TTO_April_2018_web3

Malaysia getting ready for Visit
Malaysia 2020:
Travel, Enjoy, Respect
“Everything went well this year. We had 152 participants in
our stand in 74 organisations. Some are from the private sector,
working here on B2B meetings. After ITB Berlin everyone will
be looking forward to following up with the contacts made here
for future promotion, especially towards Visit Malaysia 2020.
We are gearing up for next year as well, as we are ITB Berlin’s
official partner country. We have had a lot of discussion with
ITB management here in Berlin, working on our visibility for
next year, in terms of promotion during the event. As a partner,
country, we have to prepare for our opening ceremony, in terms
of what kind of image we portray to the world, as there will be
a large number of international VIPs there from all over the
world.”
So this year, it’s been a kind of planning phase for next year’s
“big event”?
“Yes, in fact we have eleven state representatives here this year,
and we have our NGOs, Malaysian Travel and Tour Operator
associations here with us, and we have had discussions about
the fact that next year we have to come together, to make sure
that our presence for ITB Berlin 2019 is the best, for us to
prepare for Visit Malaysia Year 2020.”
How important is tourism as part of Malaysia’s economy?
“Tourism is always a pillar of our economy – number five –
contributing 82billionn Ringgit in receipts (eds. approx.
€17bn) and providing close to four million jobs. There are a
lot of indirect benefits as well, in the hotel industry, transport
and so on. When the Prime Minister announced the Visit
Malaysia 2020 project, he also made it clear that the heart of
our promotion will be ecotourism. We are therefore currently
working on strategy and an action plan to get more visitors to
come to Malaysia from 2020 and beyond.”
One of the main aspects of your promotion is ecotourism.
What concrete things are being done by the government to
underpin sustainable tourism?
“The Federal Government has already come up with a national
plan, called Malaysia Ecotourism Plan 2016-2025. We have
already identified 63 clusters of eco-sites that can be promoted
as tourism attractions to the world.
Currently, we have already identified six of these clusters
that are ready to receive tourism. This is one of the things the
government is doing to promote ecotourism, to protect our
nature, to attract tourists and to experience these places. This
is not only for the tourists, but also for our next generations.
For instance, in Sabah, they have stopped virtually all new
logging activities. Tourism income has already surpassed that
of logging in Sabah, so logging is no longer a priority. Tourism
is the key economic area now for Sabah.
Also in Sarawak, they recently stopped or revoked logging
licences for two companies, meaning no more logging in key
Photo: Dato’ Sri Abdul Khani Daud – Deputy General Director
(Promotion), Tourism Malaysia was a busy man during ITB.
parts of Sarawak. These are the good developments in these
areas thanks to the State Governments there, making sure the
ecosystem, the nature and the environment are protected for
the next generation, and also for the international tourists to
experience. And in turn, this has a strong positive economic
impact.
That’s why for Visit Malaysia 2020, the minister has already
selected the tagline, Travel, Enjoy. Respect. (eds: the slogan of the
UNWTO for the Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development).
We want the tourists to come to Malaysia, to enjoy what we have
– the environment, the nature, the culture, the modern cities
and facilities we have, but at the same time, protect and respect
what the locals have, and together to preserve the nature and
the culture, and make tourism sustainable for the future.”
It can be very surprising for visitors to find genuinely untouched
nature, as one can see in your state parks. How much does
this fact – of being able to find untouched nature – make the
destination stand out from other nations in the region?
“Indeed, places like Gunung Mulu National park in Sarawak,
which is a UNESCO World Heritage site, or Royal Belum, where
we have requested UNESCO status. Even though it covers a
surface of more than 500 sq km, Gunung Mulu is not visited by
many international visitors. Last year, only 8,000 international
visitors were recorded there. Belum also is untouched, with
its Orang Asli aboriginal people. These are places we want the
world to discover and explore, but of course, at the same time
they need to be protected.”
So you’re not looking for mass tourism in these places?
“Of course. For those who appreciate the environment, these
places are unique. Places like Mulu, Taman Negara or Belum are
not mass tourism destinations like Kuala Lumpur or Penang or
Malacca, where you can do a lot more things in the city. By the
same token, these areas are great for families, even with small
children, because the facilities are there to cater for them. At
Mulu, there is a boardwalk directly from the hotel to the cave.
Similarly, in Sipadan, there are only 120 permits to dive per day.
This is to protect the environment from the possible effects of
mass tourism.”
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