With the hospitality industry going through some tough times, it was a refreshing sight when the State Tourism and Creative Economy Exco visited them personally and brought some much needed cheer and encouragement.
With many hotels having to resort to setting up roadside stalls to sell takeaway food items just to sustain themselves, the visit was timely.
Among the hotels visited by State Exco, Yeoh Soon Hin was the Red Rock Hotel, Cititel Hotel and Hotel Royal to meet hotel employees and management in their effort to sell affordable roadside food during MCO2.0.
Yeoh also bought some 100 sets of meals bought from Hotel Royal which was later presented to inmates of The Lighthouse here.
“The needy and vulnerable communities in Penang require our attention and empowerment.
In an effort to contribute and provide, we have presented The Lighthouse with a cheque and donated 100 sets of meals,” said Yeoh adding that it served to support the underprivileged and also the hotel industry simultaneously.
“F&B operations for takeaways are one of the permissible operations allowed during this MCO2.0 and hotels have turned to this as an alternative to generate some form of revenue.
“I appeal to the general public to support their efforts, as every packet of food you buy will help the respective hotels to sustain the employment of the staff involved in the hospitality industry during this challenging period,” he urged.
He also added that the Penang State Exco office is continuously working to promote the recovery even during MCO through digital means.
“The physical activities of tourism may be halted but the promotional and outreaching efforts are being continued.
“It is a continuous challenge to sustain their livelihoods during Covid-19 and the Penang State Government seizes opportunity whenever possible to deploy measures to mitigate the impact of the pandemic and better sustain the industry in long term.
“These are tough times for the hotel and tourism industry as a whole, and domestic support will be key to keep this industry going in months to come with the lifting of international travelling restrictions remaining unknown.
“One thing for certain is that domestic tourism would become a pillar in times ahead as the market for domestic tourism will recover faster and will offer the growth needed to help the industry to recover and rebound faster,” said Yeoh.
