the state election in Sabah was partly responsible for the increase in cases

The government is imposing a Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO) on Kota Kinabalu, Penampang and Putatan in Sabah from 7 Oct for 2 weeks, with all non-essential businesses to close

The Ministry of Health has warned against holding large events and conferences – and if they do go ahead, they should ensure that SOPs are followed

Cancellations are rising in Langkawi as the number of cases increase in the state

Penang Hill has submitted its application to UNESCO to be considered a Biosphere Reserve

The Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) is maintaining an average hotel occupancy rate of 25% for this year, so long as domestic tourism can be sustained. During the Merdeka weekend in Aug/ Sep, it went up to 42%, and average has been 39%

Terengganu tourism companies have been reminded to adhere to SOPs. Tourism arrivals to the state have been increasing, with Pulau Redang receiving 25,004 tourists in Aug, a 114.8% increase YoY. Perhentian Island recorded 41,420 tourists in Aug, an increase of 319.4%

Sarawak have confirmed RM106 million worth of MICE events has been secured for the next 4 years, contributing to 8,480 jobs

Tourism Malaysia has said that tour operators currently in red zone COVID areas should remain resilient, and look for interesting new packages to attract visitors

Malaysia will continue to discuss reopening the border with Singapore, despite the increase in cases

Non-Sabahans will need valid immigration passes from Sabah Immigration Dept before entering the state until 16 Oct

Foreign students will not be allowed to enter the country until 31 Dec, even if they have already received approval, the Immigration Dept has announced. The physical registration and learning of students in Oct 2020 intake has been postponed

Kapit in Sarawak may receive more domestic tourists now that a road has been completed to Sibu – before this, it was only accessible by river

An inter-district travel ban in Sabah state has caused confusion amongst residents, who are calling for greater clarity, especially for those who regularly cross district lines for work. The inter-district travel ban is set to run from 3-16 Oct

Malaysia will not reimpose widespread lockdown measures, despite a rise in cases, a government minister confirmed. Malaysia had a spike of 317 cases on 3 Oct, the highest since the pandemic began. The government is being criticised for the increase in cases, many of which have been linked to Sabah, which had an election last week. The Sabah outbreak has been blamed on illegal migrants

The Religious Affairs Minister will visit Saudi Arabia early 2021 to understand the status of Malaysian pilgrims for Haj

The Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) has complained that financial institutions are imposing unfavourable terms on them for extending the repayment moratorium. MATTA are gathering together the complaints to take them to Bank Negara

The Sabah Association of Tour and Travel Agents (SATTA) has said that imposing a lockdown in Sabah is the right move, as tourism will only start to recover once cases return to low digits. They said that domestic tourism in the state had started to recover in Jul and Aug, but it was now declining again. They are hoping for an extension of the loan moratorium, as well as more government assistance

Angsana Teluk Bahang, the first Angsana property in Malaysia, will soft launch on 10 Oct in Penang

MATTA think that the extension of the Wage Subsidy Programme 2.0 will be a help to is members, but also appeals to banks to be more flexible

Non-Sarawakians in Sabah and Labuan will not be allowed to enter Sarawak from 4-18 Oct, whilst Sarawakians residing in those states will be allowed to enter, but must fill in an online application and be quarantined. Peninsular Malaysia residents will be allowed to enter Sarawak, but must quarantine for 14 days on arrival

There will be stricter screenings at public transport terminals, stations and counters from 2 Oct

Park Inn by Radisson Putrajaya has opened in Malaysia on 1 Oct, the first of the Park Inn by Radisson brand in the country

The Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister has said that they expect a decrease in domestic tourism expenditure in 2020

AirAsia will connect Langkawi to Kuching with flights 3 times/ week from 13 Nov

All tour operators should comply with the SOPs, the ministry has reminded them

MATTA have advised travellers to postpone their holiday plans to Sabah until mid-Oct. They also asked the government to make the SOP clear for travellers from Sabah, including quarantine or tests. Malaysia Airlines and Malindo Air have reduced flight frequencies to the state

Q3’s economic activity is expected to improve, according to the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM). According to DOSM, tourism in 2019 accounted for 23.6% of employment and 15.9% of Malaysia’s economy

Credit card spend domestically in Malaysia doubled to RM10.205 billion from Apr’s RM5.3 billion. Last year’s Jul domestic spend was RM10.26 billion. Maybank has noted an increase in travel related expenses

The Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council (MHTC) estimates there has been a drop of 75% in medical tourism

The World Bank has revised its 2020 GDP forecast for Malaysia, with a contraction of 4.9% vs its previous forecast of 3.1%

Perak state is targeting 5 million domestic tourists in 2020. They have had over 90,000 room bookings since the lifting of the MCO

Malaysia won the PATA Gold award 2020 in the “Tourism for all” category through virtual tourism for senior citizens

MATTA has partnered with Google Malaysia and the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) to run a special webinar series aimed at SMEs to connect them with local online consumers

AirAsia Group hopes to open 100 Santan restaurant franchises in Malaysia and overseas by 2022, in additional to the 15 stores it owns. It expected the contribution of its sales to group earnings to grow from 2% to 10-15%

RM11.8 billion has been disbursed under the Wage Subsidy Scheme so far, the Human Resources Minister has said

A targeted Movement Control Order (MCO) will be implemented in areas of Sabah from 29 Sep to 12 Oct

Additional staff and screening equipment were moved to KLIA and KLIA2 airports to reduce the congestion from arrivals from Sabah after returning to the state to vote in the elections

The Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (IDEAS) has urged the government to develop a long-term tourism recovery plan, in addition to a stimulus, to help the sector

Johor state is developing a long-term tourism strategy and improve its development plan within 10 years

The coalition formed by the current PM’s government has won the Sabah state elections on 26 Sep, defeating the opposition party who previously held the majority

The Malaysia-China Chamber of Commerce is urging the government to establish a travel corridor between the 2 countries for business travellers, expats and investors

Travellers returning to Sarawak and Peninsula Malaysia from Sabah must undergo a home surveillance order (HSO) and undergo screening from 27 Sep, after clusters were detected in other states which originated from Sabah

Sarawak’s tourism arrivals in Aug dropped by 87% YoY, with just 44,156. Overall, its Jan-Aug numbers dropped by 62% YoY

The China-Malaysia Culture and Tourism Month-Fun with Nature campaign was launched at the National Zoo in Malaysia, with over 1,000 visitors the first day

Sarawak has identified another mountain, called the “Mountain Giant Baby”, which could become a new tourist destination

Melaka is being promoted as a must-visit state in Kuala Lumpur through a new tie-up with public transportation being wrapped in advertising for the destination. The state government is also running a programme called the Dream Now Travel Later, with an app launched that sells tourism packages to the state. Customers receive RM10 credit when they use the app

The Johor state government has urged for the Singapore-Malaysia border to open further for daily commuting, or 100,000 Malaysians may lose their jobs due to the extended closure. Unemployment in Johor state has already hit a record high of 18%, with 5-10% of businesses in the city area closing

Tourism Malaysia has revealed that the government is looking at ASEAN cross-border travel for leisure at some point during Q1 2021. They believe that green travel bubbles would be established with those ASEAN countries which share land borders with Malaysia, and do not necessarily require air travel, including Brunei, Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia

Tenaga Nasional has signed an agreement with Malaysia Airlines to install solar panels on 4 of the airline’s buildings at Kuala Lumpur international Airport (KLIA). It forms part of their initiative to cut carbon emissions

Parlo Bhd, a travel agency in Malaysia listed on the stock exchange, is diversifying its business to provide employment agency related services to a Myanmar company specialising in migrant workers

A China-Malaysia Digital Cultural Tourism Industry Forum was held on 24 Sep to promote mutual ideas on boosting tourism

A new economic stimulus program has been released by the PM, worth RM10 billion. It includes RM7 billion in cash aid for SMEs and the wage subsidy scheme

Mt Kinabalu Park has been closed for 14 days until 8 Oct, after a hiker tested positive for COVID-19

Malaysia’s wage subsidy scheme will be worth RM2.4 billion, and will be given to companies who have seen a 30% decline or more in revenue YoY. Companies would receive RM600 for up to 200 employees for 3 months. For those new applicants who did not have earlier assistance, they would receive it up to 6 months. The Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) welcomed the move, but highlighted that they are still calling for other assistance, including tax incentives, tourism marketing and tourism development

Malaysia has won the “Health and Medical Tourism: Destination of the Year” award for the 4th time in the 2020 Medical Tourism Award ceremony

Malaysia remains in discussion with Saudi Arabia over the resumption of umrah, after it was reported that Saudi Arabia may allow pilgrims from other countries to perform umrah from 1 Nov

Discussions between Malaysia and Singapore on reopening the border further are still ongoing, the Singapore government has confirmed

The Tourism, Arts & Culture Minister has encouraged travel agents to create more niche tourism packages, which can be included in a booklet called “My Malaysia Experience”. They can also post their packages on to the website www.malaysia.travel, with currently has 103 offers and 107 packages

The Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council (MHTC) has launched a national campaign called “A Hundred Unsung Heroes”, where it will highlight 100 frontliners. It aims to engender confidence in the healthcare system

Sport-related businesses will be allowed to open until 2am, in an extension to the hours

MATTA Fair, the largest consumer travel fair which takes place twice yearly, will run its first online edition from 23-30 Sep. It will have 100 exhibitors, focusing on domestic travel. They are also planning for a 2-day physical B2C MATTA fair in Kuala Lumpur in Nov

The Finance Minister has said that foreign investors remain confident in Malaysia, with the ringgit becoming one of the strongest currencies in SE Asia

Kidzania in Kuala Lumpur has teamed up with Klook to enhance the visitor experience at its indoor kids’ theme park, including a new area which will encourage kids to explore building their own tech startup

15,666 Malaysians have lost their jobs in Singapore in H1, with the service sector the worst hit

According to the Amadeus Travel Insights Bulletin, Malaysian travellers are booking domestic flights further ahead than they did pre-pandemic, around 5 days out

The Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry (MOTAC) have gazetted 548 items as “intangible heritage” in Malaysia, covering language and literature, manners and culture, performing arts and fine arts

The Malaysian Association of Amusement Theme Park and Family Attractions (MAAFTA) has said that if the 25% entertainment tax is not scrapped, the theme park and attractions industry will not be able to last for another year. They have said that all demand is focusing around weekends, as school and group attendance has not yet recovered

A newly-discovered air raid shelter in Miri may become a new tourist attraction

The snap election in Sabah on 26 Sep is proving to be an opportunity for tourism businesses, especially those in car rental, transportation and accommodation. However, this effect has not spilled over to east Sabah

Sabah will focus on ecotourism, as well as ensure that the industry is rebuilt, rather than pursuing arrivals or tourism receipts

Travellers to Sarawak state from Sabah will need to take a PCR test 3 days before departure, after a spike of cases in the state. Those who must travel frequently from Sarawak to Sabah for work would need to take a test every 2 weeks

Penang Hill and its surrounding area hopes to be designated a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in the next 2 years

Malaysia will join the Covax Vaccine Plan(global access), as well as start an agreement with China to receive access

The Malaysian PM has hinted that if his allies win the snap election in Sabah state on 26 Sep, they should “quickly” hold a general election

Genting Malaysia is expected to see a turnaround from Q4, aided by strong domestic tourism. Resorts World Genting is welcoming up to 40,000 visitors per day, with 50% of hotels room open, and 90% average occupancy since Jun

Malaysia has cut its medical tourism targets for next year, now aiming to earn RM800 million in 2021 vs this year’s RM500 million, and much further from the original target of RM2 billion for 2021. They expect less than 300,000 medical tourists in 2020 vs 2019’s 1.2 million

Mersing Tourism Association (MTA) is planning free workshops for tour guides during the monsoon season, teaching them digital promotion, maintenance of tour boats and mapping island hopping packages

The next Sabah government must regain travellers’ confidence to travel to the state, as well as offer incentives, the Malaysian Association of Tour & Travel Agents (MATTA) has said. The state has also launched a support stimulus whereby Sabah tour operators can claim back RM50 per pax who book a 3D2N package

Nielsen’s consumer confidence survey for Q2 has shown that Malaysians have cut non-essential spending, with 44% spending less on vacations vs Q1’s 38%

A new domestic tourism campaign focusing on Kuala Lumpur, Cuti-Cuti Kuala Lumpur, will be launched

PM Muhyiddin has said that the country is not in a rush to reopen borders, and will in fact tighten border controls, particularly for illegal immigrants. "We must strike a fine balance between protecting lives and livelihoods of all Malaysians," he said

Langkawi has reassured domestic tourists that the island is still a green zone, amidst higher cases and a localised lockdown in the state. The Langkawi Development Agency (LADA) have said that they have welcomed 82,000 pax since Jun

The Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture in Sarawak has earmarked RM48.5 million for 9 projects in the state, including further development of ecotourism and homestay programmes

The One&Only Desaru Coast hotel opened on 6 Sep

The Malaysian Transport Minister is hoping to announce an air bubble with Singapore, as well as other countries soon

Kelantan has launched a new tourism campaign to attract domestic travellers, called “Jom Maghi Dderak Di Kelate”

Penang medical tourism players are calling on the state government to reconsider its ban on inbound medical tourists. The Penang Centre of Medical Tourism suggests that tourists self-isolate for 14 days prior to arrival, and that in general, the medical tourism industry needs to diversify its source markets

Johor is considering building an airconditioned walkway on the 350m-long causeway between Malaysia and Singapore’s border

The Malaysian government is planning to boost tourism through securing partnerships, investments, empowering local communities and ensuring the industry is sustainable and resilient. They expect to see a growth of at least 24% in hotel occupancy and related sectors by Dec

Sabah has launched a new domestic MICE campaign, called “BE here for you”, with the Sabah New Deals MICE Incentive 2020-2021. Event organisers can apply for a grant of up to RM100,000 per group of 30 or more delegates who stay in the state for at least 2 nights

Brunei visitors to Malaysia have dropped 78.4% in H1 2020

Standardisation of regulations and taxes for hotels and Airbnb in Malaysia shall soon be finalised, to create a level playing field

Sarawak hopes for more visitors in Q4, now that flight connectivity has been restored

The Penang Tourism Master Plan should be finalised by year-end, and will form the strategy for 2019 to 2030

Tourism Malaysia have urged locals to travel domestically, and that the travel industry should create combinations of packages, theme parks and hotels to benefit everyone

Malaysia is looking at fully reopening with Singapore for daily commuters in Jan. The Health Minister of Malaysia said that the period until then was a time for more systems to be put into place. They are also looking into doubling the capacity for swabbing travellers under the RGL and PCA agreements

The regulations for Malaysians travelling outbound has been updated and Malaysian diplomats and their families, students who study overseas and Malaysians who are long-term passholders of another country do not need prior approval to leave. Those categories which do need approval include Malaysians with job offers abroad, those attending MICE, parents who will accompany their children for studies and those with family emergencies. Leisure outbound travel is still not permitted for Malaysians

Malaysia’s unemployment rate had dropped to 4.7% in Jul from May’s record 5.3%. There are also 104,300 people who are temporarily jobless, but are not termed unemployed

The Tourism, Arts and Cultural Minister has said that it was the right move to bring these three areas together. She said that the Malaysian Association of Hotels reports that the average occupancy level is 38%, with higher levels at beaches and islands, lower in cities at 20%. She also encouraged travel agents to include arts and cultural programmes into their packages

Tourism associations are urging the government to extend the loan moratorium, due to expire on 30 Sep, for the tourism industry for at least another 6 months. They stated that “everyone in the tourism industry is hungry for business, not only the hotels have gone directly to the consumers; airlines and attraction operators too have joined the fray. They, too, have offered packages and ignored the fact that license imposed by the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture is required.”

The World Hospitality, Lifestyle and Entertainment Echibition and Conference (WHOLE 2020) opened in Penang on 10 Sep, expecting 3,000 physical and virtual visitors. The fair aims to boost domestic and inbound tourism, with a focus on B2B

84,588 overnight visitors were recorded in Johor in Jun, vs May’s 585

The Malaysian Healthcare Travel Council is proposing that medical tourists from 6 countries may be allowed to enter Malaysia on commercial flights: Brunei, Singapore, South Korea, Japan, Australia and New Zealand

Food outlets and convenience stores will be permitted to stay open until 2am from 11 Sep, an increase from the previous midnight. All foreigners will now also be allowed to pray at mosques

Following the ban on people from countries with more than 150,000 cases of COVID-19, Malaysia has announced that expats and professional visit passholders from those listed countries would still be permitted to enter, provided they had approval from the Immigration Department before entry

Passengers arriving to Malaysia faced huge entry delays with confusion as to whether Malaysian citizens arriving from banned countries were allowed to enter – once they were allowed, no arrangements had been made for quarantine for them

4,252,997 international tourists entered Malaysia in H1, a drop of 68.2%. The top 3 markets included Singapore, Indonesia and China, and there was a 64.2% drop in the number of daytrippers across the border

Sarawak state government will apply for an allocation of RM100 million for its tourism industry, and would identify tourism products to be proposed to the federal government

Hong Kong has said that they are in talks with 6 nations to establish travel bubbles – including Malaysia, who had reciprocated interest

Haj pilgrims stranded in Jeddah on arrival from Malaysia are filing a lawsuit against a travel agency

AirAsia Group wants to raise RM2.5 billion by year-end, and is also reevaluating the future of its business unit in Japan

A water shortage for days across Kuala Lumpur and its surrounding area across the weekend led to many people booking staycations at local hotels

The Malaysia Tourism City (MTC) project, with the world’s first Hasbro water theme park, is still awaiting approval. The project incorporates mass tourism, health tourism, education tourism and ecotourism

The Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) has said the government decision to keep borders closed until 31 Dec will mean that the hotel industry has to re-strategise and push plans further into 2021. The Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) has said that an extended RMCO would have a “most severe” impact on tourism players, who have seen a drop of 90% in revenue from Jan – Aug, calling the industry “crippled”

The Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) has said that popular beach destinations have seen occupancy rates from 50-80%, but that destinations which rely on flights saw lower occupancy levels, such as in Kedah, Johor, Sabah and Sarawak

Revenues at malls and theme parks in Johor’s Iskandar Puteri have dropped by at least 40% since lockdowns were imposed, thanks to the drop in Singaporean and Chinese tourists

Over 3,000 people have entered Malaysia from Singapore using the Periodic Commuting Arrangement (PCA) and Reciprocal Green Lane (RGL) agreements, with just one case detected from the PCA arrangement. Accordingly, those under PCA to Malaysia will have to quarantine in a hotel instead of at home

Penang is aiming to be the top domestic destination in Malaysia

Jul’s number of visitors to Langkawi increased to 189,000 from 82,000 in Jun, with the number in Aug expected to be higher

The Sabah Tourism Board has been approved for the Safer Tourism Seal

The Sarawak Tourism Minister has said that Malaysia is unlikely to go for selective reopening of borders, as the “we’d rather wait until the virus is curtailed before we reopen the borders”

All cultural year-end activities will be cancelled in Penang

Sarawak will continue its Sarawak-Malaysia My Second Home (S-MM2H) scheme, despite it being stopped at the national level

Tourism Malaysia will launch special travel packages for civil servants under the Cuti-Cuti Malaysia campaign. Tour agencies, hotels and operators will participate in the campaign with products in Kuala Lumpur, including free bus tour tickets and discounted hotel stays

Malaysia hopes to finalise arrangements for daily commuting with Singapore soon

Marriott is looking to open more properties in Penang, Melaka and East Malaysia following the opening of the Courtyard by Marriott in Georgetown Penang

Many Malaysian tourism companies plan to join the China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) to attract Chinese inbound travellers

42 hotels have now been recognised under the Muslim-Friendly Accommodation Recognition scheme, with an additional 30 hotels classified this year. The Islamic Tourism Centre will also launch a scheme to register Islamic Tourism Products and Packages

Malaysians are the 8th most optimistic amongst 27 nations that a vaccine will be available by the end of 2020

Malaysia will extend a ban on citizens from countries with more than 150,000 cases of COVID-19 from 7 Sep. Amongst those countries banned are the US, UK, France, Spain, Saudi Arabia, India, Indonesia and the Philippines. Malaysians returning home from those countries will be permitted, but must undergo the 14-day quarantine

International tourist spending declined 69.8% YoY in H1 to RM12.58 billion, whilst there was also a loss of RM13 billion for domestic tourism in H1

Sarawak will see improvement in its domestic tourism by the end of the year, with an increase of flights, as well as new packages for non-Sarawakian Malaysians at discounted rates

Pacific World will close its offices as part of its shutdown globally

AirAsia will introduce a fee for using the check-in counter as opposed to its self-serve kiosks. Pax will be charged RM20 for domestic flights and RM30 for international flights. This is to encourage contactless technology and minimise physical contact with customers and staff

Kampung Santubong will be turned into an archaeological town, enabling it to attract more tourists. A target date for completion is Feb 2021 for 3 heritage sites to be developed

Apple Vacations will launch Apple MICE Muslim packages to attract Muslim travellers to book with them

Malaysia’s economy has been continuously improving, but the Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) has said that tourism players need to prepare for more challenges ahead, with company restructuring and staff layoffs inevitable. They called on the government to extend the wage subsidy program and the loan moratorium, and said that the RM1,000 tax relief for domestic travel was not useful as there had not been any clarification on how to claim it

Melaka’s tourism is now 90% recovered, especially on the weekends and public holidays. The state government is still strategising how to reach 5.6 million tourists by the end of the year

Penang is working tirelessly for tourism, including the RM10 million Penang Business Continuity Zero Interest Loan with loans up to RM50,000 and the Responsible Tourism campaign

The Langkawi Development Authority is aiming for 2.5 million tourists this year, backed by the Langkawi Great Sales campaign

Foreign students have registered but are waiting to be allowed entry to Malaysia, with the majority from China, Indonesia and Bangladesh

The Recovery Movement Control Order (RMCO) will be extended until 31 Dec, with the PM warning the public to continue wearing masks and maintaining hygiene

All Malaysians entering Sarawak from other Malaysian states would no longer need to quarantine on arrival, but will need to fill in a health declaration. 10% of arrivals will also be randomly screened

Owners of 33 supercars brought them on a 2-day trip to Penang, hoping that they could draw attention and increase sales at local businesses through visiting

Malaysia Airports Holdings reported a net loss of RM91.07 million in Q2, as passenger movements were down 96% YoY. They said that despite a positive trajectory, traffic had not reached full momentum yet. They are also planning to reduce its operating cost by 20%

Tourism Malaysia is expanding its partnership with Visa, to see enhanced patriotism for Malaysians to buy locally-made goods and services

The Tourism Minister has announced that SOPs for travel bubbles will be proposed to the National Security Council next week

The Ministry of Tourism will use social media to boost tourism, prioritising Facebook, Instagram and Tik Tok

Cardiff City Football Club will replace “Visit Malaysia” with “Malaysia berjaya” (Malaysia success) on its jerseys for the 2020-2021 Championship

The Tourism Minister announced that Malaysia may stay closed to international tourists until Q2 2021, but that the country is still in discussions with foreign missions. Meanwhile, the Health DG called for a renewed clampdown of borders, and that inbound nor outbound travel should be permitted in the medium-term

The Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB) is in the process of getting the Asian Association of Convention and Visitor Bureaus (AACVB) formally registered, to mobile it as a group, initially focusing on research and then branching out to other areas

MyCEB is encouraging MICE players to think more creatively, and they are identifying niche products and unique venues. They will also organise roadshows in key MICE destinations. They are also advising venues to upgrade their technology

The Tourism Minister launched Cuti-Cuti Malaysia TV, with 5 promotional videos highlighting difference themes. These will be broadcast on media and social media platforms

Malaysia Airports launched a staycation at KLIA airport, which included an exclusive tour of the airport’s firestation as well as “Insta moments with out fit and strong ’pinup’ firemen.” The 3-days programme sold out

The Tourism Minister has said that the Malaysian business events industry looks promising, as only 24 events were cancelled, whilst 64 were postponed

Foreign spouses and children of Malaysians will be allowed to enter the country

Malaysia is looking into establishing green zones with certain parts of the country, showcasing niche tourism activities like golfing, diving and eco adventure

AirAsia.com and Agoda have tied up as partners, sharing their flight and hotel inventories

Miri is suffering due to the lack of Bruneian tourists to the town – usually thousands of travellers from Brunei Darussalam visit, but have not been able to due to the border closure

Travellers to Langkawi have been urged to follow SOPs after a picture went viral showing hundreds of tourists squeezed into the Kuala Perlis ferry terminal

The Penang International Travel Exchange 2020 will be moved to an online format on 14-16 Oct, with the aim of having 100 exhibitors participating with at least 200 buyers worldwide. It is fully subsidised by the Penang state government

The Transport Minister has refuted the allegation that he unilaterally permitted a chartered flight with Indonesian medical tourists on board to arrive into Penang, saying that the state government should have opposed these type of flights beforehand, as the Sarawak state government had already done

The list of Malaysians who do not need to pay for their compulsory quarantine has been expanded, including for Malaysian children under 6 years old and those with disabilities

Sabah Tourism Board have released a “sensory travel experience”, with an animated clip that allows listeners to hear the sounds of Sabah

The E&O Residences in Kuala Lumpur will stop operation in Sep, affecting 50 employees

Malaysia Airports will create retail opportunities for bumiputera (those of Malay and indigenous ethnicities) within their network of airports, as part of its initiative to ensure 50% of its procurement spend goes to bumiputera operators

RM30 million will be allocated to improving the Semenggoh Wildlife Centre in Sarawak. Facilities at other national parks in the state would also be upgraded in an aim to attract visitors

Domestic consumption is growing again, with the government confident that the retail sector could reach up to 80% of pre-COVID levels by year-end. The Malaysian Shopping Mall association released statistics that Jul’s mall visitors had reached 80% of pre-COVID levels

Johor state is expected to suffer a spillover effect from Singapore’s recession, with the number of Singaporean tourists reduced to zero, affecting transactions and spending in Malaysia

Malaysia may see a greater boost to tourism from domestic travellers than other ASEAN countries, according to OCBC Bank, with the relative value of outbound tourism vs inbound spend, with outbound at $12.4 billion USD, and inbound at $5.2 million USD inbound

Only 16 overseas medical tourists have entered Malaysia since the sector was reopened, according to the Malaysian Healthcare Travel Council. Only 15 of the council’s 70 member hospitals were ready to receive foreign patients because of the stringent SOPs to be followed

