Ready to ‘Cuti-Cuti’ Malaysia? Here Are 7 #NewNorm Changes You Should Be Aware Of

By Karissa Lund  •  11 Jun 2020 in Features

Thirsty for JUICE content? Quench your cravings on our Instagram, TikTok and WhatsApp

When Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin announced the implementation of the RMCO, many were happy to hear that we can now travel inter-state. Apart from those who put off their balik kampung plans, there are also a number of Malaysians who are eager to replace the vacations they cancelled due to the pandemic.

The excitement even led to claims that Langkawi hotels got 1,000 bookings per hour and although it turned out to be fake – we know everyone is itching to feel some sand on their feet.

Hardly any industry is untouched by the Covid-19 crisis, but the travel industry was among the first to be affected and hit hardest. While we can support our local economy and travel industry by going for cuti-cuti Malaysia now, we still need to practise social distancing, wash our hands often and comply with all the SOPs for the hotel and tourism industry. This is the new normal.

If you’re wondering what will different now, here’s everything you can expect when you’re on vacation:

1. Cleaning and sanitisation will be on an optimum level

According to Awani, travel experts said that cleaning and sanitation work will improve. This includes frequent disinfection of any surfaces using appropriate sanitary products by the hotels. Visitors can also expect the use of more environmentally friendly disposable products and of course, hand sanitisers will be available in every room.

2. Touch-free check-in process

The way we interact is also changing and this means, hotels will use touch-free methods for the check-in process. They will be using new contactless ways as technology will play a key role in helping visitors register their information while travelling, like how we use QR codes to enter stores.

3. The obvious wearing of face masks and temperature readings

To prevent the transmission of Covid-19, it will be compulsory for all tourism workers to wear a face mask. This rule will also be applied to tourists. So make sure to pack up extra face masks! The same goes for the temperature readings too.

4. Some hotel rooms will be closed and the number of days you can stay may be limited

To avoid a crazy amount of visitors in one space, not every room in a hotel will be occupied by people. So you’ll probably be social distancing even with your vacation neighbours. It is also noted that the term of your stay may be limited to a certain number of days so that everyone has a chance to get their vacay.

The space in lobbies and other facilities in hotels may also change to avoid crowds too.

5. No more buffets!

Yes, this is hard for foodies but for the sake of public health safety, there will be no more buffets. Patrons will have to eat in their own rooms too.

6. Hotel amenities now require booking!

Before Covid-19, you could hop in the hotel gym or have a game of tennis, squash, pool, or even bowling anytime you wanted to, but now you need to reserve in advance. This is to ensure the cleanliness of the amenities as the hotels will need to do sanitisation before and after each visitor.

7. New hotel packages and deals

As you can see from the points above, a lot of things are changing in accordance to the new normal. These changes are based on keeping the hotels clean and germ-free. There will probably be new packages and promotions to attract visitors in addition to ensuring that their hotels are safe to stay. So be on the lookout for some sweet deals!

Now that you know what to expect, make sure to comply with the SOPs so that everyone can have a stress-free vacation. It’s up to us now to ensure that Malaysia can move forward in our recovery phase. Have fun!

For more features, click here.