by SHAFIQQUL ALIFF/pic by MUHD AMIN NAHARUL

TOURISM Malaysia stands guided by the standard operation procedures (SOPs) that have been given by the Ministry of Health (MoH) following the recent spike in Covid-19 cases.

Its DG Datuk Zainuddin Abdul Wahab said as of now, there is no specific discussion with the MoH for the tourism sector since the cases, in categories one and two, are still under control.

“However, we will continue to follow the MoH’s previous advice and remind all travellers to follow the SOPs,” he said at the launch of the #ShoppingExtravaganza! campaign today.

Recently, Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin Abu Bakar urged the public to get their second booster vaccine injections following the increase in new Covid-19 cases.

Meanwhile, the #ShoppingExtravaganza! campaign under WCT Malls Management Sdn Bhd yesterday entered into a tripartite collaboration with Tourism Malaysia and Visa to revive the country’s retail and tourism industry.

Zainuddin hoped that the campaign would further increase tourist spending, particularly in the shopping segment.

“I believe that this campaign will offer a more exciting shopping experience for our domestic and international tourists alike, especially from neighbouring countries and the Asean region, who remain the major contributors to Malaysia’s international tourist arrivals even during the pandemic,” he said.

Meanwhile, WCT Malls Management CEO Selena Chua said with the new target of 4.5 million tourist arrivals set by the Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry, the company is optimistic about Malaysia becoming the most desirable tourist destination.

“We are confident that the tripartite partnership with Visa and Tourism Malaysia will enable us to further boost the malls’ footfall and stimulate spending from both our shoppers and international travellers. 

“We believe that this collaboration would be a worthwhile endeavour in celebrating this moment. Moving forward, customers can expect more intriguing campaigns and events from WCT Malls,” she said.