The School of Hospitality, Tourism and Events (SHTE) of Taylor's University and PATA Malaysia Taylor's Student Chapter organized a virtual HEX Talk on Tourism: Is Malaysia Ready for the 'Vaccine Passport'?. This virtual HEX talk aimed to discover the public awareness and acceptance level of 'Vaccine Passport' initiatives while discussing the impacts on the hospitality and tourism industries.
The forum attracted prominent personalities from the tourism, education and healthcare industry. Mr. Mohd Daud Mohd Arif, Chief Executive Officer of Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council (MHTC); Y.M Tunku Dato' Seri (Dr) Iskandar bin Tunku Abdullah, Group Executive Chairman, Melewar Group; Dr. Azhar Azahari, Regional Business Development and Area Manager (Asia Pacific) & International Air Transport Association (IATA); Mr. Uzaidi Udanis, President, Malaysia Tourism Council (MTC); Mr. Francis Teo, President, Malaysian Association of Convention and Exhibition Organisers & Suppliers (MACEOS) and Prof. Dr. Neethiahnanthan Ari Ragavan, Executive Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences and Leisure Management, Taylor's University were invited to share their views on Vaccine Passport efforts and the impact on the hospitality and tourism industries.
The virtual talk started with a welcoming speech by Ms. Teresa Dines and Ms. April Lim from committee members of PATA MTSC and followed by opening speech from Dr. Joaquim Dias Soeiro, Head of School of Hospitality, Tourism and Events, thanked all speakers who were willing to share their pieces of knowledge and experiences on 'Vaccine Passport' efforts.
Mr. Mohd Daud Mohd Arif, as the Keynote Speaker presented on the Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council's efforts and experiences in combating the COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia since 2020 and how the organization is welcoming the 'Vaccine Passport' initiatives. He also expressed the hope of rebranding Malaysia as a safe and trusted destination with a vaccine immunization programme. YBhg. Prof. Dr. Victor Wee moderated the forum presented by the five Panel Speakers who shared their views on the Vaccine Passport initiative.
The virtual talk ended successfully with a closing remark by Dr. Lisa Tung, Programme Director of School of Hospitality, Tourism & Events. Around 250 participants from various industries including education, travel, tourism, events and healthcare joined and actively participated in this virtual talk. The insights shared by the speakers made this virtual talk a fruitful session for all the audience.
