Feb 05
Dr Ng: Arrival of foreign tourists increasing
SHAH ALAM: Foreign tourist arrivals are increasing but most are still “cautious” in their spending, Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen said.
Last year, she said there were 23.65 million foreign tourists arrivals, generating RM52bil in revenue for the country.
Dr Ng said a strategic arrangement was needed to increase the number of tourists in 2010, and ensure that they stayed longer.
Dazzling: Dr Ng (second from left) having a closer look at the digital lights in Shah Alam yesterday. Looking on are I-Bhd chairman Tan Sri Hamad Kama Piah (left), state exco member Elizabeth Wong and I-Bhd deputy excutive chairman Datuk Lim Kim Hong.
She said the tourists stayed in the country on an average of 6.4 days.
“We need to introduce new tourist products to get them to extend their holiday for at least eight days.
“Then we will be able to see them spending more for us to hit our target of RM53bil this year,’’ she said after launching the Oriental Digital of Lights “lightscape theme park” at i-City in Section 7.
Dr Ng said last year, there were 17% repeat visitors to the country, compared to Thailand’s 47%.
She added that i-City theme park had the potential to be promoted as an after-dark tourist attraction, saying it was an interesting product for the Klang Valley and Selangor.
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