HOTELS APPOINT ON-CALL MEDICAL PARTNER

“Hotels Will Continue To Be The Safest Choice For Tourists” #MalaysiaIsSafe

Kuala Lumpur (20 February 2020) – The Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Global Doctors Malaysia (GDM), a private healthcare provider to provide a series of medical and healthcare support to MAH member hotels across the country. The MoU will take immediate effect with GDM extending health, preparedness and community health advisory to hoteliers, with an added option of a complete corporate health solution.

Part of the highlight of the MoU includes current preparedness advisory supporting Malaysian hotels in dealing with the spread of the Covid-19 novel coronavirus, ensuring hotels are safe for tourists. “While MAH had been actively supporting member hotels since the very beginning of the situation, we want to further enhance hotels’ preparedness with professional healthcare support and Global Doctors is the best partner to work with,” said Kamaruddin Baharin, President of MAH.

GDM’s medical services covers primary and secondary care, ambulatory care, emergency medical services, vaccination clinics, corporate healthcare management services as well as tertiary network referral services over its network of centres and clinics in Malaysia, China, Indonesia and Thailand.

“The tourism industry is susceptible to the impact of global health crisis first-hand. At Global Doctors Malaysia we advocate and adopt the policy of prevention is better than cure for both employees and hotel guests. We are delighted to collaborate with MAH, taking the initiative to mitigate health situations and minimize or even avoid negative impact to the tourism industry. Global Doctors is committed in providing the best medical services to MAH and its members,” said Dato Dr Sharifah Fauziah Alhabshi, Executive Chairman of Global Doctors Group.

MAH also presented an update of hotel room booking cancellations to date, with over 157,000 cancellations so far, amounting to over RM66 million in losses of revenue. “Although the cancellations reported so far are mainly from the China market, we have also received reports of cancellations from domestic market, Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Vietnam and the Europe. South Korea cancellations increased since the government issued a travel advisory against Malaysia,” explained Yap Lip Seng, Chief Executive Officer of MAH.

MAH also announced its partnership with the Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) for the upcoming MATTA Fair Cuti Cuti Malaysia to be held from 4 – 5 April 2020 at the award-winning Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC). The domestic focus fair is the industry’s response to cushion the impact of the Covid-19 on tourism. Participating hotels will be offering special packages & rates to encourage locals to travel within the country.

“Our focus on domestic tourism is in line with statements by the government. MATTA is appreciative and thankful to the Ministry of Finance for its concerns and efforts in stimulating our nation’s economy, including crafting recovery measures for the tourism industry, by gathering inputs from all stakeholders,” added Datuk Tan Kok Liang, President of MATTA.

“MAH and MATTA will continue to work together in building the tourism industry of Malaysia, more so in times of crisis, together with the Government of Malaysia,” Yap said. The two national associations had multiple discussions recently for their respective submission of proposals to various Ministries in formulating stimulus package for the tourism industry of Malaysia.

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If you require any other information pertaining to the hotel industry, statistics, industry concerns or any other related subjects, please do not hesitate to contact the Chief Executive Officer of MAH, Yap Lip Seng at ceo@hotels.org.my or +6012 280 0300.