How Malaysian tour operators are keeping tourists safe amid Covid-19 fear

A Malaysia Airports employee wearing a protective face mask at the KL International Airport. — SAMSUL SAD/Bloomberg

The Visit Malaysia 2020 (VM2020) campaign started with a bang, literally, when fireworks and drone formations welcomed the launch of the tourism campaign at the historic Dataran Merdeka in Kuala Lumpur, at the start of the year. But that jubilant tone is now dampened by the current Covid-19 coronavirus crisis, which has affected the tourism industry globally.

In Malaysia, local tour operators are facing over 3,000 tour group cancellations. And according to the Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH), room cancellations have picked up since the Chinese New Year holidays, when the Chinese government issued a ban on its citizens from booking overseas tours, flights and hotels.