Malaysia

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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%

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

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

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

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 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

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

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

Brunei visitors to Malaysia have dropped 78.4% in H1 2020

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 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

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

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

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

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

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.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 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

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

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

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

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

Penang is aiming to be the top domestic destination in Malaysia

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

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”

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

All cultural year-end activities will be cancelled in Penang

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

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

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

Malaysia hopes to finalise arrangements for daily commuting with Singapore soon

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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%

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

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

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 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

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 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

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

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

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

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

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 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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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)."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 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

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

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

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%

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 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 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 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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 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

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

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

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

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

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 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 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 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 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 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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 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

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

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

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

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

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

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.”

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 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

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