The Malaysian holiday hotspot of Langkawi has announced it will begin charging a tourism promotion fee for all overnight stays from July 1, which has had a mixed reaction from the travel trade.
The fee payable is dependent on the hotel star rating and ranges from RM1 to RM9.
The tourism fee has been generally welcomed by local hoteliers said Malaysian Association of Hotels Kedah and Perlis chairman Yap Lip Sent.
"Only 110,000 people live here, while about three million tourists drop by every year. The infrastructure, public facilities and services are designed for the tourists but the council’s revenue only comes from the population. So we know that the local authority needs the funds," he said.
The fee was enacted last November but implementation was delayed several times.
However Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents vice-president for inbound, Datuk K.L. Tan said it has been badly planned and gives little notice for member agencies.
"They should have given three to six months prior notice so that travel agents can adjust prices," he said.
"Many tourists have made bookings and they won’t like it when they arrive and are told that they have to pay more."
