Saturday 15 January 2011

Put an end to bogus homestays, says Ng

KOTA BARU: The Tourism Ministry wants to put an end to fraudulent homestay program mes, said its Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen. She said she had instructed the enforcement division of the ministry to identify fake programmes and act against them. Dr Ng said the ministry would register the Homestay Malaysia trademark to help tourists differentiate between bogus and genuine homestay establishments. “My ministry has received complaints from tourists that they had been shortchanged by establishments promising non-existent homestay programmes.

“To prevent this, only homestay entrepreneurs registered with the ministry will be provided with the Home Stay Malaysia trademark logo,” Dr Ng told reporters after meeting Tourism Malaysia staff here yesterday. Dr Ng said she expected the trademark registration to be completed by the first quarter of the year. “After that, tourists will be able to differentiate between genuine and bogus establishments.” Dr Ng said a homestay must have a minimum of 10 houses within the area and hosts would stay with their foreign guests in a “kampung” environment.

-thestar online.

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