Opinion
Recently, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories) Dr Zaliha Mustafa has set a target for the Federal Territories of Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Labuan to become clean, healthy, advanced, safe and eco-friendly (CHASE).
Sejahtera@WP aims for 6 components, economic development, smart and sustainable city, socio-economic balance, environment preservation and restoration, digital cultivation, and sustainable tourism, The Star reported.
Kuala Lumpur contributed RM200bil to the country’s gross domestic product and ranked sixth in the list of most visited cities in 2023, according to the Global Destination City Index.
The Sustainable Tourism component caught my attention and it has a huge potential for Kuala Lumpur based on the GDP’s contribution, it is a welcoming idea that needs to be given a greater emphasis.
What is Sustainable Tourism?
Sustainable Tourism is a concept that covers a comprehensive tourism experience focusing on economic, social, and environmental issues with attention to improving tourists’ experience and addressing the needs of host communities.
Based on World Tourism Organisation UN Tourism (UNWTO) recommendations,
Sustainable tourism should:
Sustainable tourism development requires the informed participation of all relevant stakeholders, as well as strong political leadership to ensure wide participation and consensus building.
Achieving sustainable tourism is a continuous process and it requires constant monitoring of impacts and, introducing the necessary preventive and corrective measures.
Sustainable tourism should also maintain a high level of tourist satisfaction and ensure a meaningful experience for the tourists, raising their awareness about sustainability issues and promoting sustainable tourism practices amongst them.
How does Sustainable Tourism benefit the economy?
When it is promoted and executed effectively, Sustainable Tourism can bring economic benefits to local communities and support local businesses. This can help create jobs and increase economic growth in the long term.
Perhaps, the Federal Territories Ministry and the Tourism, Arts, and Culture Ministry should come together to roll out more effective plans that will be beneficial for the people.
What needs to be done?
Community Engagement:
The FT and MOTAC Ministers can figure out a way to support local businesses and entrepreneurs, especially those offering cultural experiences, traditional crafts, and locally sourced products. This empowers local communities and ensures they benefit from tourism.
Offer tourists opportunities to interact with local communities through cultural exchange programs, volunteering opportunities, and responsible homestays.
Heritage and Culture Preservation:
Malaysia has a unique heritage and culture that can be promoted to foreign travellers.
The Ministries (FT and MOTAC) should conduct a study, invest, and more importantly increase the promotion capacity in the preservation and restoration of historical sites and cultural landmarks.
Perhaps more tours to highlight the city’s unique heritage and educate visitors about its importance should be done at greater length.
In the Budget 2024, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced Think City to receive an allocation of RM20 million.
In early February, Anwar Ibrahim again approved RM25 million in allocation for the preservation of sites in the state designated by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) as World Heritage sites.
This is a good start and more relevant stakeholders should be allowed to roll out this agenda.
Encouraging interested new players to promote Sustainable Tourism should also be part of this implementation phase.
Promoting Sustainable Tourism:
To highlight Kuala Lumpur’s commitment to sustainability and eco-friendly experience, friendly marketing campaigns should be introduced.
Travel agencies and tour operators should be given a greater role to promote. Set up more meetings, and town hall sessions and understand what they need, and the budget required to roll out the agenda. This can be done on a micro-scale management rather than just doing it from the Ministry level.
The digital platform is another powerful tool for sharing information about responsible tourism practices and sustainable attractions in Kuala Lumpur.
Finally, directly engaging with traditional and mainstream media to raise awareness of Sustainable Tourism should be cultivated.
All this can be done with a collective effort from all relevant stakeholders to make Malaysia Greater in Sustainable Tourism.
