The highly anticipated Visit Malaysia 2020 campaign has been shelved, said tourism minister Seri Nancy Shukri.
The spread of Covid-19 and Malaysia’s response with a nationwide movement control order has meant the ministry has been forced to halt many tourism related services.
The year-long campaign launched in early January with a target of attracting 30 million visitor arrivals and about RM100 billion in tourism spending.
The tourism ministry’s over-the-counter and online services for the Tourism Licensing Division have been frozen.
These include the licensing of new tour companies, hotels, and tour bus drivers.
The movement control order bans all major public gatherings and mandates the closure of schools, places of worship, some businesses and government offices.
All Malaysians who returned from overseas since March 18 must undergo 14 days self-isolation.
"I appeal to the public to adhere to social distancing throughout the MCO and get verifed information from official sources," the minister said.
"Let us all pray for the betterment of the country until the situation returns to normal immediately."
