If you are traveling to Malaysia and plan to stay at least one night in a hotel or resort property, expect to pay a flat fee of ten Malaysian ringgit per room per night in addition to the room rate, as the new tourism tax became effective as of today, Tuesday, August 1, 2017.
Malaysia Tourism Tax Now In Effect
Although the new tourism tax has been implemented across Malaysia today — according to this article written by the staff of Travel Wire Asia — “various parties have been at loggerheads over the details since it was proposed in April.”
Ten Malaysian ringgit is equivalent to approximately $2.34 United States — and while it is not exactly a budget breaker, that still means more money out of your pocket with no direct return on your investment.
Nazri Aziz — who is the tourism and culture minister of Malaysia — said in Parliament on Wednesday, July 26, 2017 that “We will impose a RM10 flat rate from five-star to zero-star hotels for foreign tourists.”
Residents of Malaysia are exempt from paying the new tourism tax across all classifications of hotel and resort properties.
The fee will not apply to premises with five rooms or less, homestays, and village stays.
Summary
Despite the tourism tax, Malaysia is still a good destination for travelers on a budget. For example, the room rate for one night at the Hilton Petaling Jaya hotel property on Wednesday, August 16, 2017 is as low as 368 Malaysian ringgit, which is equivalent to approximately $85.91 United States — and that includes the new tourism tax. I stayed at that hotel property several years ago and was very satisfied with my stay.
Food, transportation and attractions are also priced lower than comparable offerings in many other parts of the world.
If you really want to avoid the new tourism tax, one way — other than not traveling to Malaysia altogether — is to stay at a property which has a maximum of five rooms or fewer; at the home of a local individual or family; and in a village, as it does not apply in these scenarios.
All photographs ©2009 by Brian Cohen.
