KUALA LUMPUR: Marriott International is aggressively cementing its position in Malaysia, with the company expected to open three more hotels this year, adding to the current 27 hotels operated in the country, supported by strong fundamentals for the Malaysian market.
The Westin Desaru Coast Resort is expected to begin operations in April while Four Points by Sheraton, located near Petaling Street and Fairfield by Marriott, located at Bintulu Paragon, are expected to open in the second half of this year.
Its chief operating officer for Asia Pacific (excluding Greater China) Rajeev Menon said the growth of the travel industry is correlated with the economic cycle, with demand for travel slowing down amid economic uncertainties, although it does not mean that the long-term dynamics for the industry are unattractive.
“Malaysia remains attractive, especially for the long term, supported by Asian economies as well as the growth in intra-Asian travel. There is considerable growth in inbound and outbound travel in the Asian markets as well as the Asean market, and the domestic factor in Malaysia remains intact, as more and more people develop a desire to travel.
“Economic growth is cyclical and we believe that the fundamentals for Malaysia are strong,” he told a media roundtable on the Marriott International’s overall direction for the Asia Pacific as well as Malaysia.
Menon said the diversified hospitality company is currently operating 14 brands under its flagship, with seven luxury hotels in Malaysia targeting leisure travellers.
“In fact, we will open two more hotels in 2020 – Courtyard by Marriott in Melaka and another one in the Klang Valley,” he said, adding that Marriott is also venturing into lifestyle hotels with its brand Moxy by Marriott, which targets more moderate and budget travellers.
Moxy, scheduled to open in Putrajaya in two years, is still under construction.
The local expansion plan is in line with Marriott International Asia Pacific’s aim to increase its current operating portfolio by 1,000 hotels by end-2020.
A total of 25.8 million international tourists reportedly visited Malaysia in 2018, and the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture is targeting 30 million arrivals and tourist receipts of RM100 billion by 2020 via the Visit Malaysia 2020 campaign.
Asked about the cancellation of flights due to a shortage of pilots and manpower, Menon said it is not an issue given Asia’s incredible talent base.
“We need to have public-private partnerships to solve the issue, and we can focus on educating, up-skilling and continuing to build the economy.
The unprecedented travel boom in Asia has led to the emergence of new budget carriers and millions of first-time fliers, but a shortage of pilots has become an issue that will dent travel growth.
According to CAPA – Centre for Aviation, low-cost carriers in Southeast Asia have about 1,400 aircraft on order, compared with fewer than 400 for full-service carriers. –Bernama
