It looks like the Barisan Nasional Pahang state government is looking to add a bed tax to the accommodations there! Tourism, Environment and Plantations Committee chairman, Datuk Seri Mohd Sharkar Shamsudin said that there are about 35,000 hotel rooms in the state, and this new tax will increase their revenue.
Source: Agoda
This bed tax is expected to start in 2020, and will only be levied on tourists that visit the state and are looking to book a room to stay. Although the rate has not been confirmed, Mohd Sharkar stressed that the amount would not be very high and would probably be around RM2, RM3 or RM5.
He said that as many as 8.3 million tourists visited Bentong last year and Pahang is becoming a popular tourist destination, Sinar Harian reported. Meanwhile, Kuantan had the second-highest number of visitors, coming in at 2.4 million and Cameron Highlands welcomed 1.4 million tourists.
Source: Booking.com
He added that Bentong had the highest number because many tourists liked to visit Genting Highlands, Bukit Tinggi and Janda Baik for their cool air and nature-themed resorts. These statistics were based on the tourists that had stayed in any of the hotels or homestays in the state, and the number would increase significantly if they accounted for day-trippers as well.
Mohd Sharkar explained that Pahang was a good tourist destination thanks to its access points that allow travellers to enter and exit the state easily. Now, he says that the Pahang state government wants to introduce the bed tax, which is similar to the RM2 heritage charge that is levied in Melaka. He added that Penang and Melaka have similar taxes as well.
What do you think of this tax? Let us know in the comments!
Also read: Flying Out Of Malaysia Will Cost You Departure Tax Of Up To RM150 Starting 1st September
