35% Of Tourism Income From Shopping By 2020

KUCHING, July 29 (Bernama) -- The Tourism Ministry is targeting to achieve 35 per cent of income generated by the tourism industry from shopping activities by the year 2020, said its deputy minister, Datuk Dr James Dawos Mamit. He said more aggressive efforts were needed from entrepreneurs in the tourism industry, including owners of shopping outlets, by intensifying promotion outside the country to turn Malaysia into a leading shopping destination regionally and internationally. "Currently, Singapore and Hong Kong are still among the favourite shopping destinations for tourists recording 35 per cent of their tourism income, with Hong Kong recording almost 55 per cent, and we want to achieve the 35 per cent mark by 2020," he said at the launching the Sarawak level of the Malaysian Mega Cheap Sale Carnival 2020, at the Sarawak Plaza shopping centre, here Saturday.

He said that in terms of income generated by the tourism industry last year, 28.3 per cent or RM15.11 billion of the RM53.4 billion overall income came from shopping while 31.1 per cent came from accommodation and 17.4 per cent from food and beverage. The Mega Sale attracted 6.3 million tourists which was an increase of 12.4 per cent compared to the figure recorded in 2008, where Malaysia only received 5.37 million tourists, he added.