KOTA KINABALU: Tourism industry players, who are impacted by the Covid-19 outbreak, are expected to get a shot in the arm to help boost growth.
Tourism and Culture Minister Datuk Mohammadin Ketapi said the government had taken serious note of the industry's problems, including loss of income and profit following the temporary travel ban against tourists from China.
"We have had a series of meetings with the industry players and have been listening to their problems of losing income and profit. We have also met the Finance Minister.
"We are still collecting information (from those affected). We will come in to assist industry players via stimulus packages. Assistance to help them will be coming soon. I don't know how soon, but it will be soon," he said.
Mohammadin was speaking to reporters at a press conference after the launch of Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA)'s Adventure Travel Mart and Conference here today.
He was responding to question whether government would provide stimulus package following tourism players' call for the government to step in and assist them during these tough times.
One of the problems faced by the tourism players, Mohammadin said, involved the hotel industry which was experiencing a decline between 10 and 30 per cent.
"Many inbound as well as outbound flights are cancelled. If I'm not mistaken, 5,000 groups have cancelled (travel to Sabah). We have decided to look into the matter in depth so we can assist those who are affected," he said.
This, he said, would include requesting banks to give industry players a greater flexibility in terms of loan payment.
Mohammadin also stressed Malaysia as well as other countries were doing well in managing the Covid-19 outbreak crisis, pointing out the government had not estricted travellers from coming into Malaysia except those from several places in China.
He reiterated Malaysia's target for 2020 tourist arrival would remain at 30 million.
Meanwhile, PATA chief executive officer Dr Mario Hardy stressed on the importance of balancing source market to make sure a country's tourism would not rely solely on a single source.
"A critical point is that most destinations including Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore are focusing on tourist arrival from China because it is the number one outbound market.
"Having balance portfolio helps to mitigate what we are facing today. This is the greatest lesson that we all, as destinations, can learn from this (Covid-19 outbreak). That's how we rebalance to have mixed portfolio of source market to come forward," he said.