PENANG launched the Hotel Fee Online System today, making it easier and more efficient for hoteliers to make payments to the Penang Island City Council (MBPP) and the Seberang Perai City Council (MBSP).
State executive councillor for Tourism and Creative Economy (Petace) Yeoh Soon Hin described the introduction of the Hotel Fee Online System as a milestone for the Penang hotel industry or a game changer as digitalisation plays a pivotal role in modernising the state’s economy.
He said since the hotel fees were introduced by the state in 2014, the hoteliers would issue a cheque to physically hand over the hotel fees collected from hotel guests at the MBPP or MBSP counters.
But from April this year, he said the hoteliers are now required to make cashless payments through the implementation of the online platform.
For hotel fees, the state is imposing a charge of RM3 per night for hotels rated four stars and above, and RM2 per night for hotels rated three stars and below, including dormitories, budget hotels and hostels.
The hotel fees were waived for two years since June 2020 to help the tourism industry recover after it was badly hit by the Covid-19 pandemic.
According to Yeoh, the state has collected between RM2 million and RM3 million for the first three months of this year from the hotel fees.
He said some RM8 million would be collected annually and the revenue would be poured back by the state for the marketing and promotion of the state of Penang to bring in more tourists to Penang.
“We want Penang to become an international city. We’ve to think big, like making Penang to be the ‘Dubai’ of Malaysia.
“We can build on that dream. Penang has the potential to be like Dubai in UAE (United Arab Emirates) whose capital is Abu Dhabi and ours is Kuala Lumpur,” said Yeoh, who admits that Penang is losing to Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia where tourism is concerned.
He added that the Hotel Fee Online System is an initiative of Penang Global Tourism, a state agency under Petace, that would help the state in data collection.
He said the initiative is part of the Penang Tourism Master Plan for sustainable tourism development and strengthening Penang’s competitive positioning as a premier destination.
“As we move towards becoming a green and smart state by 2030, digitalisation is an essential aspect of modernising our economy.
“The availability of data collection is crucial to understanding tourist travelling patterns. Data collection can provide invaluable insights into the preferences of different nationalities and their travel patterns.
“With this information, we can tailor our marketing efforts accordingly to meet their needs and expectations. This information can help us make informed decisions regarding the expansion of facilities and the promotion of certain types of hotels.
“The digitalisation initiative will benefit all parties involved in the tourism sector, including tourists, hoteliers, and airlines. With more accurate data, we can attract more tourists, provide them with better experiences, and ultimately boost our economy,” Yeoh said.
He also hit out at hotels which gave excuses for having difficulty paying the hotel fees online, and also warned them of action that could be taken to revoke their licences by MBPP and MBSP if they do not do so.
He said there are about 500 to 600 hotels in the whole of Penang, but the majority of them are not registered with the Malaysian Association of Hotels (Penang Chapter) and Malaysia Budget Hotel Association (MyBHA) Penang Chapter.
Only about 100 hotels have registered with MAH Penang Chapter and about 80 hotels have registered with MyBHA Penang Chapter.
MAH Penang Chapter chairman Tony Goh said most of the major hotels in Penang have registered themselves with MAH Penang Chapter.
He said he agreed with Yeoh that a more comprehensive data collection has tremendous value in understanding tourist travel patterns and preferences, and also a more accurate occupancy rate at different hotel locations.
With the data collected, the state can tailor its marketing efforts to cater to the tourists’ distinct needs and expectations.
Also, present at the Hotel Fee Online System launching were MBPP mayor Datuk A. Rajendran, MBSP senior assistant director (Treasury Department) Lai Yen Yi (who is representing MBSP), Penang Global Tourism chief executive officer Ooi Chok Yan, Penang Convention & Exhibition Bureau (PCEB) chief executive officer Ashwin Gunasekeran, Tourism Malaysia (Northern Region) director Shahrul Aman Sabir Ahmad, Penang State Museum director Haryany Mohamad, Penang State Heritage commissioner Rosli Nor, MyBHA Penang Chapter chairman Andy Lau, and Penang Tourist Guides Association president Clement Liang.
Story by K.H. Ong
Pix by Law Suun Ting