Cheer returns for Malaysia theme park operators as borders reopen

MALAYSIAN theme park operators saw revenue dive during the pandemic, but now have reasons to jump with joy as international borders reopen. The country expects at least 2 million international tourists this year after its borders reopened on Apr 1, with Malaysia Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Nancy Shukri expecting this to generate up to RM8.6 billion (S$2.71 billion) of tourism revenue by end-2022.

International tourist arrivals to Malaysia plunged 83 per cent in 2020 to only 4 million travellers, down from 26.1 million in 2019, due to the country's prolonged border closure since March 2020.

Sim Choo Kheng, founder and chief executive officer of Sim Leisure, said its Escape theme parks in Malaysia were closed for around 15 months over the past two years.