Malaysia: Tourism Ministry launches new policy initiatives

• The Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture will launch two new policies in 2020: the National Tourism Policy (DPN2030) and the National Cultural Policy (DKN).
• Minister Mohammadin Ketapi said the two policies, in line with the goals of the Shared Prosperity Vision 2030, were in the finalisation process.
• “If everything goes as planned, DPN2030 will be launched soon, while the DKN will be launched in 1Q20,” he said at the ministry monthly assembly in Putrajaya on 6 Jan 20.
• DPN2030 focuses on increasing national income, promoting co-operation and investment, empowering local communities and strengthening the resilience of the tourism industry.
• The policy will be implemented through six key areas: transforming tourism governance; creating tourism investment zone; digitalisation in tourism; enhancing tourist experience and satisfaction; strengthening commitment to sustainable tourism; and enhancing the capacity of human capital, he said.
• Meanwhile, DKN is a long-term concept of shared prosperity covering the various ethnic groups in Malaysia.
• He said DKN will promote national identity through seven key areas: high value culture; harmonious society; sustainable cultural heritage preservation; cultural excellence; cultural development and expansion; cultural empowerment; and economic development.
• “2020 is particularly important for the ministry as Visit Malaysia 2020 targets 30 million foreign tourists spending MYR100bn.”
• “Understanding and co-operation with tourism industry players is crucial to the development of the industry, based on the National Eco-Tourism Plan 2016-2025,” he said.
• Malaysia is also set to host the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation 2020 summit, Kuala Lumpur World Book Capital 2020 and 100 other events to be held nationwide, he said.
• Mohammadin said, under the Minister’s Performance Indicator, the ministry had successfully implemented almost all core activities in the tourism and cultural empowerment sector with encouraging percentage comparable to other ministries.
• “For the period of Jan to Sep 19, we recorded a 3.7% increase in tourist arrivals: 20.11 million compared to 19.39 million for the same period in 2018.
• “We also managed to increase foreign tourist spending for the same period in 2019 by 6.66% to MYR66.14bn compared with MYR61.85bn for the same period in 2018,” he said.
• Mohammadin said among ministry’s achievements in 2019 was the recognition of silat as a martial art under the Unesco Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity category.

External Link : https://www.themalaysianinsight.com/s/210644