Malaysian Association of Hotels chief executive officer Yap Lip Seng says some popular local destinations enjoyed high hotel occupancy rates due to the people’s desire to go on holiday coupled with recent public holidays and long weekends.“Popular destinations are Langkawi, Penang, Port Dickson, parts of the East Coast, Ipoh and Genting Highlands.
“Similarly last year, when the interstate travel ban was lifted in December, hotels saw a surge in bookings for Christmas and New Year holidays.But with only the domestic market to work with, he says business is still limited at lower spending power, with demand fluctuating between weekdays and weekends.
“These are the ones driving business to the high end hotels and resorts now. But once international borders reopen, they may shift back to their preferred international destinations,” he says. “Part of MAH’s Clean & Safe Malaysia hygiene and safety independent certification label for example, on top of strict SOPs in all areas of the hotel, also includes contingency and isolation plans in the event of any detected cases.On the question of Covid-19, Yap says Malaysia should shift its focus on daily figures to transitioning into an endemic stage where we live with the coronavirus.
“We must learn to live with Covid-19 and learn how to minimise its spread through data centres, or reference points for the data on active Covid-19 cases for tourism operators.