Malaysia To Lay Ground Work For Garden Tourism

AUCKLAND, Aug 21 (Bernama) -- Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen plans the use Malaysia's abundance of fantastic flora and fauna to woo naturalists and garden lovers from around the globe to Malaysia. She said Malaysia enjoyed a unique collection of orchids, hibiscuses and many other rare plants that would be appreciated and treasured by overseas visitors. "But we must go about it in the right way, so I will be inviting noted horticulturalists and garden experts from overseas to help Malaysia develop our gardens and parks," she said here after visiting the internationally-acclaimed Auckland Botanic Gardens.

Dr Ng was so impressed with the Auckland gardens that she invited Auckland gardens manager Jack Hobbs to visit Malaysia to advise on presentation and help put together a garden-orientated tourism package. To mark her visit to the Auckland Botanic Gardens, Dr Ng on Thursday planted a Malaysian hibiscus at the garden, marking a new beginning in the Malaysia-New Zealand parks and gardens cooperation and goodwill. Dr Ng is on a seven-day promotional tour to New Zealand and Australia.