CM: Penang Needs RM50mil For Tourism

GEORGE TOWN: Penang’s tourism sector needs a federal allocation of RM50mil instead of the mere RM500,000 that was channelled here last year, said Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng. “The additional funds are needed as Penang is the third highest state contributing to the tourism industry in Malaysia, with nearly six million tourist arrivals last year. “Penang’s role in promoting tourism in Malaysia should not be belittled,” he said in a press statement here Sunday. Lim said that logically, with such a large number of tourist arrivals to Penang, RM500,000 was too little and insufficient for tourism programmes, activities and events, especially related to infrastructure, upgrading of facilities and promotions.

“The state recorded 5.96 million tourist arrivals last year - 2,982,687 domestic and 2,977,642 foreign - and targeted six million this year. “In her written reply in Parliament on April 5, Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen said the Ministry spent RM500,000 in 51 tourism programmes, activities and events in Penang for 2009,” he said, adding that the programmes included the launching of the Penang Homestay Promotion, Malaysia Travel Fair 2009 and Penang International Food Festival. Lim said a bigger allocation should be channelled to Penang as a boost to the tourism sector that would, in turn, inject positive growth into other industrial sectors in the state, specifically the small and medium sized industry, and, thereby, generating the people’s income and improving the nation’s economy.

He also said the recognition of George Town as a Unesco World Heritage Site on July 7, 2008, showed that the state still had a lot of potential to develop its tourism sector. He added that the Federal Government had allocated RM50mil for restoration works in Penang and Malacca in Budget 2009, and had prepared a RM899mil allocation in Budget 2010 for the nation’s tourism sector.