Ailing tourism industry: Terengganu seeks MKN to lift inter-district restrictions

KUALA TERENGGANU, Feb 22 -- The Terengganu government is requesting the National Security Council (MKN) to allow inter-district activities for states under the Conditional Movement Control Order in order to save the tourism industry which is now in a “dire" state due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

State Tourism, Culture and Digital Technology committee chairman Ariffin Deraman said if inter-district activities were allowed, it is expected to boost the tourism industry in Terengganu by 30 per cent.

"I will propose this matter at the state-level MKN meeting tomorrow, and this motion will be brought to the federal level by the menteri besar (Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar). If inter-district is not allowed for a long period of time, we are worried that the Terengganu tourism industry will be buried. We hope it does not reach that level," he said.

Ariffin said this to reporters after presenting the Terengganu People's Economic Aid (Tourism Sector) at the Terengganu Cultural Village, here, today.

He said permission to cross districts will also boost the hotel industry which is severely affected too as currently the hotels’ occupancy rate is around 10 per cent.

Earlier, Ariffin presented a "one-off" incentive, involving an allocation of RM44,100, to 103 city and nature tour guides as well as 44 taxi drivers at the Sultan Mahmud Airport whose incomes have been affected due to the pandemic.

-- BERNAMA