Sarawak tourism reopens at slow pace

Except for hotels and restaurants, other sectors including national parks were still closed while those allowed to resume operations are under strict Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).

Random checks by Bernama found that some hotels remained closed, while others apparently were still busy trying to comply with the SOPs to curb the spread of COVID-19.

The Kuching International Airport looked quieter than usual, except for local travellers.

Malaysian Association of Hotels Sarawak Chapter chairman Ibrahim Nordin told Bernama that overall the hotel industry in Sarawak was still running slow at an occupancy rate of between eight and nine per cent, compared to the average 30 per cent before the Movement Control Order (MCO) period.

"Some hotels chose to remain closed due to poor demand and the situation was even worse in April and May where the occupancy rates were zero, except for hotels gazetted as quarantine centres where the occupancy rates were about 60 per cent," he said.

Ibrahim said for this initial stage of the reopening, the state's hospitality industry was looking at the domestic leisure market which could benefit beach resorts.

"We are depending on the airlines to operate daily flights by next week when the cost of airfares is normal," he said, adding that there were some indications of reservations coming in rather slowly effective next week.

According to him, business recovery would take between six months and two years, and if the market continued to be weak, some hotels would choose to stop operations indefinitely or continue their temporary closures.

Meanwhile, Grand Margherita Hotel general manager Mark Furgeson said the 288-room hotel reopened to paying room guests on June 10, with only one guest checking in but it had steadily increased to 12 rooms last night. He said they are expecting a few local groups this month.

He said the Riverside Majestic Hotel (Puteri Wing and Astana Wing), which is in the same group of hotels as Grand Margherita, is still housing persons under surveillance (PUS) quarantine guests and therefore unable to accept paying customers.

"Except for the bars, the restaurants at Grand Margherita Hotel are now open and practising the new normal SOPs like taking temperature readings, recording participant details and social distancing in seating arrangements," he added.