THE number of tourist arrivals and foreign receipts was expected to reach all-time highs this year as part of a strategy put in place a decade ago under the Economic Transformation Programme to make Malaysia a leading tourist destination. It was also designated a Visit Malaysia Year, which would give the numbers a further lift.
Alas, the Covid-19 pandemic brought the entire tourism industry to a grinding halt as the government, along with its counterparts around the world, took measures to contain the spread by closing borders, causing massive job and revenue losses. Many hotels shuttered, while some travel agencies and businesses folded as their funds dried up.