Address issues affecting tour operators, travel agents, ministry urged
KUALA LUMPUR: Tourism rules and regulations must be reviewed and modernised to keep up with the fast-evolving business landscape.
Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (Matta) president Datuk Tan Kok Liang said the Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry should look into funding for the tour and travel industry for the digital economy, and must address issues affecting industry players.
“The ministry could also look into providing incentives for tourism development and visafree policies for key markets.
“It is crucial for the ministry to address issues affecting tour operators and travel agents, and scrutinise tourism licensing regulations, which are not in tandem with business practices,” he told the New Straits Times.
Among the issues plaguing the industry, he said, were illegal travel agents on social media, touting, foreign-owned travel agencies in Malaysia and crossborder transportation.
Tan said the government should solve the problems and review current practices to eliminate loopholes that could result in fraudulent activities.
When asked about his hopes for the tourism industry, Tan said Matta was looking forward to a “healthier and sustainable tourism environment”.
He said Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Mohammadin Ketapi’s support for collaboration with Matta had created favourable conditions to boost tourist arrivals in Malaysia.
“It is important to strike a balance and ensure that everyone has a level playing field to remain competitive.
“Mohammadin’s attentiveness to collaborate actively with Matta has allowed us to organise effective domestic and overseas promotions through sales missions to China, India, Asean and European countries,” said Tan, adding that Mohammadin had been proactive in his engagements with industry players.
Meanwhile, Malaysian Budget Hotel Association secretary-general Denis Ong hoped for a level playing ground for hotel operators, adding that the ministry was not doing enough for the trade thus far.
“The current scenario, for budget hotels especially, is on an unfair playing ground. There are short-stay accommodations, such as AirBnB, that hurt the budget hotel industry.
“We have one that’s paying tax, and another that isn’t. We hope negotiations about this matter will be sped up,” he said.
He said last year, Malaysia was the only Asean country that showed a decline in tourist arrivals.
“In Vietnam, or even Singapore, where the currency is nearly triple (when compared with the ringgit), they showed doubledigit growth.
“We need to come up with innovative products to attract more tourists… (Maybe) something as simple as a sampan ride, if you make it interesting, you can attract tourists.”
Ong urged industry players to come together and work towards sustainable growth for the country’s tourism.
He said the government must ensure that the country’s infrastructure was ready and in place to attract more tourists ahead of Visit Malaysia Year 2020.
“We held a few dialogues with Mohammadin before and had highlighted our requests and concerns about growth (in the industry). He took note of our grouses. I’m glad that he is working on them.”