KUCHING: Hotel rates should not be increased indiscriminately as it would affect tourism revival and Sarawak’s tourism industry, said Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Minister Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah.
Expressing his concern, Abdul Karim said there must be a consensus among hotel owners and those managing hotels.
“We have got the Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) and I also believe when it comes to budget hotels, they do have their own association.
“If I am not mistaken, last year I think there have been an increase (in hotel rates),” he said when met by reporters during the ‘Majlis Ramah Tamah Aidilfitri’ event hosted by the Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts, and the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Entrepreneur Development, at Penview Convention Centre (PCC) on Thursday (Apr 18).
Abdul Karim said hotel room prices cannot keep on increasing whether it’s international hotel brands like Hilton and Sheraton or other hotels alike.
“Last year, they (Sheraton and Hilton) had a slight increase, but it’s manageable because the rate in Sarawak is considered to be very low,” he added.
On Apr 15, Malaysian Budget and Business Hotel Association (MyBHA) president Sri Ganesh Michiel said that budget hotel owners are likely to hike their rates in the months to come as operational costs rise.
He said hoteliers could go up between 30 to 40 per cent over the next three months owing to multiple factors that were reflected in the operational costs.
