IN the last seven months the Covid-19 pandemic has impacted Malaysia and the rest of the world. Some of the industries most affected are travel and tourism. However, there are certain positive signs.
With interstate travel now permitted, we are seeing Malaysians supporting domestic tourism by taking “Cuti-Cuti Malaysia” holidays. This is a good sign for the economy, but health and safety need to be prioritised.
There are two important areas: first, keeping our immune system strong with the right lifestyle measures and second, preventive measures, namely social distancing, hand washing and wearing a face mask when necessary.
Now that the government is in talks to slowly open up its borders it is very important that the different stakeholders in the travel and hospitality industry balance the need for business, ensuring more controlled numbers and taking all precautions.
The other important thing is getting information from the right sources. For the pandemic, the Ministry of Health and WHO are the right agencies. Information from the wrong sources can lead to more anxiety and fear.
The same for the travel and tourism industry. As more people get ready to travel again, among the best sources of information include global protocols from the World Travel and Tourism Council and Airbnb, which just launched its Enhanced Clean programme offering cleaning protocols endorsed by the Malaysian Medical Association.
These guidelines take into account measures to prevent infection. We do not want a second wave to occur here.
I believe all the stakeholders will do their best to be responsible and take the necessary precautions.
Dr Rajbans Singh
President
Malaysian Wellness Society
