PETALING JAYA: An anticipated influx of tourists from China may seem like good news, but the tourism sector is ill-prepared to take advantage, say industry players.
They said the government should do more to build a sustainable and resilient tourism economy.
Malaysia Inbound Chinese Association president Datuk Dr Angie Ng said Malaysian airlines, tour bus operators, hotels and restaurants are not yet ready for a surge in foreign tourists, pointing out manpower issues in particular.
“With hotels still facing a manpower shortage, some have even asked their guests to check in only after dinner.
“How can we explain this to guests?” she said.
She added that many restaurants that closed as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic have not reopened.
The industry also faces the difficulty of hiring experienced tour bus drivers, said Ng.
“Some of them are working as ehailing drivers.”
Ng also called on the government to ease the visa-on-arrival facility for Chinese tourists coming to Malaysia.
“The government should bring back the online visa system for faster and convenient entry,” she added.After nearly three years of strict pandemic border curbs, China is set to scrap quarantine measures for overseas arrivals starting Jan 8.
Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) vice-president Lim Choong Sean, however, said the situation with regard to the workers’ shortage has somewhat improved.
“Although it’s not at full strength, there’s enough staff to handle the workload,” he said, adding that hotels are currently facing a 30% staff shortage.
“It is not seriously affecting operations, though,” he said.
MAH Johor chapter chairman Ivan Teo said during the December public holidays, hotels have been well-occupied and have barely enough staff to cope.
He said the hotels’ contingency measures included actively recruiting people since April.
“We managed to hire locals and also take in part-time workers to cope with peak periods,” he added.
