By V. Sivaji
Two weeks after the Langkawi travel bubble was implemented, a quick check on the arrivals shows that there is “light at the end of the tunnel” for the hospitality industry there.
Although there has not been a drastic increase of arrivals or some prefer to call it “revenge tourism”, there is still hope for the hospitality sector.
The spinoff effect of this positive trend results in the spillover for local restaurants, malls, grab drivers, retail outlets, ferry operators, local airlines, tourist attractions and other related industries.
“Based on the numbers we are getting, there has been a constant and gradual number of arrivals.
“The Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MOTAC) and the Langkawi Development Authority (LADA) had arranged several promotional events to create awareness on the reopening of the island.
“With strict SOPs in place, so far, there is hope for a gradual recovery for the hospitality industry,” said Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH Kedah/Perlis) Chapter chairman, Eugene Dass to Penang Hyperlocal.
Dass added that when breaking down the occupancy numbers, the branded or chain hotels seem to have the lion’s share of the market.
“Maybe because these branded names have dedicated marketing resources and back up support along with attractive discounted rates and added benefits for their guests.
“Meanwhile, the 3-star hotels and below are experiencing an average of 15 – 20 per cent occupancy rates,” added Dass.
He also highlighted based on unconfirmed reports, there were only 10 Covid-19 cases detected at the departure halls at the airports and ferry terminal prior to their departure. That too was only on the first three days of the reopening.
Nevertheless, MOTAC is also keeping a close eye on the developments of the Langkawi travel bubble as they intend to open up more places like Cameron Highlands, Genting Highlands, Pulau Redang, Pulau Tioman and Pulau Pangkor from lessons learnt from Langkawi.
The success of Langkawi will be the pathway for the opening up of other tourist destinations in the country and hope for the livelihood of those dependent on the tourism industry.