Sarawak will continue to pay the cost for quarantine and tests for Sarawakians returning to the state from overseas

Malaysia and Singapore’s cross border agreement came into force, with both sides stating that the systems were working well so far

Malaysian tour operators are trying to create unique experiences to attract the high-end domestic customers, with Mayflower Holidays, Apple Vacations and Sunflower Holidays all creating new domestic packages

Sarawak MP has urged the state government to be cautious about opening up the state for medical tourism

Moovby, a peer-to-peer car sharing startup, wants to work with the tourism industry to allow them to offer travel packages via the app to boost domestic travel

The Tourism Minister has reassured the public that Malaysia is safe for tourism, and that occupancy levels are increasing on the weekends for hotels in coastal areas

The Sarawak Tourism Board is planning to launch inter-state travel packages by Sep, under the Sia Sitok (Here and There) campaign. It will offer 30 packages at up to 50% off to boost domestic travel

Business Events Sarawak have launched new marketing videos to promote safety, aimed at business events organisers. They are also working on a rewards programme which will be finalised by YE and rolled out for 2021. They will also work to showcase their unique tribal-based products which can be incorporated into events

The Tourism Minister has called for budget hotel operators to become creative in attracting customers in the face of starred hotels holding promotions

Selangor state is looking to boost golf tourism, with the launch of the inaugural Selangor Golf Classic on 29 & 30 Sep

The Tourism Ministry is preparing to look at the application requirements for the tourism industry’s GAMELAN fund, as many players did not meet the previous regulations to be able to apply

Japan and Malaysia may ease travel restrictions for expats in Sep, if they take a 14-day quarantine

The Tourism Productivity Nexus has proposed that existing regulations for tourism businesses re relooked, particularly the clause that tour operators and travel agents need a physical office to renew their licence. They also want the licensing of more types of vehicles to be permitted, as well as affordable courses for tour guides

The Tourism Ministry has encouraged tourism players to apply for the PENJANA tourism financing, to avoid making any more redundancies

: The Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) and the Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) have both welcomed the government’s suggestion of restarting tourism with green zones, so long as strong protocols were in place

Water taxis will be launched in 2021 on the Klang River, forming a 15km route from Pangkalan Batu Urban Park to Mangrove Point

Malaysia’s economy contracted by 17.1% in Q2, the worst performance since 1998 and the Asian financial crisis. The worst sectors hit included tourism, manufacturing and investment

The slots for the Reciprocal Green Lane (RGL) and Periodic Commuting Agreement (PCA) between Malaysia and Singapore are fully booked on Aug 17 – 19, the first 3 days of reopening. 60 people per day are allowed under the RGL, and 2,000 people per day are allowed under the PCA

Penang International Airport’s expansion plans have been put on hold until the National Airport Strategy Plan is finished, estimated to be complete in 2023

Foreigners entering Malaysia will now need to pay upon arrival for their quarantine and COVID-19 test fees, to avoid cases of foreigners refusing to pay costs after being sent to their quarantine centres

AirAsia is implementing robotic process automation across Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines, Indonesia and Japan

A consumer survey on post-lockdown travel by Vase.ai has revealed that: • 29% of Malaysians have already started travelling to other states, whilst 27% have not yet travelled but are planning to. 44% have not travelled and are not planning to travel for a while • 71% of those who do not plan to travel cite safety as their greatest concern • 56% of those who have already travelled or are planning to travel say they would do for leisure • 46% of Malaysians would travel to visit friends and family, whilst 39% would do so to support the economy • 74% say their ideal holiday would be to a beach or island • Penang, Melaka, Kuala Lumpur, Terengganu and Kedah came out top for destinations • 50% of Malaysians cite enjoying the local food as their top reason to select a destination

A locally-developed digital platform for virtual exhibitions and events, InnVirtual, has been developed by a Malaysian company

Sarawak has now been declared a green zone, and will allow businesses to operate at normal hours once more

Penang is seeing rising occupancy rates of between 78 – 100%

The unemployment rate in June declined by 0.4% from May to 4.9%, a sign the government is taking that their economic stimulus initiatives are working

Airbnb is seeking to lift the restrictions on the 90 to 180 day restriction on short term rentals. Airbnb contributed RM3.98 billion to Malaysia’s GSP in 2019, according to a report by Oxford Economics, with every RM100 spent by Airbnb tourists outside accommodation spend going to shopping, activities and restaurants

Compulsory screening for all Malaysians entering Sarawak state will be extended until 31 Aug. Reduced flights will also be in place until 31 Aug

Despite a growing number of cases in the northern Malaysian states, there will be no travel ban imposed on them, with the implementation of a targeted lockdown on certain villages

The Tourism Minister has said that it is not enough to simply identify countries as green zones, but they must also be willing to open borders to Malaysians too. She has said that they are considering a destination angle, such as Perth, and are also discussing opening up with several other governments

Interzone travel restrictions in Sarawak will be lifted from 15 Aug

Sarawak hotels are suffering from the flight restrictions, according to the Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH). They hope for better support from the tourism ministry to continue

Trip.com and Airasia.com will collaborate to spur greater demand for domestic travel

The Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) has suspended operation at some chapter offices from 1 Aug, leaving just the Johor, Kedah, Sabah and Kuala Lumpur offices open

Arrivals from Malaysia to England will no longer have to self-isolate and are added to a list of travel corridors from 11 Aug

LokaLocal have launched virtual tours which can be integrated into booking systems, to allow tourists to “try before they buy”

Tourism Malaysia say that hotel occupancy is now high for beach resorts and hotels, with Port Dickson even having 100% during weekends. Cameron Highlands and Melaka are also popular. They also commended the Malaysia Budget Hotel Association (MyBha) Johor Chapter for launching super deals at hotels which cost just RM63/ night at 40 participating hotels

Sabah has received the highest revenue from tourism tax, at RM12 million in 2019

Melaka has had 18,000 hotel reservations since 10 Jun. The state is targeting 25,000 hotel bookings until Dec

Malaysians who enter Sarawak from other states will now not need to be quarantined in state centres if their last destination is in a town or city in Sarawak state. Those heading to rural areas will still need to quarantine

The Malaysian Association of Amusement Theme Parks & Family Attractions (MAAFTA) have said that they expect most members to end with a 70-80% drop vs. their budget, both for attendance and revenue, but that he does not expect anyone to close permanently. They have also asked the government to commit to incentives and tax exemptions, which would allow them to attract big brand names, as well as offer cheaper tickets

Port Dickson, a city on the coast near Kuala Lumpur, is seeing a revival of interest thanks to the clean ups of the beaches. There is a possibility of it being declared a duty-free zone, as well as an extension of the airline rail KLIA ERL to it

Klook Malaysia is seeing a surge of interest in staycations and theme park hotels, as well as nature-based activities. The most searched destinations in Jun by local users included Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Ipoh, Langkawi, Johor Bahru and Sabah

Local tourism players in Penang have noticed an increase in the number of travellers who are arriving by road, instead of flying

A new labour survey has shown that 26% of Malaysian respondents have taken a pay cut or pay freeze

The Malaysia My Second Home (M22H) scheme has been temporarily frozen, to re-evaluate the programme

The Malaysian school year will begin later than usual in 2021, on 20 Jan, meaning that the year-end school holidays, a peak time for travel, will be longer than usual

The Shell Malaysia Motorcycle Grand Prix has been officially cancelled, after previously being postponed

7 people were injured after a fire on a tourist boat in Sabah

The tourism sector financing scheme under the PENJANA budget has now been opened for application. The total scheme is worth RM1 billion and it is aimed at MSMEs with financing of up to RM300,000 at a 3.5% interest rate per year

The Ministry of health (MOH) have changed their wording from “social distancing” to “physical distancing”

A new tourism campaign promoting Penang under “Jom! Experience Penang” has been launched, which hopes to encourage domestic tourists

Malaysian MICE operators are seeing more enquiries, as well as an increase in requests for hybrid and virtual events, with facilities such as production studio setups to do live streaming. Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre believe that it will take 1-2 years for business events, particularly with international attendees, to make a comeback

The Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) have announced MATTA Fair Online 2020, to be held from 9 – 15 Sep this year, instead of the usual offline format which takes place twice a year

Airlines have agreed to reduce flights to Sarawak from 1 – 14 Aug, in line with the Sarawak government’s request

Many hotels in Kelantan state are now back in operation and have managed to retain their staff. The East Region Tourism Malaysia director said that the state’s hotels were not reliant on international tourists

Airbnb’s Malaysian Medical Association enhanced cleaning protocol has been welcomed by Malaysian hosts

Malaysians who need to undergo mandatory quarantine on returning to Malaysia will need to pay just 44.7% of charges, a maximum of RM2,100, whilst foreigners are to pay the full cost

The Health Ministry is discussing a possible 14-day home quarantine before travel as a requirement for a travel bubble with Australia and New Zealand. Travellers would need to have a test on the 1st and 13th day of home quarantine before being able to leave for their destination. However, the Health Minister said that “the two countries are not prepared (to form a travel bubble with Malaysia)."

