The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) estimates that the tourism sector is, directly and indirectly, responsible for one in ten jobs (330 million) and 10.3 percent of the world's gross domestic product. In recent times, new risks continue to reshape the tourism sector from rising geopolitical and geo-economic tensions to global economic slowdowns, terrorism, and shifting health threats. Since December 2019, the outbreak of the COVID-19 has had a devastating impact on the tourism sector. The Government should ease its taxation of the sector by repealing both the tourism and catering levy and other charges that impact the tourism sector. The Government should also provide an emergency package to accelerate the nation's slowing tourism sector.

Source: The Star June 09, 2020 00:56 UTC