PUTRAJAYA, July 3 ― The government will review the need to retain the tourism tax to ensure that it would not affect tourist arrivals to the country, said Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Mohamaddin Ketapi.
He said the flat rate of RM10 per room per night charged on foreign tourist needed to be reviewed to determine whether it was reasonable or too high.
“Yes (we will review) because we want to attract tourists, we need to find a method that can be accepted by them and will make it easier for them to visit Malaysia.
“If we have the tax too high, people will not want to visit the country, but if we impose a moderate tax or even an acceptable tax more people will come,” he told his first press conference as a minister here today.
The tourism tax, which came into effect on Sept 1, 2017, charging a flat rate of RM10 per room per night on foreigners staying in hotels or registered private accommodation.
Meanwhile, Mohamaddin, who is also Silam MP, said the ministry would be organising a competition to design a new logo for the Visit Malaysia Year campaign.
Mohamaddin said he would seek Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad's view whether to retain the Visit Malaysia Year 2020 or to choose another year.
“That logo is for 2020 but if we change the year, we also need to change the logo. The existing logo is beautiful but we may be able to get more beautiful logo (through the competition),” he said.
Earlier, Mohamaddin arrived at the ministry at 8.04am before starting his first day by attending a briefing with the management staff of the ministry and its agencies.
He was among 13 ministers and 23 deputy ministers who took their oath of office, allegiance and secrecy before the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Sultan Muhammad V, at Istana Negara yesterday. ― Bernama