Resorts World Genting visitors will now have to wear face masks from 1 Aug, or face a denial of their entry

Trip.com Group held their first live-streaming sales event aimed at Malaysians on 28 Jul as part of its Travel On campaign

Perak state have said that they will use hotels which have closed down as quarantine centres, getting the businesses back on their feet

Sabah state has seen international tourist arrivals drop in Q1 by 52.7%, and April and May drop 98% YoY. The Chief Minister for the state urged the Federal Government to consider giving last year’s tourism taxes to the respective states, and repeated her call for a devolution in tourism licensing, allowing Sabah to issue 5 types of tourism licences. She also said that Sabah is ready for international visitors in Sep, but that this would depend on the travel bubbles negotiated

1,250 business events in Malaysia have been postponed or cancelled, creating a RM1.75 billion loss. The Malaysian Association of Convention and Exhibition Organisers and Suppliers has teamed up with the Business Events Council Malaysia to launch the Business Events guidelines and support the industry

A new campaign to support MICE events in Malaysia, “Meet in Malaysia”, has been revealed by the Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB). The campaign has 2 components: Let’s Meet Locally, for domestic business, and Let’s Meet Tomorrow, for groups with 10% international participants. Incentives for Let’s Meet Locally include free full-day city tour for a group of 30, whilst for groups of 60 with a 2-night hotel stay will see dinner sponsorship included. 150 participants and above can request for sponsorship of a full-day meeting package. Incentives for Let’s Meet Tomorrow include a full-day meeting package for groups of 120 pax who hold a meeting for 2 days or more. The campaign runs until Dec 2021

Sarawak state has imposed travel restrictions within the state itself, saying that police permission must be sought to be able to travel between green and yellow zones, from 1 – 14 Aug. Commercial flights will also be reduced between Sarawak and peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Labuan

Cross-border travel between Singapore and Malaysia under the Reciprocal Green Lane (RGL) and Periodic Commuting Arrangement (PCA) will start on 17 Aug at the earliest. Applications will begin on 10 Aug

The Malaysian government would consider reimposing its lockdown (Movement Control Order) should the number of new cases hit 3 digits, as the number of positive cases has increased 4 days in a row

Malaysians who enter Sarawak must undergo mandatory quarantine from 1 - 14 Aug

Sarawak may place restrictions on tourists/ non-Sarawakians travelling to Sarawak if cases continue to rise. Hotels in the state have reported occupancy levels of 50-60% since Jun

Singapore’s Health Minister has told Malaysians and Singaporeans who are thinking of holidaying in the other country that they must “put off the idea for quite some time yet.”

JobStreet has seen an increase in the number of job advertisements for the tourism sector, with 64% more in Jun vs Apr 2020 for junior roles, and 47% increase in Jun for manager roles

Nexgram will collaborate with the Malaysian Tourism Council (MTC) to roll out Tracvirus e-certificate COVID-19 tests for 3.5 million tourism workers

Japan announced that it is looking at relaxing entry restrictions for business travellers from 12 Asian territories, including Singapore, Cambodia, Brunei, Malaysia, Myanmar and Laos from SE Asia. Travellers would still need to self-quarantine for 14-days, pass a COVID test and not take public transportation

Face masks will become compulsory in crowded public spaces and on public transport from 1 Aug

Semporna is looking at developing its domestic market further, including by organising a famil trip in conjunction with Sabah Tourist Association, Tourism Malaysia and MASwings for media

Some areas of the Heritage Quarter in Kuala Lumpur are falling into disrepair, according to local tour guides

The Malaysian Healthcare Travel Council (MHTC) have lowered their target for 2020 by 75%, expecting revenue to reach just RM500 million, down from the original target of RM2 billion. The MHTC is continuing its PR campaign

The Melaka state government will not convert hotels into quarantine centres to make sure that tourism is unaffected

Visitors to Resorts World Genting has returned to 50% of pre-COVID levels, with an uptick in visits in the first 2 weeks Jul. The casino is also back to 50% of capacity. 70-80% of the resort’s visitors are typically locals

Theme parks have seen losses of RM500 million over the lockdown period (MCO) – these do not yet take into account future losses, the Malaysian Association of Amusement Theme Parks and Family Attractions (MAAFTA) announced. They have suggested that their members use discounted ticket pricing, loyalty cards for repeat customers and social media competitions

The Malaysian Healthcare Travel Council (MHTC) has reaffirmed that Indonesian patients have been allowed to enter Malaysia under Phase 1 since 1 Jul, but they must have an approval test, undergo a PCR test, and have a critical health problem. They have to travel by chartered flight, air ambulance or private jet, not by commercial flight, as well as 14-day isolation on arrival at the hospital

The Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) has said that converting hotels back into quarantine centres will harm the industry, and make it hard to bounce back from losses, as it would need to be gazetted and not receive any other guests

Ministers have said that medical tourists from Brunei, Singapore, South Korea, Japan, Australia and New Zealand will be allowed to fly into Malaysia on commercial flights – but that this is still subject to approval from the other countries involved

Malaysia has changed its rules and all arriving to the country, whether Malaysians or foreigners, will need to undertake mandatory quarantine at quarantine centres or hotels from 24 Jul, due to an increase in cases. They will have to bear the cost of quarantine

Airfares are expected to be at normal prices from Nov, according to the Transport Minister and an analysis from the Malaysian Aviation Commission (MAVCOM). It will take up to 18 months for the domestic airline market to recover, and 3 years for international sectors. MAVCOM have seen a downward trend for air fares in Jun – Jul. The Transport Minister noted that 4.32 million pax were affected by cancellations of flights, with 1.2 million postponing travel dates, 1.96 million taking flight credit and 628,070 people receiving refunds

Sarawak is planning to embark on some important initiatives for H2, including the 3rd Sarawak Tourism Master Plan Study and four new free electric buses which take in tourism destinations. There will also be funding for local events in 2021, as well as the opening of the Sarawak Craft Council Office cum showroom. They will also continue to work on the National Ecotourism Plan, with 60 of the ecotourism sites located in Sarawak

AirAsia has launched a special promotion with a 50% discount on returning airfare for domestic flights booked between 20 – 24 Jul. They have also seen flight searches on their website increase by more than 150% since the RMCO. The airline is increasing domestic flight frequency, and Aug will have 30% more flight frequencies compared to Jul, 70% of which are between West and East Malaysia

Melaka state government is asking investors to create products with tourism players, such as key chains and replicas. They said that the state tourism had recovered by 68% so far, and they will maximise attractions to draw tourists

The Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) has seen an increase in weekend travel, with business travellers, couples and small families being the first groups to do so

The Ministry of Tourism will discuss the Sarawak government’s request to extend permits for tour buses from 12 to 15 years, similar to that of Peninsular Malaysia

Langkawi tourism players will start to promote Tuba Island as a tourism destination. The island is little known, but regularly speedboard services began last year, making it more accessible

Malaysian tourism players in Iskandar need to start thinking outside of the box and focus on golfing, shopping and theme parks, according to the region’s development authority

Negeri Sembilan state government and the Malaysian Productivity Corporation and Tourism Productivity Nexus will collaborate to help tourism companies with advice via video conferencing under a programme called T-VAC

The Malaysian Retailers Association has shared that Q1 saw a -11.4% growth rate

The Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents has said that the tourism industry is on the road to recovery, but that international tourism should be restarted as soon as possible. The Malaysian Inbound Tourism Association (Mita) has said that tourism in less well-known spots should also be encouraged

A FOLIDAY campaign has been launched by the Malaysia Inbound Chinese Association (Mica) to promote domestic tourism in Terengganu, Perak, Penang, Johor, Sarawak and Sabah. They are confident of attracting 500,000 domestic tourists to Penang from Jul – Dec in 2020

The Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) says that occupancy rates have not climbed to 100% or even 75%, as claimed by the tourism minister, and that the average nationally is 21% based on its members’ data. The high occupancy was at certain destinations the weekend before schools reopened, and is seasonal

The Malaysia Virtual Travel Expo will be held from 22-23 Aug, bringing industry players together to offer their holiday packages and services online

Malaysia Airports saw a doubling of the daily average flights in the first 9 days of July vs. June, mainly from an increase in domestic flights

Tony Fernandes of AirAsia expects that the group will return to profitability by 2021 and that the Asian authorities were become “much, much smarter” in dealing with the pandemic

Students in Forms 1-4 and pupils in Years Five and Six returned to school. Years One – Four will return on 22 Jul

The Tourism Minister expects Malaysia to begin recovery in Q2 2021. She also stated that some hotels have had occupancy rates of 75-100%. The ministry also estimates that the local tourism industry has lost RM45 billion as of June. They project that international arrivals and spending for the full year will be down 75% YoY

Malaysia Airports saw 429,000 pax in June 2020, a decrease of 95.2% YoY. The Malaysian Aviation Commission (MAVCOM) have revised Malaysian air traffic estimates from -48% to -62%

All the banks involved in the Tourism Financing Scheme are ready to implement the process

