Call to reopen state borders

Guests checking-in and getting their hand sanitised at the reception counter of a hotel in George Town.

The hotel industry across the country is hoping that the interstate travel ban will be totally lifted sooner than expected, with many operators saying they are at their wit’s end.

M Summit Group corporate communications manager Ng Su-Ann said it would be a big boost to hotel occupancy if the ban is lifted.

“A lot of people are waiting for state borders to open so that they can holiday away from their home states.

“We hope that by the time our hotel extension is completed at the end of this year, it will be just in time for the next tourism wave – the December holiday season.

“Bookings have started trickling in since the conditional movement control order, but at a very slow rate. We can barely hit 10% on weekends, ” she said.

Ng noted that people hardly stay in hotels in their own state.

“We have to really get innovative on how to woo staycationers with value-added programmes.

“For example, we came up with a Valentine’s Day package where they could have a romantic dinner for two in their own suite, ” she said.

Fortunately, the National Security Council has relaxed the rules as of Wednesday.

Folks in states under the recovery movement control order (MCO) can now join tours organised by licensed travel agents to states that are also under the recovery MCO.

They must travel in licensed tour buses with strict Covid-19 precautions and cannot drive to those states on their own accord for getaways.

Malaysian Association of Hotels Penang chapter chairman Raj Kumar said fully lifting the ban before its March 18 expiry date would be vital for the tourism industry.

“We are hopeful that if the number of Covid-19 cases goes down, they might lift the interstate travel ban and we can have tourists from other states.

“With people here now being vaccinated, it is even better, ” he said.

As for the occupancy rate since the lifting of the inter-district travel ban, Raj said it was still too early to get feedback on whether business has picked up.

“There was not much business this past weekend. We expect to see improvement in the following weeks, ” he said.

Malaysian Association of Hotels national vice-president Khoo Boo Lim said they were eager to see the interstate travel ban lifted as many hotels depend on domestic tourists.

“There have been bookings as many Penangites want to get out of their home but they will eventually stop, ” he said.

In Johor Baru, hotel associations in the state are also hoping that interstate travel and tourism will save the industry.

Malaysian Budget Hotel Association Johor chapter chairman Jarod Chia said the only way to rescue the industry would be reopening the border with Singapore.

“Hotels in the state depend on the tourists who come across the Causeway, especially here in Johor Baru.

“Currently, hotels in the city centre are operating at 8-10% capacity, which is a very dangerous sign, ” he said when contacted yesterday.

“Inter-district travel does not have as huge an impact. Only those who travel across states look for places to stay, ” he said.

The association has also proposed to the government to list hotels in the city centre as “quarantine hotels” as a short-term solution.

“The Health Ministry or department can send their officers to come and check the patients here on a regular basis.

“But at the same time, transforming a hotel into a quarantine centre means we also have to spend on the transformation process, ” he said, adding that the suspension of the Reciprocal Green Lane pact with Singapore on Feb 1 had also affected the hotel business.

Malaysian Association of Hotels Johor chapter chairman Ivan Teo concurred, saying hotels were now focusing on wooing the corporate sector into conducting meetings at their facilities.

“Our focus now is more on local businesses, associations and agencies that are looking for places to have their meetings.

“But the gatherings are still conducted at 50% capacity, ” he said, adding that bookings for rooms were still low as visitors preferred to go home after such meetings.

Yeo, however, said there had been a steady increase in wedding bookings after the recovery movement control order was announced.

“So far, these are the two functions that we are focusing on, but such activities are conducted on a smaller scale to adhere to the SOP, ” he said.