The Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) announced that the MATTA Fair in Kuala Lumpur this year has been rescheduled to 1st until 3rd May at the World Trade Centre, due to the ongoing coronavirus crisis.
Photo: Berita Harian
Due to the effect of recent travel bans and negative public perception caused by indiscriminate social media postings on the coronavirus, MATTA decided to reschedule the event to May from its initial date in March.
Further discussions with industry partners both locally and abroad, and events that are happening in the travel space have resulted in weak forward booking trends, as customers are choosing to delay their travel plans until the current global situation shows signs of returning to normal.
MATTA President Datuk Tan Kok Liang said, “Although the shift in dates will not be convenient to everyone, we are amazed at the level of support and encouragement that we have received from our exhibitors, sponsors and trade partners. Even now the team is working very hard with industry partners to put together irresistible travel deals in anticipation of a bounce-back in the market.”
“History has shown that our travel industry has proven to be very resilient and that Malaysians are adventurous and hardly lot who won’t stop traveling,” added Tan.
There are more than 200 exhibitors ranging from National Tourism Organisations, State Tourism Offices, travel agencies, airlines, theme parks, cruise lines, and hotels that have registered their participation in the MATTA Fair.
MATTA is also looking for other initiatives to satisfy Malaysians’ love for travel, even during this difficult period in time.
The public have been encouraged to follow the official MATTA Fair Facebook and Twitter to receive the latest updates.
By: Aishah Akashah Ahadiat
