An Analysis on the Consumer Legal Protection in Umrah Package Travel Industry During Covid-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Umrah package travel has been recognized as one of the main contributors to the Malaysian tourism industry. Muslims in Malaysia travel by package to Mecca and Medina for their specific purpose: to perform religious duty (Umrah) to fulfill the unity of spirit, heart and soul. Recently, thousands of Umrah packages were cancelled by the local tour operators and travel agents due to the decision made by the government of Saudi Arabia who banned the entry to Mecca and Medina due to the fast spread of Covid-19. Consequently, tour operators and travel agents respond differently to this extraordinary circumstance which leads to tremendous loss to the consumers. Thus, this paper aims to investigate how the Malaysian legal system safeguards the rights and interests of Umrah package travelers in Malaysia in the event of extraordinary circumstance by analyzing the existing academic literature and relevant statutes including Consumer Protection Act 1999, Tourism Industry Act 1992 and MATTA Code of Ethics for Members. The results of the above analysis will define the adequacy of the existing legal framework and the mechanism that we still need to protect the welfare of Umrah package travelers.