What is the contribution of the tourism industry to the Malaysian economy?
R.T: – In 2007 the tourism industry received RM 46.07 billion (about US$14.3 billion), which constitutes 7.5 percent of gross domestic product (GDP). YO: – Do you think there is a lack of promotion for domestic tourism in Malaysia? R.T: – Certainly not. Tourism in Malaysia has a division dedicated to the promotion of domestic tourism to encourage local residents to take holidays within Malaysia. We organize special advertising campaigns to expose our diverse tourist attractions and we have domestic holiday packages. There was an increase of 13.65 percent in the number of domestic hotel guests in 2007. YO: – How has terrorism and high petrol prices affected the Malaysian tourist industry? R.T: – Generally there are no issues with terrorism. Regarding the increase in the price of petrol, we have yet to gauge its effect. Malaysia is a very affordable tourist destination compared to many others. With the expansion of low cost carriers, people will still travel heavily. We expect regional t
