GEORGE TOWN, April 27 — The Penang chapter of the Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) wants the state government to provide some travel incentives to visitors after the tourism industry here suffered a drastic drop in business due to the global Covid-19 pandemic and the subsequent nationwide implementation of the movement control order (MCO).

"We expect tourism to be one of the last industries to pick up, so I’d like to propose to the state government to provide some travel incentives to visitors so that Penang will be the first choice of destination for them,” MAH Penang chapter chairman Khoo Boo Lim said in a statement here today.

He said MAH also welcomed the consideration made by the Penang government to look into the waiver of hotel fees on guests as announced during the recent Penang Tourism Roundtable Discussion as well as all positive initiatives made by the state government to alleviate the burden shared by the tourism players amid the pandemic. 

"As the Penang hotel industry has also experienced a drastic impact caused by the outbreak, we would welcome any support and exemptions to aid its recovery,” he said.

Meanwhile, in a separate statement, state Tourism, Arts, Culture and Heritage Committee chairman Yeoh Soon Hin clarified that the commencement period for the waiver of the fees was still under review since no travelling was allowed during the MCO period.

 "We work closely with tourism industry players, and the MAH Penang chapter had suggested for the fees imposed by the state government to be waived following an agreement by the Kedah state to waive Langkawi hotel room fees,” he said.

The hotel fees imposed on all guests by the Penang government, effective June 1, 2014, was RM3 per room per night for four-star and five-star hotels and RM2 per room per night for three-star hotels and below, including all dormitories, budget hotels, hostels and guest houses.

He said the state would work with all tourism players and stakeholders so as to deliver an adequate and desirable environment to revive the industry at the most opportune moment. — Bernama