TOURISM and travel associations have been calling on the government to suspend the entry of tourists from China into the country until daily cases of Covid-19 there decrease.
Malaysia Tourism Agency Association president Datuk Dr Mohd Khalid Harun was reported to have said, “we are all aware that hospitals across China are facing explosions of Covid-19 cases following Beijing’s decision to withdraw their strict regulations”.
“The trauma faced by players in the tourism industry due to the Covid-19 outbreak has yet to be resolved. In fact, many travel agencies and hotels have been closed due to the virus incurring billions of ringgit in losses in the past two years”.
Such statements are indeed warranted if the government has been ignorant or indifferent to Covid-19 situations around the world or is dragging its feet to take preventive actions to safeguard our country.
But this is certainly not the case, and it would be pointless for the government to make any announcement without specifying its plans and actions. This is only possible after working out concrete actions and effective measures for implementation by respective agencies.
True enough, Health Minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa has already extended the declaration of “infected local areas” by another six months to June 30.
The declaration, which allows for the exercise of the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988, was supposed to expire at the end of last year. The gazette for the declaration was published on Dec 27.
Details of various measures to control local infections that can be transmitted by incoming foreign travellers and returning Malaysians have since been widely reported by both international and local media.
Hence, it is too hasty and inappropriate to call for entry suspension of foreign tourists by tourism or travel associations, as they can be perceived as hostile to foreign visitors or portrayed in a bad light by the foreign media.
If so, it would backfire badly on the local travel trade and tourism industry when large number of foreign tourists head towards friendlier countries that are more welcoming.
Tourism and travel associations ought to play a more meaningful role by focussing on helping its members to secure the much-needed business to survive and recovery of our tourism industry, such as introducing new tour packages and travel services that are wanted by locals.
But most are clueless, as they have announced nothing new over the past three years.
YS Chan
Master trainer for Mesra Malaysia and Travel and Tours Enhancement Course and an Asean Tourism Master Trainer. He is also a tourism and transport business consultant
