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BY ALISA AMINUDIN
THE Covid-19 outbreak brought the whole tourism industry to a halt as the Malaysian government and the rest of the world closed borders to stop the spread , resulting in significant productivity and business losses . As funding dried up , many hotels closed , travel agencies and other businesses folded .
The Malaysian Inbound Tourism Association ( MITA ), a non-government organisation consisting of about 3,000 inbound tour operators , adapted and adjusted to the new norm . Its members depended on the international rather than domestic market before the outbreak .
In January 2020 , MITA was prepared to welcome tourists during the Chinese New Year , primarily via the Singapore-Johor second link . They put up 400 mobile toilets to cater for tourists groups on about 300 buses .
“ But we barely received one bus on that day . So , it was a huge loss then ,” Uzaidi Udanis , the President of MITA , told @ HalalXtra .
In desperation , MITA members , especially those with families to support , ventured into online sales .
“ We had some members selling durians online in Indonesia ,” said Uzaidi , adding several halal foods that were also on the market , especially in China .
To ensure the tourism sector stayed afloat , MITA worked closely with the Ministry of Tourism , Arts and Culture ( MOTAC ) and other agencies . However , they had to depend on loans from leasing companies as the tourism sector was labelled as high risk .
MITA also engaged with the Ministry of Housing and Local Government and Ministry of Human Resource to recognise MITA members . For example , some of them were freelancers and did not have EPF and SOCSO .
One of the most affected was tour bus drivers who had to get by without an income for almost 20 months .
“ Their earnings are based on trips . The more trips they take on , the more the drivers earn . The drivers had always preferred it that way ,” said Uzaidi .
Clean , healthy and wholesome
In 2019 , the number of travellers was at its peak . Then , the pandemic hit .
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MITA is now working diligently to hit high figures when the borders open by raising the quality and diversity in Muslim-friendly tourism products .
The number of tourist arrivals and foreign receipts is expected to reach an all-time high , thus propelling Malaysia to the forefront of tourism .
Uzaidi noted the benchmark to promote Malaysia as a Muslim-friendly destination was cleanliness , a healthy environment and wholesomeness .
When it comes to Muslim-friendly tourism and hospitality development , Islamic Tourism Centre , an agency under the Ministry of Tourism , Arts and Culture , is a big advocate since 2009 , the year it was established .
MITA is enhancing their service through people ’ s recommendations and testimonies to meet the needs of Muslim and even non-Muslim tourists .
“ There are a lot of Muslim travellers
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The people of GCC countries and Central Asia are looking forward to visiting Malaysia not only for vacation but also seek opportunities to invest , buy houses and even sending their children to our colleges and universities .”— Uzaidi Udanis |
looking for Muslim-friendly places , and they want to be sure the hotels and environment are suitable for their family .”
On top of that , Uzaidi alerted local halal vendors to be conscious and sensitive about the packaging of food and food items . He said they must look attractive and presentable .
“ It ’ s just not about the product alone . Presentation is equally important ,” said Uzaidi , comparing Malaysia with Japan and Taiwan , which packaged food such that they were inviting .
Medical Tourism
He added medical tourism was another sector to leverage as most of Malaysia ’ s hospitals were Muslim-friendly . Education was another strength because Muslim families prefer to send their children to a Muslim country .
The lucrative China and India markets are targets too . Tourists from these countries are known to be big spenders .
Domestically , some States have moved on to Phase Three , and preferred destinations like Pulau Langkawi are now open . The island has been averaging about 3,000 visitors a day , but barely 20 per cent of hotel rooms are taken up .
“ Therefore , we need to find new niche activities in Langkawi . Perhaps , we can look more into Muslim activities ,” suggested Uzaidi , adding he was already working on some elements to add to Muslim travel packages .
Mosque Tourism
Every mosque has different architectural designs , and tourists can witness the spectacular creations of its interior , which features stunning geometric and alluring calligraphy .
MITA supported mosque tourism as an added attraction when the international borders open again and urged mosques to form a tourism subcommittee to welcome and engage with visitors .
Uzaidi also suggested creating a QR code . The tourists can access videos and stories of the mosque , and these should be available in multiple languages . It would be friendly and easy for tourists to understand the history of the mosques .
“ There are a lot of things we can improve . I ’ m looking forward to working with ITC .”
MITA wants to explore more of the market potential when the world starts travelling again . Muslim travellers , especially from the Middle East , have pent-up resources and funds they would like to use .
“ The people of GCC countries and Central Asia are looking forward to visiting Malaysia not only for a vacation but also to seek opportunities to invest , buy houses and even send their children to our colleges and universities ,” said Uzaidi .
He sees this as an opportunity to inject foreign capital into Malaysia ’ s economy instead of being upstaged by Indonesia and Thailand . – Xtra
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