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'Covid-19 shuttering hotels in Langkawi'

LANGKAWI: The ban on inter-district and interstate travel to contain the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in 23 hotels here closing down.

Out of the figure, eight were three-star hotels, where 15 others were budget hotels and homestays.

Malaysia Association of Hotels (MAH) Chairman for Kedah and Perlis said the closure of hotels was unavoidable due to the lack of tourists.

On the whole, there are 37 hotels in Langkawi under MAH and eight of them were forced to close as they were unable to meet the operational costs.

"Maybe the figure is much more as several hotels facing a similar predicament have not officially informed the association," he said.

Malaysian Budget Hotel Association (MyBHA) Chairman, Datuk Noorazly Rosly said only budget hotels managed by their respective owners have the staying power.

"This is because the work of cleaning, tidying the rooms and operating the hotel are done by family members themselves without hiring employees.

"If the ban on interstate travel continues, many budget hotel entrepreneurs have to give up and change to other ventures to earn a living."

The two associations said this after signing a memorandum urging the Prime Minister to save the Langkawi tourism industry.

The memorandum was also signed by 24 representatives of non-governmental-organisations representing the hotel sector, retail, duty-free, tourism products as well as transportation.

Among the contents of the memorandum include urging the government to allow the movement of tourists from green zones to Langkawi and hotel accommodation subsidies.

Also, they requested the government to extend the loan moratorium until Dec 31 and reduce the stay for tax relief to 24 hours, compared to the current 48 hours.

The memorandum also urged the government to reconsider the proposal by the Finance Minister in the 2021 Budget to impose taxation on cigarette and tobacco products from April 1.

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