TOURISTS SPEND US$2.96 BLN ON FOOD, BEVERAGE LAST YEAR

JOHOR BAHARU (Malaysia), Dec 6 (Bernama) -- Tourists spent RM9.29 billion
(US$2.96 billion) (US$1=RM3.13) on food and beverage in the country last year,
up by six per cent from the RM8.77 billion, Tourism Minister Dr Ng Yen Yen said
here.

She said an unofficial survey by the hawkers association indicated that
there were 500,000 hawkers in the country and 80 per cent of them were in the
food and beverage business, with many offering street food.

The business not only provided jobs for the people but also brought returns
to the government, she said when launching the three-day "Fabulous Food
1Malaysia 2010 - Street Food Festival" in Taman Sentosa here yesterday. The
festival began on Friday.

She also said that the government hoped to upgrade the food and beverage as
well as the restaurant business in tandem with Malaysia's desire to become a
high-income country.

-- BERNAMA