KUCHING: The state’s Tourism Ministry and its counterpart in Sabah will be meeting on 4 July to discuss issues pertaining to the tourism tax.
Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports, Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah told reporters this during his Hari Raya Aidilfitri open house held at Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka here yesterday.
With the tax scheduled to be implemented on 1 August, Karim said that the meeting would mostly discuss how it should be implemented.
“Hotels and the other tourism industry players are now aware of the tax implementation and ready for it.
“I’ve met with members of the Malaysian Hotel Association (Sarawak Chapter) who voiced their thoughts on the problems that would rise.
“I was shocked when they told me they did not receive any memo or information on the tourism tax from the ministry until the media carried the stories.
“Regarding the 3,000 Chinese tourists, it is true as not all of them would want to come to Sarawak. Many of them wanted to go to West Malaysia.
“When they heard of the tax that would be imposed, they changed their mind and travelled elsewhere.
“Yes, it affects the state tourism as well.
“What is worst is that it gives bad publicity to Malaysia,” said Karim.
