Travel and tour operators are calling for the expansion of the fuel subsidy to include tour buses and other registered tourism vehicles. According to the Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA), the COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant negative influence on the tourism sector, with many tour operators finding it difficult to remain in business.
As domestic tourism begins to rebound, subsidies for tour buses would give these businesses much-needed respite, it stated.
"Currently, the government provides fuel subsidies for school and express buses. We hope the government will think about making this available to drivers of tourist vehicles as well.
"The tourism industry desperately needs help to remain competitive and fuel costs are a major expense for tour operators," said Nigel Wong, its president.
He stated that tour buses, or bas persiaran, have become indispensable for making it easier for visitors to travel throughout Malaysia as a result of the country's recent surge in tourism.
"Tour operators can lower operating costs, offer more competitive pricing, and draw even more travelers to Malaysia by extending the fuel subsidy to include bas persiaran," he stated on Thursday, May 16.
The date on which Malaysia would reduce its fuel subsidies has not been decided, according to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who made this announcement on May 5.
Wong, whose organization has more than 3,000 members, stated, "We implore the Transport Ministry and the Tourism, Arts, and Culture Ministry to examine the integration of bus services into the subsidy framework."