NOW people have more reasons to travel, and with the festival of lights (Deepavali) just days away, occupancy rate at hotels based on the island, especially those by the sea side, has picked up pace and is expecting to see another storm of tourists this weekend.
According to Malaysian Association of Hotels Penang Chapter chairman K. Raj Kumar, as of now, beach hotels on the island have recorded a 80 per cent occupancy rate, while city hotels have gathered 60 per cent occupancy rate.
He said the increase was expected due to the much-anticipated upcoming holiday season and the festival of lights.
“Again, the timing is so good that Deepavali falls on a Thursday (Nov 4) and this means people would take the opportunity to apply for extra annual leaves while having the chance to maximise their stay in Penang during the weekend.
“I understand most of the tourists who will be heading to Penang this weekend will be from Kuala Lumpur and Selangor.
“Penangites could potentially take the reverse gear and enjoy their time at home this weekend, allowing tourists from other states to embrace the many attractions in Penang,” Raj told Buletin Mutiara during a phone interview today.
Although all the hotels have so far been vigilant and steadfast in adhering to the standard operating procedures (SOPs), Raj said the ongoing challenge was the shortage of housekeeping staff.
“This is the reason why many hotels are yet to completely open all the rooms for the guests. It will be too much for hotels with a lack of manpower to handle housekeeping duties.
“We are taking one step at a time, and hopefully things will get better soon,” Raj added.
He also added that coffee houses and other facilities such as swimming pool, gymnasium and many others were allowed to operate with strict SOPs.
Meanwhile, Penang Hoteliers Association (PHA) chairman Datuk Lim Mee Lee, echoed Raj as the shortage of housekeeping staff was due to the impact of Covid-19 pandemic last year as many were retrenched or offloaded from their duties.
“It is hoped that Penang will enter Phase Four of the National Recovery Plan (NRP) very soon, which will then make way for more commercial and economic-based sectors to resume,” Lim told Buletin Mutiara.
Story by Kevin Vimal
Pix by Law Suun Ting