PETALING JAYA, Oct 3 (Sin Chew Daily) — With the enforcement of targeted enhanced movement control order (TEMCO) in Sabah as a result of a spike in COVID-19 cases after the state elections, tourist business in the state has turned for the worse.

Tourism business recovered gradually in August with 30% of business from domestic tourists.

Now business nosedives.

Singamata Reef Resort managing director Rodney Tong told Sin Chew Daily 90% of its bookings last year were foreign tourists from Singapore, China, Hong Kong and Taiwan and only 10% from domestic tourists.

Tourism business gradually recovered in August after the enforcement of Movement Control Order in March.

Now the area has neither foreign nor local tourists.

Tong is both worried and helpless. Currently 70% of temporality workers have been laid off, and the resort is left with contract staff and supervisors. The resort has hardly any business and still has to pay for security and maintenance expenses up to thousands a month.

Located on an island, the resort needs clean water and food supply transported by boats. And the boats need fuel too and all these add to the cost, he added,

"The resort now relies on funds forked out by shareholders in order to operate. Based on the recovery in August, it will take one to two years to improve its financial condition. Now that the pandemic has worsened, to resume business performance in the past would take more than two years, "he said.

Tong pleaded to the government to offer loans with more flexible terms and speedy approval for the affected tourism industry operators.

The government announced the enforcement of TEMCO in four areas of Sabah, namely Lahad Datu, Tawau, Kunak and Semporna from September 29 to October 12.

Sabah also announced inter-district movement control order from October 3 to 16.

Malaysia Chinese Tourism Association deputy president Jackson Thian said tourism industry would find it hard to revive without opening the borders to foreigners. 

"Even for domestic tourism, many are backpackers. They do not help the resort operators directly," said Thian.

The most important thing now is to ensure that everyone is healthy and wait for the pandemic to be over, he said.