MELAKA: Popular tourists areas like A Famosa, Jonker Street, Pantai Klebang beach and many others that suffered a drastic dip in business due to the travel ban and Covid-19 pandemic are now booming again, thus bringing renewed optimism to tourism industry players.
Banda Hilir Bazar Samudera traditional food and souvenir trader Zulaikha Melan, 34, said Monday’s announcement on interstate travel being allowed was good news for traders like her to continue her business, more so now that she has started receiving customers from the Klang Valley.
“My savings are dwindling after not operating for over five months and I lost RM40,000 due to the expiry and damage of food products in my shop. But I am thankful that tourism activities have resumed, albeit under strict compliance of the stipulated standard operating procedures (SOP) because we do not want to face a similar situation,” she told Bernama today.
Souvenir trader Azman Wahab, 49, who had to work as a food deliveryman when his business was disrupted by the pandemic, hoped that the (Covid-19) situation and the economy would improve so that they could continue to make a living in the industry.
Abdul Aziz Mohamad Yunos, 51, who has been a trishaw rider for the past 18 years, said he had to resort to doing odd jobs in the village from January to October to support his wife and four school-going children when the country was hit by the pandemic.
He also urged everyone to observe the SOP after seeing how the situation in the two years since the pandemic hit the country had affected people like him.
Meanwhile, in PORT DICKSON, the beach resorts here have come alive again as visitors flock to the area after months of having to stay at home due to the interstate travel ban.
Souvenir trader Ayunita Rasul, 25, heaved a huge sigh of relief when tourists began thronging the area since Negeri Sembilan moved to phase two of the National Recovery Plan (PPN) on Aug 26.
“Sales have been increasing since interdistrict travel was allowed and can reach almost RM1,500 in two days. It was difficult to reach even RM100 during the Movement Control Order (MCO) period,” she told Bernama today.
Horse-riding entrepreneur at Dataran Teluk Kemang, Mohd Farus Ezam Abas, 41, echoed her views, saying the flexibility for public activities in the tourism areas had given fresh hope to traders like him who lost their income due to the absence of visitors.
A visitor from Pahang, Nazirah Zamzurin, 29, said she picked Port Dickson as her first holiday destination as she was excited to see the beauty of the beaches.
Meanwhile, Negeri Sembilan Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) chairman Haziz Hassan said the hotel sector, especially in Port Dickson, received 100 per cent room bookings on weekends while bookings for seminars, courses and meetings had also gone up.-Bernama
