SEREMBAN, Feb 28 (Bernama) — The RM20 billion Economic Stimulus Package 2020 announced yesterday is indeed good news for tourism industry players amid the current political turmoil that has hit the country.

It is also a timely shot in the arm for the sector following the shortage of foreign tourist arrivals in the midst of the COVID-19 infection.

Chairman of Negeri Sembilan chapter of Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) Haziz Hassan told Bernama that interim Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s announcement was in line with the association’s wish to strengthen domestic tourism, to cushion the impact of the shortage in foreign tourists.

“In fact, the tourism target for Negeri Sembilan dropped by 30 to 40 per cent from the one set initially.  As a result of the COVID-19 infection, not only foreign tourists have stopped coming, but local tourists are also scared to come.

“As of February, 35,000 room bookings, specifically those involving Chinese and Korean nationals have been cancelled, and this has resulted in Negeri Sembilan MAH suffering losses of about RM12 million,” he said.

The stimulus package announced yesterday has three main strategies, namely mitigating impact of COVID-19, spurring rakyat-centric economic growth and promoting quality investment.

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