KUCHING: The Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture Malaysia (Motac) is targeting 16 million to 22 million tourist arrivals along with RM47 billion to RM77 billion tourist receipts by the year 2025.
Its minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri explained that the target was set because the ministry wanted people to spend the money in the country.
“We want to bring back the RM42 billion that the people spent outside back in 2019. As we see now while we are entering the endemic phase, the people are starting to go for holidays within the country.
“In addition to that, these people are willing to pay to stay in elite homestays because they give good services to the tourists. At least for that, Malaysians are spending money within the country,” she said.
She said this during a press conference after the official launch of Malaysia Homestay Experience Guideline at Pullman Hotel Kuching on Saturday (Nov 27).
“As we see, the tourists prefer to go for holidays in small rooms or with their families.. They prefer to go on holidays on their own.
“With the introduction of ecotourism and the borders slowly reopening, it is advisable that the travel agents and tourist guides grab this opportunity to entice the tourists by promoting local tourism products so that the tourists will choose to travel with them and be guided throughout their holiday here,” she said.
Nancy pointed out that although the ministry tried to open as many borders as possible, it still needed to rely on the guidance from the Ministry of Health.
“Having said that, there are 11 high risk countries as of now that we have yet to open our borders to,” she added.
