ID :
254425
Sat, 09/08/2012 - 15:39
Auther :

Panchor dayak Hotsprings can be Major Tourist Attraction - Malaysian Deputy Minister

SERIAN (Sarawak,Malaysia), Sept 8 (Bernama) -- The adage, 'old is gold', may just be fitting to describe the Panchor Dayak Village hotsprings here. The more than a century-old hotsprings could serve as a springboard to lure tourists by the droves, said Tourism Deputy Minister Dr James Dawos Mamit. He said the area being upgraded by the ministry to the tune of RM450,000 (US$144,694.54) would be showcased to both domestic and foreign tourists as a stop-over in the tourist itinerary. "The country earned about RM38.3 billion (US$12.32 billion) from tourism last year, through 24.7 million visitor arrivals. "We expect the number of such arrivals to increase to 36 million by 2020, which would potentially earn us an estimated RM168 billion (US$54 billion), besides providing about 400,000 employment opportunities," he told reporters here Saturday. Meanwhile, Panchor Dayak village community chief Tapok Rayun said the hotsprings were discovered by his grandfather in 1840, while clearing the family-owned farm. Since it was opened to the public in 2004, the area had become a big attraction, he noted. -- BERNAMA

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