The Impact of COVID-19 towards Tourism Sectors in Sabah: Operating in the Midst of Pandemic

Abstract

Tourism industry provides livelihoods for all of the people around this world by supporting local business and boost the revenue of the economy in an impressive way. When the World Health Organization (WHO) proclaimed the pandemic in 2020, this vital industry suffered significant losses. Therefore, this conceptual paper aim to determine the impact of COVID-19 towards tourism industry and how they operate in the midst of pandemic. This study uses a quantitative approach to collect primary data via an online survey, as well as a thorough examination of related literature from academics, online news portals, and online platforms. As a result, this paper finds that COVID-19 outbreaks cause job and revenue loss, declining in tourist counts and minimized operation in tourism related business. The travel ban order has resulting in cancellation of travel and tour packages as well as hotel and flights booking which lead to the massive drop in tourist arrival. The prohibitions during this pandemic affect the economy greatly because almost all business especially in tourism industry has to freeze their business. This paper will assist the policymaker and related business in tourism industry in planning their future operation during and after this pandemic end.