KUALA LUMPUR – The Covid-19 Omicron wave has led to many Malaysians postponing plans to travel abroad.
According to travel associations, this trend began about two weeks ago when daily Covid-19 cases surged past then 20,000 mark.
Selangor Association For Travel and Tourism Agencies President Dr Fathir Badri Al Hadad said many travel agencies had to reschedule their clients’ flight after the latter decided to postpone their travels.
He said the postponements were due to travellers’ concerns about the Omicron wave, which has seen daily caseloads increasing exponentially.
“Some travellers have shelved their plans especially who had planned to visit countries like Turkey and Jordan.
“Many umrah pilgrims have also decided to postpone their trips despite the government lifting restrictions on umrah flights last week.”
He said travel agencies were scrambling to find replacement travellers by expediting the travel dates to the same destinations.
He said, this was crucial to prevent losses, particularly involving flight tickets that had been purchased well in advance.
“The rescheduling is very complex as it involves many authorities, especially countries that require visa applications to be completed ahead of travel.”
Fathir Badri said the Omicron wave had an impact on the tourism sector, which was regaining its footing following a long closure.
He said tourism operators had taken great pains to ensure compliance with standard operating procedures to minimise the risk of Covid-19 transmission among tourists and holiday-makers.
Source: NEW STRAITS TIMES
