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PETALING JAYA: Putrajaya will implement special tourism investment zones to attract more technology-based investment in the tourism industry, Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said today.
He said this would come under the 2020-2030 National Tourism Policy, which he launched today at an online event.
“Technological advancements can strengthen interindustry networks and pave the way for new and innovative subsectors in the tourism industry that will create business and employment opportunities.
“As such, technology-focused tourism investment is highly recommended,” he said, adding that the establishment of such zones will also help improve cooperation between the public and private sectors.
The tourism investment zones were first proposed in August last year as part of the national tourism policy under the Pakatan Harapan government, and then-Prime Minister Dr. Mahathir Mohamad said the zones will receive “special incentives” to attract more investment.
Meanwhile, Muhyiddin said that Perikatan Nasional’s 10-year tourism policy will prioritize enhancing the country’s competitiveness, developing the sustainable tourism sector, and preparing for other unprecedented events in the future.
Other parts of the policy will also consider transforming governance, enhancing commitment to sustainable tourism, and increasing human capacity models from other tourism subsectors.
Noting that the recovery of the tourism sector from the Covid-19 pandemic was expected to take up to four years, Muhyiddin said there were still opportunities to improve Malaysia’s tourism services.
“In this initial stage, we can reactivate the country’s tourism industry by boosting national tourism activities, while the borders remain closed, and restoring people’s confidence to travel within the country.”
He added that the government aimed to brand Malaysia as “the world’s leading ecotourism destination”, which would contribute to economic growth and create more jobs.
“This effort is also in line with Malaysia’s commitment to the 2030 Agenda and the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals,” he said, expressing hopes that industry players, NGOs, the private sector and other stakeholders cooperate with tourism, arts and Ministry of Culture.
