Coronavirus: food stalls, durian sellers in Malaysia hit hard as Chinese tourists stay away
- Food stalls and hotels have reported a dramatic fall in business as tourist numbers dwindle amid the coronavirus outbreak
- In Penang, an oversupply of premium durian has concerned sellers who depend on a clientele of tourists from China, Indonesia, Singapore and Hong Kong
Tan Chong Kim, 61, the owner of Penang Road Famous Teochew Chendul, said his food stall had been left “deserted” of its usual long queues, with only a few patrons waiting to have a taste of their famous cendol dessert since the outbreak.
“It was already bad for me with the current economic situation in the country being stagnant, but with the spread of Covid-19, things became worse,” he said.
“We used to have Chinese, Singaporean and Indonesian tourists coming over here in big groups. Most of my customers are also locals, including those who come from other states in the country,” he said, adding that his business has dropped by about 60 per cent.
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Saik Kong Leong, 30, who sells traditional toast bread in a shop nearby, also shared the same sentiment and expressed worry over the situation.
“Last time before all this happened, we were always busy as many customers will drop by our shop,” he said. “But now, fewer people visiting and it is all because of the virus.”
Meanwhile, the price of the premium Musang King durian has plunged by between 20 and 50 per cent due to the coronavirus outbreak and an oversupply in the market thanks to favourable weather conditions.
While this will bring a cheer to local durian lovers, the dwindling of tourist numbers has concerned sellers.
According to one durian trader, 1kg of Musang King is now priced between 24 and 33 ringgit (US$5.80 and US$8) instead of 55 ringgit.
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“We are facing a challenging time because of the outbreak,” Tan Chee Keat said.
“Our export order has dropped by 70 per cent after Chinese New Year,” he said, adding that China had been his biggest export market.
Tan lamented the decision by many tourists to put their trips on hold during the health scare, causing traders to experience a slowdown in business.
“People dare not travel for fear of getting infected. It’s a shame because the durian supply in Penang will definitely be more than enough due to the long, hot weather.
“Our durian flowers are blooming like crazy, but still, we need to be cautious as the rainy season in March will affect the quantity and quality,” Tan said yesterday.
“Our customers are usually from China, Indonesia, Singapore and Hong Kong, and some of them are cruise passengers,” he said. “However, the virus has stopped many tourists from travelling and our business has been slow lately.”
Coronavirus: Malaysian durian sellers hit hard as Chinese demand drops
Lim said locals seldom eat durian during the off-season, and they would usually bring their friends from overseas to sample the king of fruits in Penang.
“Penangites only come in May, June and July – the durian season here,” he said.
Lim added that the price of Musang King had gone down by 20 per cent since Chinese New Year.
“As the durians are flowering now, estate owners are expecting a high yield this year,” he said.
He added that the durians on Penang island were mainly sold to locals and tourists only.
“We do not export durians to China but many traders from other states in Malaysia do. Business will surely be affected if their durians cannot be exported,” he said.
“However, it is hard to predict whether the price of durians in Penang will drop further as it depends on market demand and supply,” he said.
