Mersing District Council implements system to regulate tourism activities

Mersing District Council (MDM) has introduced a “Mersing Tourism Operating System” (MeTOS) to improve the management of tourism activities in the district.

Council president Mohd Norman Noh said the use of the system – launched on May 1 – was a main requirement for applications for Water Transport Service Licences and compulsory for island-hopping activities.

He said there were three main modules, namely registration, online booking and payment, which must be completed by the applicant and confirmed by MDM, before the operator was allowed to conduct any activities.

“Only licensed operators can use this system, and application must be submitted five days before any activity is carried out.

“This system also helps in managing the number and (types of) tourism activities in selected locations, apart from recording the number of tourist arrivals as well as facilitating the monitoring of island-hopping activities on the islands of Mersing,” he said in a statement.

Mohd Norman said MeTOS was developed by MDM in collaboration with Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) in Segamat.

He said the agreement was signed by former MDM president Norazmi Amir Hamzah and UiTM Johor branch rector Prof Dr Ismail Ahmad.

“I hope all tourism agents and operators of tourism activities and tourist boats will cooperate to ensure that this system is implemented effectively,” Mohd Norman said, adding that scuba-diving activities were still banned.

All diving activities were temporarily suspended after the disappearance of four foreign scuba divers in the waters of Pulau Tokong Sanggol, about nine nautical miles from Tanjung Leman, on April 6.

Three divers – Norwegian Kristine Grodem, 35, Englishman Adrian Peter Chesters, 46, and Frenchwoman Alexia Alexandra Molina, 18 – were found safe while Dutch citizen Nathen Renze Chesters, 14, was reported to have died.

Mersing has five main islands, namely Pulau Sibu, Pulau Besar, Pulau Tinggi, Pulau Aur and Pulau Pemanggil. — Bernama