Negeri Sembilan Aims To Attract 8 Million Tourist Arrivals This Year

PORT DICKSON, Jan 30 (Bernama) --  Negeri Sembilan is targeting eight million tourists to the state by organising over 50 tourism events this year, State Tourism, Arts and Culture Committee chairman Nicole Tan Lee Koon said.

She said the state plans to showcase over 200 tourism products, encompassing investment tourism, medical tourism, educational tourism and health tourism to attract visitors from both domestic and international markets.

“We can serve as intermediaries to attract foreign investors for investment tourism products through programmes like the Invest Negeri Sembilan Year (Invest NS).  Moreover, Malaysia stands out among countries for its low medical costs, making it a desirable destination for medical tourism and UCSI Hospital here offer traditional treatments that can be promoted to tourists.

"Today, we have assembled 40 tourism agents from the Middle East to work together in boosting the reputation and appeal of Negeri Sembilan within their tourism programmes," she told reporters following discussions with tourism agents from the Middle East, Russia and India.

The agents from countries such as Tunisia, Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait, Dubai, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Turkey, Lebanon, Russia and India, are currently in Port Dickson for four days  as part of the Global Inbound Tourism Networking programme, organised by the Inbound Tourism Alliance Consortium.

She said collaboration with key stakeholders is consistently strengthened by integrating the itineraries of the participating tourism agents' programmes.

Meanwhile, Malaysia's Tourism Alliance Consortium executive chairman Uzaidi Udanis, noted a shift in the pattern of tourist arrivals from the Middle East, with an increase in the number of younger generations from those countries visiting here, as opposed to the older generations.

"Ás such, we provide and promote more adventurous activities in Port Dickson, including sailing, exploring mangrove areas and visiting turtle sanctuaries, catering to tourists from the Middle East, Russia and India," he said.

-- BERNAMA