Hoteliers in Sarawak are urging Abdul Karim’s intervention.
THE Malaysia Budget and Business Hotel Association (MyBHA) is prepared to meet Sarawak Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Minister Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah to provide broader insights into issues faced by hotel entrepreneurs in the state.
MyBHA president Sri Ganesh Michiel said its members had been affected by a failure to regulate online travel agencies and short-term rental accommodation.
He hoped that the meeting would enable Abdul Karim to bring up the issues to the relevant authorities instead of simply stating that they were not under his jurisdiction.
“We appreciate the hard work of the Sarawak Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Ministry in organising nearly 200 events a year.
“But it is their responsibility to ensure that tourist arrivals benefit licensed entrepreneurs in the tourism industry, rather than short-term rental accommodation providers who are not regulated or licensed,” Ganesh said in a statement.
He was responding to Abdul Karim’s recent comments that the regulation of short-term rental accommodation and online travel agencies did not come under his ministry’s purview.
Abdul Karim had said the licensing of accommodation providers came under the state’s local authorities while travel agencies were licensed by the Federal Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry.
Ganesh also urged Abdul Karim to request the relevant authorities to regulate short-term rental accommodation in order to protect licensed hotel entrepreneurs.
“We do not oppose the Sarawak government’s focus on attracting investors to build new hotels, but it is unfair to allow unlicensed short-term rental accommodation to proliferate unchecked, as this will directly impact hotel investors’ interest in Sarawak,” he said.
He added that if these concerns were not addressed, hotel entrepreneurs would either have to shut down their business or raise their rates to ensure business sustainability.
“We urge Abdul Karim and the relevant authorities to promptly assist budget hotel entrepreneurs, especially in Sarawak, in ensuring the continuity of their business,” Ganesh reiterated.
