Hoteliers are feeling uneasy over the possible impact of the decision by Malaysia Airlines to suspend several international routes next year.

Malaysian Association of Hotel Owners (MAHO) president Abdul Aziz Abd Rahman said the move would affect international tourist arrivals to Malaysia.

“The move causes uneasiness among the hotel industry. As international hotels, they need international tourists,” he told Bernama in Kuala Lumpur.

Malaysia Airlines announced yesterday that it is suspending eight loss-making flight routes next year to further control costs.

They include the daily Kuala Lumpur-Surabaya routes, which will be suspended effective Jan 6, thrice-weekly Kuala Lumpur-Dubai (Jan 10), twice-weekly Kuala Lumpur-Karachi-Dubai (Jan 12), twice-weekly Kuala Lumpur-Dubai-Damman (Jan 13), daily Langkawi-Penang-Singapore (Jan 30), thrice-weekly Kuala Lumpur-Johannesburg (Jan 31), twice-weekly Kuala Lumpur-Cape Town-Buenos Aires (Feb 1) and thrice-weekly Kuala Lumpur-Rome (Feb 2).

Abdul Aziz said that although Malaysia Airlines has its own reasons for doing so, the move would affect the hotel industry in the long run.

He added that the decision also run contrary to the government’s initiative to provide tax incentives to set up new hotels in the four and five stars categories as spelled out in the 2012 Budget.

- Bernama