The Malaysian Association of Hotel Owners (MAHO) is trying hard to save the local hotel industry.
The association is reportedly appealing for the government to reopen borders across the country as well as allow hotels to take guests for accommodations and meetings.
MAHO is also requesting the government to provide wage subsidies without a maximum employee cap for hotels, as well as reducing bill charges for electricity, water, social security, and more.
With the country’s borders closed to international travellers, hotels have been relying solely on domestic tourism (and business meetings) to generate revenue.
However with the inter-district travel ban, many of these hotels are unable to generate any revenue even from local bookings.
This presents a very challenging outlook for hotels, considering many have already been in the red for months.
With travel bans lasting indefinitely, some of these hotels may meet the inevitable fate of having to close down.
Since 13 Jan 2021, 6 notable hotels have closed down across the country, with many more up for sale.
“Hotels suffered heavy losses last year, with some having to close down for good, resulting in termination of employees, while a number of hotels are still closed for an unspecified period, subject to recovery. Otherwise, many hotels are no longer able to sustain their business or survive any longer. We expect to see a number of hotels closing down”, mentioned MAHO president, Teo Chiang Hong.