KUALA LUMPUR: The ability of local authorities to maintain tourist attractions and products will be the main consideration in the disbursement of allocations, said Tou­rism Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen.

“Applications from all states for the development of tourist attractions totalled RM2bil. But we only have RM900mil allocated to us under the Ninth Malaysia Plan,” she said.

Speaking to reporters after the ministry’s monthly assembly at the Malaysia Tourism Centre here yesterday, Dr Ng said she looked forward to higher tourist arrivals this year.

“We will be introducing two new products, the Malaysia Inter­national Shoes Festival and the Contemporary Arts Festival that will take place in July. We will also be having the International Floral Parade around the same time,” she said.

Dr Ng said the ministry would be reviewing and relocating some overseas tourism offices this year in line with the changing tourism trends.

“We are now looking to relocate our tourism office in Johannesburg to Istanbul. It is a tourist hub for Europe and MAS has direct flights from Istanbul to Kuala Lumpur,” she said.

She added that 44 charter flights would be arriving in various Ma­­laysian destinations carrying tourists from China, Taiwan and South Korea.

“Many of these flights are going straight to Kota Kinabalu. We are developing direct destinations and we hope these flights will eventually fly here regularly if they are popular,” she said.

On a separate issue, Dr Ng said she hoped that all MCA leaders would attend the MCA Chinese New Year open house.

However, she said that she would not be persuading anyone to attend the function, saying that “everyone has grown up.”

She was commenting on the move by vice-president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai and his faction to boycott all programmes organised by the current leadership.

“It is an MCA Chinese New Year celebration, not the president’s or deputy president’s. I would not make such a call (to boycott),” Dr Ng who is also MCA vice-president said.