By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, Oct 22: Malaysia is looking to host future international tourism events organised by United Nation (UN) Tourism, while greater clarity on the Malaysia-China joint nomination of lion dance for UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list is expected by the end of this year or early next year.
Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MOTAC) Facebook post Dato Sri Tiong King Sing shared the developments in a Facebook post following a bilateral meeting with UN Tourism executive director Liu Shijun in Guilin, China.
Tiong explained that Malaysia is leading the joint nomination.
“Based on what we know at present, there is likely to be greater clarity on its outcome towards the end of this year or early next year,” he added.
On the possibility of Malaysia hosting future UN international tourism events, Tiong said UN Tourism had indicated that it might need to identify new host locations.
“I told them that Malaysia would be willing to host such events and asked that an official letter be sent as early as possible, so that we can submit a budget proposal and coordinate the necessary funding with the Finance Ministry,” he said.
Tiong also stressed the need to give greater prominence to arts, culture and traditional crafts in Malaysia’s tourism promotion, saying the country should offer international visitors a deeper understanding of its cultural heritage and diverse society.
“During the meeting, we noted that Malaysia’s tourism promotion has often focused on destinations and attractions, without giving sufficient prominence to our arts, culture and traditional crafts. This is an area we must strengthen.
“A deeper understanding of one another’s cultures and religions also encourages mutual respect and gives people greater space to understand and adapt to cultural differences.
“Tourism promotion, therefore, should not simply be about where to go and what to see. It should allow international visitors to gain a genuine understanding of Malaysia’s arts, culture, traditional crafts and diverse society.”
Aside from that, Tiong suggested that more travel agents and tourism operators should be invited to take part in international meetings in the future.
“Businesses face different challenges on the ground, and giving them a direct voice would help policymakers better understand what is happening in the market and develop more practical solutions,” he said.
“To me, the value of an international conference goes beyond the meeting itself. It brings together industry players, governments and professionals from different countries to exchange experience and share market trends. It also gives Malaysia an opportunity to showcase its tourism and cultural assets.” – DayakDaily
