Mersing Tourism Association hopes to receive an allocation from the Johor government next year to help industry players cover their losses during the monsoon season.
MTA secretary Ahmad Firdaus Shaik Omar said although the state had set aside funds for the purpose in 2021 and this year, there was no mention of an allocation during the tabling of the 2023 state budget.
Ahmad Firdaus says development of human capital is crucial for Mersing’s tourism growth.
“We are grateful for the upgrade of infrastructure and amenities for Pulau Besar as announced by Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi.
“Such development is very important as tourism activities on the island rely on infrastructure, service and attractive destinations.
“However, human capital development is also crucial and we hope that it will be on par with infrastructure development,” he said.
Mersing, he added, was one of the most famous tourist spots in Johor and more should be done to transform it into an international tourist destination.
When asked to comment on the state’s allocation of RM500,000 to train 1,000 tour guides in Johor, Ahmad Firdaus said: “There are only three tour guides in Mersing while most guides in the state are based in Johor Baru.
“It is a good move but at the same time, we hope for an allocation to cater to the needs of industry players in Mersing.”
Johor Tourist Guides Association chairman Jimmy Leong lauded the state government for the allocation and said it recognised the importance of tour guides in the state.
“We hope that the Johor Tourist Guides Association will be engaged to ensure that the right skills and knowledge are provided under the allocation,” he added.
During the tabling of the 2022 state budget, then Johor mentri besar Datuk Hasni Mohammad had announced an allocation of RM4mil as a special incentive for the tourism industry.
Leong says apart from Johor’s tourism products, its close proximity to Singapore also helps to pull in tourists.
He had said that from the amount, RM621,000 would go to 621 tour guides, RM414,000 to 207 budget hotel operators, RM372,000 to 186 tour agencies, RM233,000 to 232 chalet operators, and RM82,000 to 82 tour boat operators.
A total of RM320,000 was allocated to the Johor Tourism Association while RM100,000 went towards the hosting of business events in the state.
Hasni had also said that RM400,000 would go towards upgrading the Tourism Johor office in Johor Baru and another RM2mil would be used to intensify tourism promotional activities, both locally and abroad.
Under the 2023 state budget, Onn Hafiz had announced that RM8.3mil would be set aside to maintain tourism centres, including the Johor Gunung Ledang National Park, Sultan Abu Bakar Royal Museum and Johor Zoo.
“The state government has allocated RM3mil to organise tourism promotional events at international and domestic levels, which are expected to attract more than one million tourists.
“These events will also help those in the hospitality, retail and food and beverage sectors as well as petty traders,” he said.
A total of RM2.4mil had been provided for the marketing and promotion of Majestic Johor through various tourism segments, he added.
