The Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) commends the Penang State Government on its commitment to address the urgent needs of the state tourism and travel industry to overcome challenges by setting up Penang Tourism Economy Recovery Advisory Board (PETERAB) and Penang Aid Package 2.0. Penang, which is a first, for a Malaysia’s state.
In a statement, MATTA President Tan Kok Liang said they are pleased with the appointment of one of their Past Presidents, Hamzah Rahmat, to the PETERAB Board and the introduction of RM10 million Penang Business Continuity Zero Interest Loan allocation, catered to eligible registered Penang based travel and tour companies.
MATTA said the appointment of Hamzah Rahmat, itself signifies the important role and function of the association in the past, as well as the continuous contribution for the benefit and interest of the tourism and travel industry in Malaysia.
“By ensuring and supporting the travel and tourism industry to recover first would mean to activate the spin-off of micro economies that supported it. Hence, the impact from the tremendous growth of tourism and travel industry in Penang will be an eye opener, creating curiosity to the domestic as well as the international market. It will be a double whammy for Penang,” Tan said.
Tan concluded by saying that the mindset of legislators needs to be changed by prioritising domestic tourism as it is crucial to recover first and borders to be opened soonest to kickstart the country’s economy.
