AGHASTED with the slow action to revive the ailing tourism sector, the Malaysian Association of Tour & Travel Agents (Matta) presented a 37-point recommendation to Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri on Feb 19.
The presentation was made in view of the extraordinary uncertainty due to the evolution of the pandemic, the prolonged closure of borders and restrictive domestic travel within Malaysia which resulted in over 5,000 travel agents being badly hit and thousands of tourism vehicles left idle.
“We urge the Government to support the tourism sector now with ‘real action’ while we (the industry) makes preparation for a stronger, more sustainable come-back,” Matta president Datuk Tan Kok Liang pointed out.
“Our basic tourism industry infrastructure is so severely affected that tourism recovery is becoming an increasingly uphill task.”
The priorities for tourism recovery in Matta’s recommendations include financial assistance and liquidity to protect workers and SME (small and medium enterprise) travel agencies, urgent and essential government regulations and policy changes, public-private sector collaboration for an efficient re-opening, boosting domestic travel and leveraging on technologies under the new norm.”
According to Tan, the travel and tourism industry is vital in any functioning economy with many governments having put extraordinary measures in place to try and protect these businesses.
Immediate measures to revitalize the tourism industry will create a multiplier effect and bring relief to more than 510,000 establishments and SMEs in the various subsectors in the tourism sector” added Tan.
Below are summary of the 37 points in Matta’s recommendation:
Provide liquidity and Financial Assistance to Protect Workers and SMEs travel agencies.
- Wage Subsidy Programme: To extend the duration of the Wage Subsidy Programme till Sept 30 with an immediate revision to 50% wage subsidy for employees earning less than RM4,000 and 30% for salary above RM4,000.
- Loan moratorium: Automatic loan moratorium by financial institutions and credit companies to travel agency companies until Sept 30 Sep subject to review for further extension if necessary. There are companies that have been rejected for extension of loan moratorium under the movement control order (MCO 2.0) due to the targeted sectors approach now.
- Grant to travel agencies: A one-off grant of RM10,000 to travel agencies to defray essential payments such as renewal fees of utilities, insurance, regulatory fees, website and other overheads.
- Special loans: Travel agencies to be provided with a special loan with very low interest rate and a longer loan tenure for up to 10 years.
- Vaccination: Front office staff in a travel agency companies such as customer services staff, drivers, tour guides, tour leaders, boatmen, and other staff that deal directly with tourists to be given priority in the vaccination immunization program to restore tourist confidence. – Feb 26, 2021
