PUTRAJAYA, Feb 28 — More than 20,000 tourism operators registered under the Tourism Arts and Culture Ministry (Motac) will be able to put in their applications for 2022 special assistance with an allocation of RM85 million from tomorrow until March 15.

Companies operating Travel Operating Business and Travel (TOBTAB) and Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) would be paid RM9,000; spa operators and foot massage centres (RM3,000); tourist drivers (RM1,500) and homestay operators (RM1,800).

"The payment would be implemented two times, starting from March and May 2022,” said MOTAC in a statement today.

Last year (2021), the government through Motac had channelled financial aid amounting to RM61 million to benefit 29,286 tourism industry practitioners.

Motac said the financial assistance in 2022 is the continuation of the government’s efforts to help the tourism sector which was among the segments very badly affected during the Covid-19 pandemic.

"It is hoped the initiative would assist the country’s tourism industry to continue to compete in reviving the national tourism sector,” said Motac which has improved the criteria of applicants so that more would benefit from the assistance.

Motac said it is targeting 2022 as the time for the industry to recover from the business downturn experienced in the past two years.

All tourist drivers, TOBTAB and MM2H companies, operators of spa and food massage as well as homestay are eligible to apply for the Motac aid online via the official website www.motac.gov.my. — Bernama