GEORGE TOWN – Tourism authorities need to intervene now to keep the country’s premier hotels from collapsing due to the pandemic, said former Tourism Malaysia director-general Datuk Seri Mirza Mohammad Taiyab Beg.
Mirza, who is now Association of Ex-Staff of Tourism Malaysia chairman, told The Vibes that premier hospitality properties are invaluable assets for the country’s turnaround plan post-Covid.
His comments come on the back of more hotels closing down either temporarily or permanently in Penang, with some 1,000 hoteliers expected to be affected.
Just 48 hours after the Equatorial Hotel in Penang announced it would be closing by March 31, Shangri-La's Rasa Sayang Resort & Spa and Golden Sands Resort said it will offer employees a voluntary separation scheme.
The Courtyard by Marriott Penang and the St Giles Wembley Penang are reportedly eyeing temporary shutdown and planning to ask staffers to take a pay cut and no-pay leave.
“The hotels that are closing down temporarily or permanently are international brands. Word gets around and the travel trade overseas may lose confidence in our ability to be a top-notch inbound destination. We need to reclaim the Malaysia Truly Asia mantle,” Mirza said.
Once such properties close, it will take a while to revive them to their original standing, he said.
“We cannot afford a capital flight from the tourism sector. It is a major employer.”
Mirza suggested that shared rental applications, homestays and illegal chalets be regulated so that they do not unfairly compete with five-star properties.
And, new incentives should be drawn up to allow existing properties to continue operating, he added.
“Tourism cannot prosper in the new normal. While we pray and hope for normality to return, we cannot be inflicting damage to our tourism resources.
“We must find a way to rescue our premier brands and properties as they hire and create a lot of jobs.” – The Vibes, January 28, 2021
