Pahang sets sights on welcoming 13 million tourists this year
LIPIS: The Pahang state government has set a target of welcoming 13 million tourists this year, says the state’s Unity, Tourism and Culture Commi ee chairman Leong Yu Man.
According to her, the government remains unwavering in its commitment of rejuvenating the tourism sector despite the global tourism industry’s pandemic-induced challenges.
“We are resolute in our efforts to facilitate a swi recovery for our tourism industry, even during these testing times.
“Our target is to welcome 13 million tourists this year, up from 10.2 million last year, despite the impact from the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Encouragingly, this goal appears within reach, given the observed growth in the first and second quarters of this year,” she said in an interview during a dinner held as part of Tourism Malaysia’s ‘Familiarisation Trip’ programme, at Azmi Ikan Stim
Tempoyak in Kuala Lipis here on Monday.
In terms of strategy, Leong said the state government was proactively engaging with international tourism stakeholders.
“We’ve been actively participating in tourism exhibitions across Europe, the Arabian region, Singapore, China, and more.
“Additionally, familiarisation trips are being organised to keep industry professionals wellinformed about Pahang,” she said.
Leong said another approach was through ‘T.E.M.U.’ – ‘Taskforce, Experience, Maintenance and Management, and Unity’.
“Our objective is to enrich visitor experiences with new activities, ensure the proper maintenance of tourist a ractions, and foster collaboration among government agencies, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), and the private sectors for effective promotion,” she explained.
Noting that the rapid growth for Pahang’s tourism sector was contributed significantly by rail tourism, Leong expressed gratitude to Tourism Malaysia and other agencies for their support, and hope that rail tourism would not only benefit Kuala Lipis, but also other parts of Pahang.
When asked about increasing the tourism budget for the next year, Leong said they had been diligently gathering data and were in the process of presenting a proposal for the upcoming budget.
Leong also extended a warm invitation to Sarawakians to visit Pahang.
“Pahang eagerly welcomes visitors from Sarawak. While our ecotourism is a highlight, we believe that Sarawak also offers its own unique a ractions.
“We hope to establish a strong partnership that encourages residents of both regions to explore each other’s beauty,” she added.