288,670 Tourists Joined Homestay Programme From Jan To Oct

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 19 (Bernama) -- A total of 288,670 tourists joined the homestay programme nationwide from January to October this year, generating earnings of RM20.95 million. Tourism, Arts and Culture Deputy Minister Muhammad Bakhtiar Wan Chik said 4,404 entrepreneurs, offering 5,862 rooms, were registered with the ministry under the programme. “The ministry implemented the Malaysian Homestay Experience Programme in 1995 as one of the initiatives under the Rural Tourism Master Plan aimed at increasing the participation of rural communities in the tourism sector. “The product emphasises more towards ‘lifestyle’ tourism or one which allows tourists the chance to interact, feel and enjoy the lifestyle and culture of villagers,” he said when winding up debate on the Supply Bill 2019 for his ministry at the upper house of Parliament or Dewan Negara Tuesday. He said various plans were being implemented to ensure that cultural tourism would continue to contribute to the growth of tourist arrivals to Malaysia. Among the plans were the nomination of more heritage sites with the potential to be declared World Heritage Site, like the Royal Belum National Park, Forest Research Institute of Malaysia (FRIM) and Permatang Kuarza, Gombak. He said that under the Malaysian Tourism Strategic Plan, the ministry had identified six main themes, including ‘culture, arts and heritage’ and ‘nature adventure’, towards achieving the targeted 30 million tourist arrivals and RM100 billion tourism earnings by 2020. Meanwhile, in a move to empower ecotourism among the Orang Asli communities, Malaysian Handicraft Development Corporation (Kraftangan Malaysia) will organise a Forest Handicraft Production Laboratory to make various products next year. He said among the products would be kites, tempo or Orang Asli hats, blowpipes, weaved mats and mini pickaxes. -- BERNAMA