Green wave puts tourism industry on red alert

[superadmin]

PETALING JAYA: Tourism industry players have a lot at stake in the Aug 12 state elections.

For them, a win by Perikatan Nasional (PN) in Penang, Selangor and Negeri Sembilan could lead to a decline in tourist arrivals, which is a major contributor to the nation’s gross domestic product (GDP).

In 2019, the year before travel restrictions were imposed in the war against Covid-19, Malaysia welcomed more than 26 million visitors who collectively spent RM86.14 billion in the country.

At the centre of the tourism industry’s worry is alcohol. The fear is that under a PN administration, there will be restrictions, if not a total ban, on the sale of alcoholic drinks.

Such restrictions would reduce Malaysia’s appeal as a holiday destination for foreign visitors, according to Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) president Christina Toh.

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