M'SIA BELIEVES TOURISM CAN CUSHION EFFECTS OF ECONOMIC DOWNTURN

M'SIA BELIEVES TOURISM CAN CUSHION EFFECTS OF ECONOMIC DOWNTURN
From Sharifah Nur Shahrizad Syed Mohamed Sharer

ASTANA (KAZAKHSTAN), Oct 6 (Bernama) -- Malaysia believes that tourism can
help mitigate the effects of an economic downturn and contribute to recovery.

Malaysia's Tourism Minister Dr Ng Yen Yen said in times of adversity, there
was a need to be creative in product development and to diversity markets
through more efficient use of promotion resources.

As such, she said, Malaysia had developed and promoted the homestay concept,
which was a community-based tourism programme, also aimed at increasing rural
income and employment.

This effort had helped reduce migration of rural youths to the urban areas
and in maintaining the social fabric of the rural communities, she said at the
18th Session of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), here,
Monday.

Held at the Palace of Independence, in Astana, the capital city of
Kazakhstan, the four-day meeting from today to discuss tourism matters is being
attended by about 500 participants from 154 member states and affiliates.

Dr Ng said the homestay programme also served as a platform for building
bridges by encouraging international travel among youths, so as to gain a better
understanding of the rich cultural diversity and to strengthen ties among
nations.

To further strengthen the tourism industry, Malaysia had undertaken several
initiatives, including the formation of a 24-hour tourist crisis management
committee, improving service delivery, investing in human resource development
through training and capacity building, as well as fostering public-private
partnership, she added.

"As part of our marketing strategy, we undertook sales missions to countries
less affected by the crisis, re-energise traditional markets and seek for
increased opportunities in new markets."

However, she said, above all the efforts taken to strengthen the resilience
of the tourism sector, the key factor for success was the strong commitment of
the government towards the industry.

Dr Ng in her speech also took the opportunity to congratulate Jordanian
Taleb Rifai for his appointment as the new Secretary-General of UNWTO and
thanked the outgoing Secretary-General Francesco Frangialli who decided to leave
his position prior to the expiry of his third-term this year.

The General Assembly today ratified the appointment of Rifai, upon
recommendation by the Executive Council. The council at a meeting in Bamako,
Mali in May this year had selected Rifai out of four candidates named, to the
post of secretary-general for 2010-2013.

On the sidelines of the meeting, Dr Ng called on Rifai. Earlier, she met
with Hong Kong Commissioner for Tourism Margeret Fong who expressed Hong Kong's
interest in developing a partnership with Malaysia in cruise tourism as well as
the meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions (MICE) segment of the
industry.

Dr Ng also had an audience with the vice-chairman of the National Tourism
Administration of China, Zhu Shanzhong, where they exchanged updates on tourism
in both countries.
-- BERNAMA