Tourism Ministry seeks funds to help states upgrade and develop tourist destinations, says minister

The Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture aims to secure funding to upgrade and develop tourist destinations, highlighting the necessity for new and appealing locations.

The Malaysia Cultural Festival, organised by MOTAC, showcases arts and cultural heritage, attracting visitors and generating significant economic returns.

The festival provides a platform to promote Malaysia's cultural diversity and encourages the public to embrace the 'Mesra Malaysia' spirit for the Visit Malaysia Year 2026-2027 campaign.

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 14 — The Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MOTAC) will strive to secure allocations to help state governments upgrade existing tourist destinations and develop new locations to attract more tourists.

Its minister, Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing, said the move was important as tourists are always looking for new and interesting destinations, adding that some states have many potential locations that could be developed but face funding constraints.

“Let all the states work together to attract more tourists to come and travel to our respective states. We must work on allocations for the states,” he said when speaking at the opening ceremony of the Malaysia Cultural Festival (FBM) 2026 – ‘WOW Malaysia’ here last night.

Also present were Deputy Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture Chiew Choon Man and MOTAC secretary-general Datuk Shaharuddin Abu Sohot.

Tiong said the six-day FBM, which runs until Wednesday at Taman Tasik Titiwangsa, features various events, including traditional arts performances, cultural exhibitions and the uniqueness of heritage from across the country, including Sabah and Sarawak.

He said the festival, organised by MOTAC alongside agencies, strategic partners, as well as arts and cultural practitioners, is a programme that celebrates the beauty of the arts, cultural richness and the nation’s heritage treasures.

According to Tiong, the organisation of FBM at Taman Tasik Titiwangsa and Johor Bahru last year, as well as in Ipoh, Perak recently, attracted 772,192 visitors and generated a return on investment (ROI) of RM56.5 million, proving the immense potential of the festival in promoting Malaysia’s arts, culture, heritage and tourism.

“Through this festival, economic opportunities are also created for the people, from local food operators and transport drivers to arts practitioners, small entrepreneurs and craft artisans.

“This is the true value we wish to bring through tourism and culture, a growth whose benefits can be felt by the people,” he said.

He said the festival also serves as a platform to introduce Malaysia’s cultural diversity to tourists in conjunction with the Visit Malaysia Year 2026-2027 (VM2026-2027) campaign, besides encouraging the people to welcome visitors with the ‘Mesra Malaysia’ spirit, maintain cleanliness and become ambassadors for the country.

“May this festival continue to be a platform that unites the people, ignites the love for arts, culture and heritage, as well as opens up more opportunities for arts practitioners, local communities and tourism industry players.

“More importantly, our efforts continue to strengthen the position of Kuala Lumpur and Malaysia as a unique, competitive and world-class cultural tourism destination,” he said. — Bernama

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旅游、艺术和文化部旨在筹集资金，以升级和发展旅游目的地，并强调需要新的、有吸引力的旅游地点。

由马来西亚旅游、文化和文化部主办的马来西亚文化节，展示了艺术和文化遗产，吸引了游客，并带来了可观的经济效益。

该节日为宣传马来西亚的文化多样性提供了一个平台，并鼓励公众在2026-2027马来西亚旅游年活动中秉持“Mesra Malaysia”（马来西亚万岁）的精神。

吉隆坡，9月14日讯——旅游、艺术及文化部（MOTAC）将努力争取拨款，以帮助州政府升级现有旅游景点并开发新的景点，以吸引更多游客。

其部长拿督斯里张金星表示，此举意义重大，因为游客总是在寻找新的、有趣的旅游目的地。他还补充说，一些州有很多有开发潜力的地点，但面临资金限制。

“各州应该齐心协力，吸引更多游客前来旅游。我们必须努力为各州争取资金，”他昨晚在2026年马来西亚文化节（FBM）——“WOW Malaysia”的开幕式上发表讲话时说道。

旅游、艺术及文化部副部长邱俊文和旅游、艺术及文化部秘书长拿督沙哈鲁丁·阿布·索霍特也出席了会议。

Tiong表示，为期六天的FBM（将于周三在Taman Tasik Titiwangsa举行）将举办各种活动，包括传统艺术表演、文化展览以及来自全国各地（包括沙巴和砂拉越）的独特遗产。

他表示，该节日由文化和旅游部联合各机构、战略合作伙伴以及艺术和文化从业者共同组织，旨在颂扬艺术之美、文化底蕴和国家遗产宝藏。

据 Tiong 称，去年在 Taman Tasik Titiwangsa 和 Johor Bahru 举办的 FBM 以及最近在霹雳州怡保举办的 FBM 吸引了 772,192 名游客，并产生了 5650 万令吉的投资回报 (ROI)，证明了该节日对促进马来西亚艺术、文化、遗产和旅游业的巨大潜力。

“通过这个节日，也为人们创造了经济机会，从当地的食品经营者和运输司机到艺术从业者、小企业家和手工艺人。

他说：“这才是我们希望通过旅游和文化带来的真正价值，一种人们能够感受到其益处的增长。”

他表示，该节日也为配合“2026-2027马来西亚旅游年”（VM2026-2027）活动，向游客介绍马来西亚的文化多样性，同时鼓励人们以“热情好客马来西亚”的精神欢迎游客，保持清洁卫生，并成为国家的形象大使。

“愿这个节日继续成为一个团结人民、点燃人们对艺术、文化和遗产的热爱的平台，并为艺术从业者、当地社区和旅游业参与者创造更多机会。

“更重要的是，我们将继续努力，巩固吉隆坡和马来西亚作为独具特色、具有竞争力的世界级文化旅游目的地的地位，”他说道。——马新社

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