Ng: Push for domestic tourism

KUALA LUMPUR: The Tourism Ministry is planning to promote domestic tourism further and make it a major contributor to the economy, Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen said.

“The importance of domestic tourism cannot be understated as the global tourism market records dip. Last year, the number of domestic tourists totalled 111.5 million, generating RM34.7bil in revenue,” she said. Citing an example, she said that 75.9 million locals were day-trippers.

She said there had been a lifestyle change among locals after the five-day work week was introduced in 1999 to encourage more Malaysians to travel internally. “It is also a good indication of the nation’s prosperity and stability,” she told reporters after the launch of the Tourism Cuti-Cuti 1Malaysia Dance Carnival yesterday.

Earlier at the launch of the dance carnival, Prime Minister’s wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor reminded Malaysians to maintain the nation’s peace and stability. “Although Malaysia’s peace and stability is a blessing from God, we must work and strive to preserve it,” she said. The carnival was introduced in 2009 to showcase various ethnic dances to promote Malaysia to foreign tourists.

-thestar online.