COVID-19: Embrace new norm, Penang tourism industry told

GEORGE TOWN, April 24  -- The Penang government has urged local tourism industry players to prepare for and embrace the new norm in the post-COVID-19 period.

In a statement today, State Tourism, Arts, Culture and Heritage Committee chairman Yeoh Soon Hin said as a key driver of the state’s economy, the tourism industry needs solutions to safeguard the industry in order to sustain employment in Penang.

He said with social distancing and stringent hygienic practices becoming top priority, it would be challenging to drive the state’s tourism recovery efforts.

"It would require tourism players to work together with the state, in order to deliver an adequate and desirable environment to revive tourism once more after global tourism travel has come to a standstill amid the worst of the COVID-19 outbreak," he said.

Yeoh said the state government would hold a roundtable discussion on April 25 via video conferencing with key tourism industry players and stakeholders to address the COVID-19 challenges, as well as to propose solutions.

He also said the state government planned to revise its preliminary Tourism Recovery Action Plan, which was drawn up with the Penang Global Tourism in February when the effects of COVID-19 were felt in the global tourism market.

"We are redrawing and updating a new Tourism Recovery Action Plan to reflect the evolving situation of the COVID-19. This is done so that the coming efforts could address the current challenges faced by the industry," he added.

-- BERNAMA