Haze causes drop in hotel bookings in Johor
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The drop is reportedly smaller than in other Malaysian states because Singaporeans still cross over for weekend trips.
PHOTO: AFP
- Johor hotels have seen bookings fall by about 20% in recent weeks because of the haze, said Malaysian Association of Hotels Johor chairman Ivan Teo.
- Teo said the impact is smaller than in other states because Singaporeans still cross over for weekend trips, and there have been no major booking cancellations.
- Johor’s islands and cycling tourism have also suffered, while Malaysia Budget Hotels Association Johor chairman Jarod Chia said occupancy has dropped 15% to 20% over the last two weeks.
AI generated
JOHOR BAHRU – Hotels in Johor are seeing a slight dip in bookings over the last few weeks due to the haze, say hoteliers.
Malaysian Association of Hotels’ Johor chapter chairman Ivan Teo said hotel bookings have dropped by about 20% since the haze began affecting the state.
“There are definitely some effects, especially since other countries in the region are also affected by the haze, and people are not too keen on travelling at times like this.
“However, the impact we see here is not as bad as in other states because we still have Singaporeans crossing over to spend their weekends.
“That is not the case for other states that are more dependent on visitors from other countries,” he said in an interview.
Teo added that there has been no significant number of hotel booking cancellations in Johor so far, as most guests prefer to book closer to their stay.
“Johor is known for its islands, and many visitors also come here to cycle while enjoying the fresh air.
“The haze has taken all of that away from both locals and tourists,” he said, adding that sports tourism has also been affected.
Echoing a similar view, Malaysia Budget Hotels Association’s Johor chapter chairman Jarod Chia said his members have seen a drop of between 15% and 20% in occupancy rates.
“Hotel bookings have been slow over the last two weeks. We believe it is related to the haze, but the drop is not very significant. This is normally the trend when there is haze,” he said. THE STAR/ ASIA NEWS NETWORK