Terengganu Told To Promote Biotourism

HULU TERENGGANU, May 7 (Bernama) - Endowed with a complete tourism package, Terengganu should further promote its biodiversity to bring in more foreign tourists to the state. Deputy Tourism Minister Datuk Dr James Dawos Mamit said Terengganu was blessed with beautiful islands and was home to the well-known Tasik Kenyir, with its unique flora and fauna. "If we continue to focus on this biotourism product, Terengganu may well be able to pull in more foreign visitors," he told reporters after opening the RM3.8 million Kenyir Information Centre in Pangkalan Gawi, here Saturday.

He noted that in certain countries like the United States, Mexico and Canada, the term "biotourism" was being favoured over "ecotourism" in efforts to promote biological diversity and preservation to attract tourists. "We also need to promote our biotourism products to woo more foreign tourists into the country," he said, adding that Malaysia recorded 24.6 million international arrivals and tourism receipts of RM56.5 billion in 2010.

-Bernama.