KOTA KINABALU: The Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (Matta) has welcomed the RM2 million direct aid by the Sabah government to travel agencies in the state, saying it is the highest in the country.
Its president, Tan Kok Liang, said this timely intervention would help financially distressed travel companies, especially during this festive season.
He added the cash incentive will be a morale booster for travel and tour operators to remain resilient in these trying times as well as to reactivate their companies.
“We appreciate the RM4,000 special grant to registered Sabah-based travel and tour companies. It is a gesture of support during this difficult time,” he said in a statement here today.
Matta has over 500 members that are licenced travel agencies in Sabah alone.
“The one-off cash incentive is an acknowledgment that travel and tour operators play an important role in both domestic and international promotions, together with the state government.”
Sabah Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Jafry Ariffin announced yesterday that the government had agreed to provide a one-off assistance to 503 travel agencies in the state.
Jafry said the funds, totalling more than RM2 million, would come under the Sabah New Deal allocations for meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) activities as well as existing allocations from his ministry.
Tan was also thankful for the grant of RM30,000 to the association’s Sabah chapter, which included RM10,000 for training programmes.
“Other states should emulate the Sabah government. They should realise that small and medium enterprises (SMEs) involved in tourism are an integral part of the whole ecosystem.
“These SMEs have done promotions for the state for the last 30 years and provided jobs, such as tour guides and drivers. Sadly, the federal and most state governments seem to have overlooked their plight,” he said.