Malaysia’s Diverse Tourism Market Can Cushion Impact Of Middle East Conflict -- Hotels' Association

By Abdul Hamid A Rahman

KUALA LUMPUR, March 9 (Bernama) -- Malaysia’s diverse tourism market and growing sustainability focus within the hotel industry are expected to help cushion the impact of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East on the country’s tourism sector.

Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) chief executive officer Isaac Mohan Raj said while the geopolitical situation in the Middle East has resulted in flight cancellations and temporary airport closures in parts of the region, Malaysia’s tourism and hospitality sectors remain resilient due to their broad visitor base.

bootstrap slideshow

“Because this just happened, the Middle East conflict… now a lot of flights are cancelled and a few airports are closed. So, we do not see the effect fully yet; maybe it will take some time, and also depends on how long this war goes on,” he told Bernama in an interview today.

However, he noted that Malaysia’s tourism sector has historically demonstrated resilience in the face of global disruptions.

“Malaysia’s tourism market is resilient because we have gone through SARS, COVID-19 and all that. Malaysia is still a safe and welcoming destination.

bootstrap slideshow

“Our country’s tourism industry could adjust travel patterns and tap into markets less affected by the Middle East airspace disruptions, particularly within Southeast and East Asia,” he said.

He said Malaysia can offer alternative destinations that are safe and accessible for Southeast Asia where tourists don’t have to fly through the Middle East airspace.

According to him, Malaysia’s key source markets remain largely unaffected by the current tensions, including Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, Brunei, China and India.

“These top markets are not affected, and people still want to travel. So, they may look at destinations closer to home, including Malaysia,” he said.

He added that Malaysia’s strong position as a Muslim-friendly destination could also enhance its appeal to travellers seeking alternative holiday destinations.

“Compared to some countries, Malaysia is one of the safest destinations for Muslim travel. We are a halal hub with Muslim-friendly accommodation standards,” he said.

Meanwhile, Isaac said sustainability is becoming a key priority for Malaysia’s hotel industry as international travellers increasingly favour environmentally responsible accommodation.

Citing a global survey by online travel platform Booking.com, he said about 80 per cent of international travellers are now sustainability-conscious when choosing hotels.

“When travellers enter a hotel today, they want to see that it is sustainable. They don’t want plastic bottles, they don’t want plastic packaging for amenities, and they want to see less food wastage,” he said.

He said Malaysian hotels are gradually adopting greener practices, including reducing plastic use, digitalising guest services and implementing waste management systems.

“Now you go to many hotels and you won’t see plastic bottles anymore; they are using glass bottles. In rooms, the big printed compendiums are no longer there — everything is digitalised,” he said.

Isaac acknowledged that the industry is still in the early stages of sustainability adoption but noted that awareness among hotels is increasing.

“I would say we are in the infancy stage, but the awareness is already there. Many hotels have already started taking steps towards ESG. Sustainability adoption is expected to become more widespread in the coming years as regulatory requirements take effect.

“Malaysia has put an act whereby by 2030 there will be stronger sustainability requirements. So, by then we can see more adoption as the tourism industry will also need to report on the carbon footprint,” he added.

-- BERNAMA