Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir said the Kedah state government has agreed to waive hotel room fees for all hotels in Langkawi for six months, effective March 4.

He said the initiative was to boost the tourism sector in the state, particularly Langkawi which has seen a drop in the number of international tourist arrivals in the wake of the Covid-19 infection.

"Hotel and restaurant operators in Langkawi have been complaining that their businesses have been affected by the declining tourist arrivals. Therefore, tourists staying at hotels in Langkawi will be exempted from paying the room fee for the next six months," said Mukhriz.

He added that the number of flights into Kedah had gone down compared to before, as there were many flights into the state from China in the past

"We are currently looking at other markets to boost our tourism sector, ” he said.

Muhkriz also said that the state government would seek the allocation provided under the 2020 Economic Stimulus Package from the Federal government.

"We are also considering allocating additional funds for promotional activities, ” he said.

The 2020 Economic Stimulus Package was launched on Feb 27 to mitigate the economic impact of Covid-19 in the country.

The RM20 billion economic stimulus package is underpinned by three strategies that address the impact of Covid-19, stimulate people-centered growth and encourage quality investment.