Mas Ermieyati Samsudin said the government expected the number of foreign tourists to increase by 5% in 2018 compared to this year.
“Even with the implementation of the tax, we expect an increase of tourists from countries like Singapore, China and India,” she said.
Tourist arrivals in Malaysia last year stood at 26.76 million, a 4% increase from the previous year.
The tourism tax, postponed a few times and last scheduled to start on Sept 1, is levied at a flat rate of RM10 per room per night for all types of hotel accommodations, and only affect foreign tourists. Malaysians will be exempted from the tax across all classifications of hotels.
The tax will not apply to homestays and kampung stays registered with the ministry and premises with fewer than four rooms.
The government expects to collect about RM210 million from the tax annually.
“The tax of RM10 is a very low amount compared to the tax imposed by many other countries,” Mas Ermieyati told reporters today after attending the launching of the Malaysia Inbound Tourism Association (MITA) Travel Fair scheduled from Jan 19 to 21 next year.
The fair is expected to attract some 75,000 visitors.
The event, aimed at promoting domestic and inbound tourism, is forecasted to bring in some RM25 million in sales.