AFTER months of on-and-off lockdowns, the hotel sector is seeing some signs of life, with quite a number already receiving bookings especially for the school holidays. Of the 2,300 members in the Malaysia Budget Hotel Association, about half have closed down, while an estimated RM3bil in losses has been incurred by the budget hotel sector, said president Emmy Suraya Hussein. So far, Iconic Hotel Penang has incurred a loss of RM5mil. The year-end “holiday” mindset and pent-up demand will likely set the momentum for the domestic hotel sector after the restrictions over the last 18 months. How long can the hotel sector hold out is a big question now.
