Due to the coronavirus crisis which is affecting the economies in the region, the Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) has rescheduled the MATTA Fair to 1-3 May 2020.
The reason of postponement is due to the adverse effects that recent travel bans and negative public perception caused by indiscriminate social media postings pertaining to the coronavirus have had on the Malaysian tour and travel trade.
According to MATTA President Datuk Tan Kok Liang, the decision was made after discussions with industry partners both locally and abroad, coupled with events which unfolded in the travel space that has caused weak forward booking trends by customers who are preferring to delay making travel plans until the current global situation shows signs of returning to normalcy.
Despite the inconvenience, the deferment received support and encouragement from their exhibitors, sponsors and trade partners. In the meantime, MATTA will be working very closely with all their participating industry partners to create greater opportunities in preparation for the upcoming Fair.
“History has shown that our travel industry has proven to be very resilient and that Malaysians are an adventurous and hardy lot who won’t stop travelling, added Tan. Furthermore, the team is working very hard with industry partners to put together irresistible travel deals in anticipation of a bounce-back in the market.”
More than 200 exhibitors, ranging from National Tourism Organisations, State Tourism Offices, travel agencies, airlines, theme parks, cruise lines and hotels have registered their participation in the MATTA Fair.
MATTA is also looking into other exciting initiatives to satiate Malaysians’ love for travel even during this difficult period in time.
