The Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) has said that hotels in Malaysia will be given a “clean and safe” certification as part of a move to boost confidence in the country's tourism post Covid-19.

“At industry level, we at MAH are planning a 'Clean & Safe Malaysia' campaign where hotels that fulfil a set of requirements will be certified clean and safe, endorsed by the relevant authorities. Hotels are also planning ahead to ensure all efforts to clean and sanitise the hotel are being documented according to the Health Ministry and industry best practices," MAH chief executive officer Yap Lip Seng said in an interview.

He added that travellers should stay updated on current situation and plan ahead should they require or want to travel post Covid-19.

"For accommodation, we strongly urge travellers to choose legitimate tourist accommodation for assurance and peace of mind. Do not take risk with unregulated accommodation such as home-sharing and Airbnb,” Yap said.

Domestic tourism, according to Yap, will play a major role in the industry’s recovery once the coronavirus pandemic passes.

"If we look at worldwide situation amidst Covid-19, we will not be expecting international travel to be the same as before. Local travellers will be an important element in filling the void and this will translate into driving the country’s economy,” Yap said.

Meanwhile, hotels and accommodation have been readded to the list of essential services under the third phase of the movement control order (MCO) here. Hotels were first listed under the initial 22 items of essential services during the first phase of the MCO (March 18 to 31). It was subsequently excluded during the second phase (April 1 to 14) when the government implemented a stricter MCO.