Hoteliers in Malaysia welcome hotel stay for fully vaccinated people

Covid-19 restrictions were eased from Aug 10 for those who have been fully vaccinated, and living in states that are already in Phase Two of the NRP. — GLENN GUAN/The Star

The relaxation announced for fully vaccinated people has been hailed by tourism stakeholders in the country. Many in the heavily battered travel sector heaved a sigh of relief when Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin made the announcement recently.

Beginning Aug 10, tourism activities involving homestays and hotels within the same state was allowed. This, however, only applies to states under Phase Two (and above) of the National Recovery Plan.

The relaxation is a significant step forward not just for the tourism industry but also the country, said Malaysian Association of Hotels chief executive officer Yap Lip Seng.

"It bears commitment from the government to transition the country from the state of pandemic to accepting Covid-19 as endemic," he said in a statement.

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According to Yap, the hospitality industry can now at least plan for the future with a silver lining in sight.

"While these are relatively small progressive steps especially for the tourism industry, the industry can now prepare itself for an impending reopening," he said.

Food for thought

During his special address, Muhyiddin said the Covid-19 digital vaccination certification will be used to verify an individual's immunisation status to the authorities.

"Homestay and hotel operators must ensure that those patronising their premises must show the digital Covid-19 certification to prove that they are fully vaccinated," he added.

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Dine-ins at restaurants or cafes at clubhouse premises will be also be allowed and customers must show their digital vaccination certificate to verify immunisation status.

At the same time, Muhyiddin cautioned that the loosened restrictions did not mean Malaysians can ignore SOP to curb Covid-19.

"The government will not hesitate to retract all the loosened restrictions announced if there is non-compliance with the SOP," Muhyiddin warned.Yap assured that hotels will take all the necessary actions to ensure SOP is adhered to.

"The overall high compliance of SOP by hotels is an added assurance to the general public that it is safe to dine and even stay whether it is just for a short staycation or for any other travel purposes," he said, adding that allowing dine-in at restaurants is expected to benefit hotels too, and not just independent restaurants or cafes.

Yap highlighted initiatives such as ventilation, airflow and seating arrangements as part of safety and health guidelines for restaurants within hotels.

Boosting morale

Since the start of the pandemic last year, the overall Malaysian tourism industry has already lost RM100bil in total.It was also recently reported that the hospitality industry loses an estimated RM300mil for every two weeks of closure during ongoing travel restrictions.

It is estimated that at least 120 hotels in Malaysia have shuttered.A recent survey by the Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) revealed that a huge majority of hospitality workers (63.13%) in Malaysia have been put on unpaid leave.

ALSO READ: More hotels in Malaysia will shut down before they're allowed to reopen again

The relaxation for fully vaccinated people provided hotel operators some good news during these trying times, said Malaysia Budget Hotel and Business Association (MyBHA) president Emmy Suraya Hussein.

"We have been waiting for this announcement for a long while. Hotel operators is among the most affected by the start of the pandemic," she said in a statement.

According to Emmy, the news will no doubt boost the morale of many of those who are employed in the travel and hospitality industry.

"The announcement gave a ray of hope for hoteliers to continue surviving," she said. Emmy also called on hotel operators nationwide to ensure that their workers are fully vaccinated as preparation to receive guests again.

Individuals are considered fully vaccinated 14 days after receiving the second dose of either the Pfizer, AstraZeneca or Sinovac vaccines, and 28 days after being jabbed with the single-dose Johnson & Johnson or CanSino vaccines.