GEORGE TOWN: A shortage of skilled workers in the hospitality sector is hitting the tourism sector at a time when it is seeing an upswing in business, and is threatening to get worse by the year end. Tourism is a major revenue earner for Malaysia, contributing RM86.14bil to the country’s economy with 26.1 million tourists in 2019 before the Covid-19 pandemic struck, according to Tourism Malaysia. The sector is also grappling with the pull of foreign workers by sectors like construction and plantation, which do not require skilled employees. In addition, over 30 MICE events that the state agency is in the final stages of bidding will also happen in Penang. These MICE events, added Ashwin, involved congregations of between 200 and 5,000 people from around the world.