Sojern have seen an increase in the number of couples and family bookings for domestic hotels in Malaysia, with weekend occupancy at highs from Kuala Lumpur travellers

The Periodic Commuting Arrangement (PCA) will be limited to 2,000/ day initially, whilst the Reciprocal Green Lane (RGL) will allow 400 people per country on a weekly basis

Malaysia and Singapore have agreed 2 schemes for reopening the borders, to start on 10 Aug: 1. Reciprocal Green Lane (RGL), for essential business and official purposes. Travellers would need to undergo PCR swab tests 2. Periodic Commuting Arrangement (PCA) for Malaysian and Singapore residents who hold long-term immigration passes for business and work purposes in the other country, to enter for work. They will be able to briefly return to their home country after 3 consecutive months of working

23 packages have been planned as part of a joint initiative to entice domestic travellers to Penang, including one for just RM15. It hopes to turnover RM1.54 million

Malaysia’s unemployment rate rose to 5.3%, the highest since 1989. The services industry, including tourism workers, was one of the worst affected

Ferry transportation can now operate at full capacity in Sabah and Labuan

The government has clarified that expatriates residing in Malaysia are not allowed to take vacations outside of the country

The Malaysian Association of Hotel Owners has said that hotels which usually depend on international tourists, such as Penang, Langkawi and Kota Kinabalu, are seeing a slower pickup than Kuantan, Melaka and Cameron Highlands, which are easily drivable from Kuala Lumpur. They also ask the government for support to stimulate weekday bookings

The Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents has called on the government to extend the loan moratorium for another 6 months to support the industry

Malaysia is on China’s “green” countries list. Sabah tourism players are looking forward to being able to welcome Chinese travellers if they are allowed to fly out. The deputy Chief Minister has said that they are trying to arrange for Malaysian visas for Chinese travellers

The Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) expects Kedah, Perak, Johor, Pahang, Kelantan to generate short-term immediate demand, Langkawi and Negri Sembilan year-end demand, and Terengganu, Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Sarawak in Q3/Q4

The Kinabatangan-Corridor of Life Tourism Operators Association has asked the government to provide different assistance to tourism players depending on their different needs, and that the government must spend more time engaging with stakeholders. The Sandakan Tourism Association has also urged the state government to allow expatriates who reside in Western Malaysia to be exempted from mandatory COVID-19 tests as Malaysians currently are

Terengganu state believes that it will reach 4.5 million tourists this year. Bookings to the state’s hotels have increased by 90% on weekends and 60% on weekdays

Family entertainment centres, include games arcades and family-oriented karaoke centres, are allowed to resume from 15 Jul

The restriction on the number of people gathering for social events, at places of worship or for conferences will be lifted on 15 Jul, and will now depend on the limits of the venue in accordance with social distancing

Penang has introduced special discounts and complimentary attraction passes to Malaysian frontliners

Malaysia’s Q1 tourism arrival numbers were -36.8% YoY with just 4.23 million arrivals. Revenue decreased by 41.5% to RM12.5 billion. ASEAN countries remained the top contributor to arrivals, accounting for 67.8%

Khazanah Nasional have said that they are not discounting the possibility of a merger between AirAsia group and Malaysia Airlines, and that the 2 airlines will need to cooperate with one another to recover

The Tourism Minister has seen hotel occupancy rates grow to 30.74% by 30 Jun after the implementation of the Recovery Movement Control Order

Penang is implementing its own safety accreditation programme, including hotels, tourist attractions and shopping malls, to grow consumer confidence

The Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) is calling for cash injections to all licensed tourism companies to enable them to stay afloat

Returnees to Malaysia must take the antibody rapid test on arrival to Malaysia, as well as download the government app MySejahtera

The Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) has launched its “Clean and Safe Malaysia” certification programme for hotels and resorts. It is supported by the Ministry of Tourism and will be a new benchmark for hygiene standards in Malaysia

Sabah tourism players are hoping that the state government extends its loan repayment moratorium for another 6 months

Malaysia’s travel trade have warned that high airfares are preventing tourism from recovering

Perak state hotels have received 7,736 reservations since 10 Jun

Airbnb has proposed that short-term rental accommodation also be allowed to benefit from the government’s economic stimulus packages

Travel agents have been told that they must adapt by Tourism Malaysia

Sabah state is hoping to open up to international travellers by 1 Sep. The state government has stated that this would be done in a “very selective” way. They will also look at how to open up to China, as it is the main contributor to inbound tourism

Sabah homestay owners are able to apply for a RM30,000 fund given by the Sabah State Government to upgrade their premises

The Tourism Minister and her team are travelling throughout Malaysia to discover tourism products which can be promoted for the domestic market. They plan to identify eateries, accommodation, ethnic culture and traditions

The Malaysia Healthcare Tourism Council’s SOPs for medical tourists have now been approved. It will be a phased restart and will take into account the patient’s health and the status of their country of residence

The Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) programme has experienced a 90% rate in rejection for the latest batch of results. The Tourism Minister has said the programme has now been frozen for review, but would not be cancelled

The Sabah Tourism Board launched its new #BahMariLah programme, aimed at encouraging domestic tourists

Remaining school children will be able to return to schools as they reopen in stages from 15 Jul

Malaysia could lose up to $32.6 billion USD, equivalent to 9% of its GDP, if tourism remains at a standstill for 12 months according to a report by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development. A 12-month stopping would also mean a drop in skilled workers wages of 13%, and unskilled workers 14%

Statistics released for FY 2019 showed a rise in domestic tourism of 11% to RM103 billion and 239.1 million people. 37.8% of the spend was on shopping, whilst fuel and food were each 15%. Accommodation counted for just 8.4% of the 2019 domestic spend. 42% of the travels were to visit family and friends

Malaysia’s domestic tourism is expected to expand by 30% over the next 6-12 months. A new platform called ditofa.com has been launched to promote domestic tourism products

Tune Protect Group has launched an enhanced insurance programme for AirAsia guests which will cover COVID-19 trip cancellation, daily hospital allowance and compassionate visits

Malaysians returning from overseas will need to pay RM30-150 for a COVID-19 test upon arrival, whilst non-citizens will pay from RM60-250, depending on the type of test

Shangri-La Hotels (Malaysia) has seen its Q1 net profit drop by 90.8% YoY

The Malaysian Inbound Tourism Association (MITA) is organising a Cuti-cuti Malaysia eTravel Fair from 1 – 15 Jul, which hopes to encourage consumers to book domestic tour packages. Around 200 vendors will participate

Theme parks and water parks will be allowed to reopen from 1 Jul, subject to adherence to strict regulations and limiting visitor capacity

Tourism players should all work together to face the challenges COVID-19 poses, the tourism minister has said, encouraging all to have a positive mindset

Jonker Walk in Melaka has ran its first phase of trial reopening

The year-end school holidays have been cut to just 2-weeks in 2020. Tourism associations have been critical of the move, warning that such a short break would not encourage longer holidays

Malaysia estimated the tourism and culture industry losses in H1 to be around RM45 billion. The tourism minister has said that they will work to strengthen domestic tourism and intensify PR campaigns. A matching grant called Galakan Melancong Malaysia (Gamelan) will be extended for domestic promotion and marketing activities

Malaysia is not in a rush to reopen its borders, the Health Director-General has said. The PM also urged ASEAN nations at a summit on 26 Jun to come up with a plan quickly to implement travel bubbles

Tourism subsectors such as MICE, spas and reflexology centres will be allowed to reopen from 1 Jul. Weddings and social events will also be permitted with a maximum of 250 pax

The Malaysian Inbound Tourism Association (MITA) is working on a live broadcasting event in China to promote Malaysia, with tour packages on a “buy now, travel later” basis

The State Tourism Minister of Sarawak has criticised tourism players in the state who are discontent with government aid, saying “If you’re not happy, then you should leave this industry and look for another one”

Sarawak will be prioritised for tourism development, the tourism minister has said. Sarawak tourism is continuing its Visit Sarawak campaign focusing on culture, adventure, nature, food and festivals, and have launched a new campaign, “Rediscover Yourself in Sarawak” to reach out to the domestic market

The Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) has said that the average occupancy rate is 15.6%, with no notable increase since the relaxation of lockdown (RMCO). 27% of hotels sampled in their survey are still not opening

International traders and investors will be allowed to enter Malaysia’s Sabah state

More foreigners holding Malaysian visas will be allowed to enter Malaysia without prior permission. Malaysian students who need to leave Malaysia for their studies will also be allowed to leave the country with the relevant documents presented

Malaysia expects the reopening of the border with Singapore to boost tourism

Hotel fees at Penang hotels will be waived for 6 months to boost domestic tourism. The Malaysian Assoiation of Hotels (MAH) Penang chapter doesn’t expect hotel occupancy in Penang state to exceed 30% by YE

Only medical tourists in critical condition or with serious illnesses will be allowed to enter Malaysia for treatment

The Malaysian travel trade would welcome the opening of the border between Singapore and Malaysia, saying that this could boost travel consumption in Malaysia

The Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) Penang has revealed that hotel rooms being booked up are those below RM300/ night

A survey has shown that 9/10 workers in Malaysia have been affected by COVID-19, with 48% saying their pay has been affected, and 24% forced to take leave

Sarawak tourism businesses are critical of the state government’s aid, with its fund of RM2.25 million. Businesses say that the incentives will not be sufficient to encourage the public to book trips in Sarawak

A video of Malaysia’s Senior Minister saying that foreigners could come to Malaysia for medical treatment went viral in Indonesia. 670,000 Indonesians visited Malaysia for healthcare in 2019. More detailed instructions from the Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council are expected

The Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents has stressed that international tourists are vital for operators to be able to break-even

Malaysia will soon allow medical tourists to enter the country, and Malaysian citizens to leave for medical, education or other specific purposes. Expatriates and foreign spouses will now also be allowed to return to Malaysia, with swab tests on arrival and 14-day quarantine depending on the origin

Google x Trip.com have revealed that Malaysia is #12 for APAC travellers’ next phase destinations, with Kuala Lumpur and Penang coming in the top 20 short haul getaway destinations

Karaoke parlours are to remain closed still, the government specifically announced

Langkawi SkyCab has reopened, with over 100 visitors on the first day. It will operate at more limited capacity

Further easing under the Restricted Movement Control Order will take place from 1 Jul, including the opening of cinemas, theatres, live events and swimming pools (both hotels and public pools)

Sarawak expects to receive just 2 million tourists in 2020 vs. 2019’s target of 5 million. Arrivals Jan – May have dropped 48.9%, with losses estimated at RM3 billion. A RM1 million fund has also been allocated for a Visitors Incentive Package from 1 Jul – 31 Dec

MG, a B2B hotel distributor, has seen a +137% increase in room nights booked in Malaysian hotels in w/c June 13-19 vs w/c June 6-12

Malaysia and Indonesia will work closely together to revive the tourism industry, the respective ministers revealed in a webinar

The Sabah Association of Tour and Travel Agents (Satta) has asked the government to provide subsidies to travel agents, saying that every travel agent had lost at least RM500,000 – 1 million to retain employees

Malaysian industry players are still expecting a slow recovery. An economics professor has estimated that restaurants and hotels will be hit by the cost of compliance and that the next few months are critical

The government has not finalised any travel bubble proposals yet, but say that they are “pretty positive” and that “it is definitely time for the travel bubble to happen”

Airbnb has collaborated with the Malaysian Medical Association to roll out a new Enhanced Cleaning Protocol in Malaysia

Terengganu state has said that the occupancy rate of hotels is around 80%, with nearly 100% of tourism and recreational centres resuming operations

Perak state will introduce a #TravelPerakLah voucher, with 1,500 vouchers worth RM30 and RM50 distributed to players registered with Tourism Perak. The vouchers can be redeemed after a 2nd visit to any registered hotel The state announced that 10% of hotels in Perak have been booked since 10 Jun, around 2,695 rooms from 58 hotels

Sabah will allocate RM5 million for matching grants for MICE programmes, as well as a RM10 million grant to upgrade tourism destination facilities. All tourism spots managed by the state government will also have entrance discounts of 50% for 6 months

Genting Malaysia, a hospitality and casino company, is set to cut 3,000 jobs

Some 500 of 8,000 members of the National Union of Hotel, Bar and Restaurant Workers of Peninsular Malaysia have been made redundant

Meetings, seminars, training and courses are allowed to run under the Recovery Movement Control Order (RMCO), but no buffet meals for participants are allowed, and a maximum of 250 should be gathered

All Malaysians and pass holders will be allowed to enter Sabah from Peninsular Malaysia and Sarawak without having to undergo a COVID-19 swab test, a move welcomed by the Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) to encourage tourism

Malaysia’s unemployment rate could hit 6% this year, AmBank have announced, worse than even during the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis

The SOPs for tourism sub-sectors, such as MICE and spa activities have been approved in principle by the government, but must still have final approval before they can reopen

The Holiday Inn Penang is set to close down by 30 Jun after 40 years of operation

The South-east Johor Development Authority (Kejora) will look at rural tourism to increase the income of the people living there

Sarawak will allow tourism activities to be restarted from 17 Jun, including homestays, hotels, adventure and extreme tourism, scuba diving and snorkelling, with social distancing. National parks in the state would reopen from 22 Jun

The Langkawi Business Association is calling for a simplification of the application process for tourism financing as part of the new economic stimulus

Penang will launch its own COVID-19 Compliance Accreditation Programme for tourism companies, aimed at boosting the number of companies following the government’s SOPs

The Berjaya Tioman Resort will close on 15 Jun after 50 years due to COVID-19. The management will undertake a major re-development of the resort

The Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) have said that they have not seen a significant increase in bookings since domestic travel has been re-permitted, with the trade reporting more business than leisure travellers. The Malaysian Budget Hotel Association says they have seen a 15% increase in bookings, with 6,000-6,500 nights booked, but that this includes bookings for the year-end

A Tourism Malaysia study has found that 82.4% of travellers have changed their attitude about travel, with 71.3% preferring to holiday in Malaysia rather than abroad. The recovery plan for Tourism Malaysia is to prioritise social media, blogs and e-marketing

Sarawak state is planning to use domestic tourism to revitalise the economy, and hopes to target Brunei and Singaporean travellers after

Ipsos released survey results which showed that 14% of Malaysians would be comfortable travelling domestically in May-Jul, 31% in Aug-Dec and 55% in 2021. For international travel, only 4% would be comfortable travelling in May-Jul, 12% in Aug-Dec and 83% in 2021

AirAsia have launched an unlimited flight pass for RM399 for travel between 25 Jun – 31 Mar 2021, covering 16 Malaysian domestic destinations

Schools will begin to be opened from 24 Jun for those students taking leaving examinations

An MAH study have shown that 20% of their member hotels believe that demand will pickup from Jul. Perak, Johor, Pahang and Kelantan are expecting short-term demand, whilst Langkawi is looking at year-end. Domestic stays account for 55% of overall market share traditionally

The Ministry of Transport is trying to resolve the issue of expensive tickets with airlines, especially to Sabah and Sarawak, where a one-way ticket from Kuala Lumpur to Miri could cost RM2,000

The Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) is urging Malaysians to travel domestically to boost the economy. They also urged the government to consider opening up the borders for international travel ahead of 31 Aug

The Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) believe that the RMCO will be positive for domestic tourism and signals the “beginning of the recovery”. 95% of its 402 hotel members have adopted its health and hygiene protocols. They have also seen a pickup of demand for Q3 and Q4, with steady demand for 2021

The World Bank has predicted that Malaysia’s economy will start to recover from the end of 2020 and be back at growth by 2021

The Malaysian Association of Convention and Exhibition Organisers and Suppliers (MACEOS) has called on the government to allow business events. They estimate the damage so far at RM1.75 billion, with 1,250 business events affected

The Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO) lockdown will be eased from 10 Jun to a “Recovery Movement Control Order” which will run until 31 Aug. This new phase will allow interstate travel, domestic tourism, and the opening of nearly all commercial, religious and recreational activities to take place again, with the exception of large gatherings, sports which involve bodily contact, nightclubs, pubs, karaoke centres and reflexology centres. Schools will be reopened in phases

Tourism Langkawi Association have pledged to work with all stakeholders to offer competitive holidays for tourists, especially domestic tourists – but are dismayed by the lack of some airlines to offer cost competitive fares and that ferry operators want to raise fares

The Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents has welcomed the RM1,000 personal tax relief for domestic tourism expenses, but hopes that it could be allowed for expenses only spent through licensed travel agents

Tourism in Sabah’s Kinabatangan should be able to restart soon, but will be difficult as the primary customer base is European travellers, with just 4-5% domestic. The local tourism association will spend RM200k to promote their tourism campaign, including strict hygiene SOPs

The government released a new RM35 billion stimulus package for the economy, called PENJANA. It includes tax relief for individuals, a monthly unlimited travel pass for RM30, free 1GB data every day between 8am-6pm. For tourism it also includes: • RM1 billion to finance transformation initiatives by SMEs (details to be announced) • RM1.8 billion in tax incentives, including tourism tax breaks from 1 Jul – 30 Jun • Moratorium on tax instalment payments from 1 Apr to 31 Dec for tourism companies (including airlines) • Personal income tax relief of RM1,000 for tourism expenses

The Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) says that the wage subsidy extension is appreciated, but that the amount was “insufficient” for the industry – instead they propose a 50% subsidy for those on salaries below RM4,000

Sarawak has revised its tourist arrivals target from 5 million to 2.4 million

The Swiss Garden group will close 3 properties in Malaysia, and will reduce staff at their other properties

Tourism job losses accounted for 39% of all job losses in Q1 in Malaysia according to a new government report. In Sabah, job losses in the tourism industry account for up to 56%, whilst in KL and Selangor, they account for 40% of total job losses

