Foreigners staying in hotels in Malaysia will soon need to pay a new tax, the country's tourism and culture minister said on Wednesday.
International visitors will need to pay a tax of 10 ringgit ($2.33) per night per room under the new plan, whose implementation date has not been determined, said minister Nazri Aziz, according to local media reports.
The tourism tax will provide a sustainable fund for the development of Malaysia's tourism industry, Nazri said. Malaysians will be exempt from the so-called "tourism tax."
The tax is not expected to impact tourist inflows due to the relative weakness of the ringgit compared to the US and Singapore dollars, Nazri said.
It is expected to generate 654mn ringgit ($152mn) in annual revenue from the country's 11mn hotel rooms, Nazri said.
International visitors to Malaysia will have to pay a new tax
