LANGKAWI – A tourism trade leader has called on tourists to utilise the services of travel agents when touring to prevent them from being cheated or misled by profiteers, after a group of 11 diners was charged more than RM1,700 for dinner that included a fried sea bass here.
Langkawi Businesses Association deputy president Datuk Issac Alexander said travel agents act as a “screener” of tourism products and services to prevent profiteering and cheating.
Eatery operators may at times unintentionally display prices that can be confusing, he added.
For example, seafood is sold by weight rather than per piece.
“It can be misleading if the consumer is not well informed. Miscommunication tends to happen when, at times, the seller is amenable to bargaining, whereas the consumer may be ill informed when seeking for a good deal.”
When such miscommunication occurs, it reflects badly on tourism, and the operator may garner a bad reputation for being pricey, he told The Vibes.
Appointing travel agents or guides to draw up packages that can be tailored to the needs of the tourists is the best option, he said, adding that the agents are only supposed to charge a nominal fee and the charges should not burden tourists.
He also hopes that tourists can be reasonable when negotiating prices, citing a personal experience of someone who paid RM150 for a sea cruise, thinking it was for renting an entire boat.
“The RM150 fee was for one person, and we needed a group of travellers to meet operating costs,” said Alexander, who manages the Tropical Charters cruise services here.
He said many tourism services and product providers have lowered their prices to accommodate domestic travellers, while hoping that quantity over a sustained period can help offset additional costs.
While tourism is allowed, there is a new normal enforced by the health authorities by limiting dining, constant sanitisation, and to always ensure physical distancing, while tourists are required to wear masks when out in public.
This will contribute to higher operating costs that the travel trade community must absorb for now, said Alexander.
Meanwhile, the restaurant owner – who was accused on social media of profiteering – has defended her billing.
Sas Rimba owner Norasyikin Musa questioned the customer’s real motive behind the posting, because he had apparently agreed to pay for the 11-year-old fish that weighed more than 7kg, after being informed of the price.
“I really did not expect someone would do such a thing, after he picked the fish from the aquarium and agreed to the charge,” she said, adding that officials from the district domestic trade and consumer affairs enforcement division had visited her premises here yesterday.
The issue had gone viral and ignited a debate, with some siding with the consumer, and some with the operator. – The Vibes, November 6, 2021