Sabah state will now allow travel from peninsular Malaysia, Sarawak and Labuan. Travellers must have tested negative for COVID-19 within 3 days of entering Sabah. The state is also looking into allowing direct international flights

Penang Hill will reopen its iconic funicular train service from 6 Jun, but will not be at maximum capacity

The Malaysian Budget Hotel Association (MyBHA) has proposed that the government should issue healthy and safety certificates, known as 3K. Losses in their 2,300 members are around RM70 million as of May

The Four Points by Sheraton hotel in Sandakan will be closing down

Malaysia is predicted to be heading into a recession in the next 4-6 months

The Malaysian Inbound Tourism Association (MITA) have asked for credit and leasing companies to give a moratorium to its tour bus operator members

A virtual advisory clinic has been helping Malaysian travel businesses navigate issues such as marketing, finance, business operations and structure. 147 companies participated in the pilot project

The Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) is imposing SOPs on hygiene for tour vehicles, tour guides and luggage, calling it “sanitised travel”

The theme park in Genting Highlands scheduled for soft opening in Q3 2020 has now been postponed again and is scheduled for Q3 2021

Several hotels in Kuala Lumpur, including 5* hotels, have been put up for sale, but this is not entirely due to COVID-19, according to former Malaysian Association of Hotels president

20% of the Malaysian Association of Hotels’ 1,200 members have faced action to completely shut down or postpone operations, which has affected 6,000 workers

The Johor state tourism industry will be helped by the government with RM1,000 cash handouts for tour guides, exemption of licence fees for tourism and hotel industry companies and entertainment tax exemption for theme parks and family entertainment centres

10 Melaka hotels are being sold, including both boutique and budget ones, according to the Melaka Tourism Business Club (MTBC)

The founder of Apple Vacations, one of Malaysia’s biggest travel agents, has made a plea to the government to offer more support and clarity, especially over government remarks on 16 May for them to return refunds

Airbnb are urging the Malaysian government to make them a part of Tourism Malaysia’s initiatives, given that in 2018 they generated RM3 billion in direct economic impact to the country. Meanwhile, homestays remain closed

Interest free loans of up to RM10 million are being opened up to Penang’s tourism industry players

The Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) wants the government to develop its own health and safety accreditation for tourism players. They reminded the government that boosting consumer confidence is key to for tourism

All interstate travel has been banned, to try to put off people returning to home towns for Eid celebrations

Genting Malaysia, the casino group, will be retrenching around 10-20% of its 20,000 employees

Sarawak has revised its tourist arrivals targets to 2.4 million visitors, a drop of 52% vs its 2020 target of 5 million. Post-pandemic, the tourist board will focus on ASEAN and domestic markets

The Penang state government has proposed “travel bubbles” for interstate travel as restrictions gradually lift

From 1 Jun, all arrivals into Malaysia will have to pay RM150/ day for their compulsory quarantine. Malaysian citizens will have to pay just 50% of the amount

The Tourism Malaysia director-general has said that international tourism traffic could perhaps be expected in Dec, and the focus should be on domestic tourism and collaborations with neighbouring countries

A 3-year revitalisation plan for Penang’s MICE sector will be developed, firstly to attract more domestic business, before ASEAN, APAC and global meetings and incentives. A destination branding programme called “Here for Tomorrow” will also be rolled out

Tour agents are allowed to be opened, but tourism activities are still prohibited. Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) participants will be allowed to return to Malaysia from 17 May, subject to health checks and quarantine. Travel agents were also urged to return refunds or carry forward bookings to passengers

Penang will only be able to welcome back tourists in Q3 or Q4 2020, with new SOPs for hoteliers to follow

PATA estimate that Malaysia’s tourism arrivals are “most likely” to shrink by 32% vs their original forecast for 2020, and will not recover to its original trend until Q3 2021

The Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau is pushing the government for 500 people as a maximum for business events, up from 250 which is currently being considered. They are also creating domestic packages called “Let’s Meet Locally”, and international packages called “Let’s Meet Tomorrow”

The Sabah Association of Tour and Travel Agents (Satta) has asked the State government to rethink the 14-day quarantine imposed on Malaysian tourists visiting Sabah from other states, so long as they could prove they were virus free. They also hoped that flights to China and South Korea would be resumed eventually as they doubt that Sabahans will help boost the local tourism economy, and tourism businesses have lost more than 95% of business

The Malaysian Hotel Association (MHA) says that Malaysia will lose at least 60% of its tourism business in 2020, and around 35% of hotels in Malaysia have had to close temporarily

A distinction between MICE and mass gatherings has been appealed for by the Business Events Council Malaysia (BECM), so that events can still go ahead until strict SOPs, including usage of PPE, social distancing and thermal checks

The partial lockdown has been extended in Malaysia until 9 Jun, with returning to hometowns for Eid celebrations banned, and restrictions on interstate travel staying in place

Sarawak believes that it will be able to rebuild its tourism sector within 18 months, with the focus being on domestic tourism and nearby countries such as Brunei and Singapore

MATTA wants the government to relook at travel restrictions, as well as introduce special certificates for places that adhere to health and safety requirements to boost traveller confidence

Sarawak state has announced a RM300 million stimulus package, with certain measures supporting tourism workers: • One-off cash payment of RM600 to licensed van operators • Special grant of RM1,500 to 145 tourist and park guides

Pahang state has seen a RM500 million income loss during the MCO (lockdown) period, with around 38,000 rooms unable to be filled. 1,000 tourism players in the state had been assisted with basic necessities and cash

Penang will focus on domestic tourism once the lockdown is eased

Tour bus operators, who together have 10,000 buses, are facing pressure to repay loans from their creditors. Operators are calling on loans to be restructured, as they are facing depreciation values and no demand

According to research by HVS, the Average Daily Rate (ADR) at Malaysian hotels fell by 11.8%, and the Revenue per Available Room (RevPAR) dropped by 69.4% in March YoY

Malacca expects it to take 2 years to rebuild its tourism. Future plans include opening more air routes to domestic and international destinations

Many of Malaysia’s states have questioned the relaxation of the national lockdown, and have decided to impose their own modified regulations or delay it altogether

Malaysia will begin to ease their lockdown (MCO) on 4 May, with many businesses allowed to reopen. However, some leisure and recreational activities will still not be allowed to open and schools will remain closed

The Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) has called for banks to simplify loan procedures for SMEs

Bank Negara has allocated RM5 billion for financing loans to SMEs to help them sustain operations and maintain jobs

The Health Ministry has hinted that border controls will not be lifted once the lockdown is lifted. This could take weeks or even “months”

Lockdown has been extended until 12 May, the 3rd extension

The Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry has asked travel industry stakeholders to create innovative domestic tourism programmes in rural areas and those less promoted. The ministry is also looking into online training and has asked for allowances to do so

Penang has established a special taskforce to generate a tourism strategy for recovery as tourism contribution is 49% of the state’s GDP

The Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) forecasts losses of RM3.3 billion in room revenue for H1 2020, and only a 30% average occupancy this year. Total losses due to room cancellations is RM75.7 million from Jan to Mar 2020, with the states of Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Sabah the worst affected. MAH have asked for further subsidies from the government

The Movement Control Order has been extended by 2 more weeks until April 28

31 hotels have been gazetted as quarantine centres

Tourism Malaysia plans to start promoting the country again from Sep 2020 and until then, focus will be on domestic tourism. It will co-organise virtual and physical fairs, and ask MICE organisers to hold events domestically, host fam trips and support tour operators

MATTA has welcomed the additional stimulus package for SMEs, saying “the new wage subsidy tiering will help to ease company cash flow problems and help retain more employees.”

An additional RM10 billion financial stimulus has been announced targeted at SMEs. Key measures include: • Wage subsidy of up to RM1,200 per employee for companies with less than 75 workers • Tax deductions for landlords to encourage rental reductions

The Malaysian government announced a new economic stimulus package valued at RM250 billion, including some support for the travel industry: • Monthly subsidy of RM600 for 3 months for companies who have had a drop of 50% in business since 1 Jan • RM4.5 billion for SME and micro entrepreneurs comprising of five initiatives

MATTA have expressed disappointment at the government’s new stimulus package, announced on 27 Mar. It said that “tourism-related businesses have indicated a possible downsizing of staff from anywhere between 70% and 90% over the coming few months to simply survive.”

The Visit Malaysia 2020 campaign has been cancelled

New targets for domestic tourism have been set by the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MOTAC): 92.8 million tourists with a spend of RM76.9 billion vs 2019's 85.2 million and RM68.5 billion respectively

The Malaysian government’s stimulus package details have been released, and will support the tourism industry with the following measures: • $4.75 billion USD relief package • Working capital fund for small and medium sized companies • Monthly cash aid for taxi drivers, tourist bus drivers • RM1,000 personal tax break for domestic spend • RM100 digital voucher to spend • Postponement of income tax payments, 15% discount in electricity bills for hotels, travel agents, airlines, shopping malls, convention centres • Malaysia Airports to cut rental for tenants, landing charges and parking fees at airports