JOHOR BARU: Johor’s tourist guides can expect good news in the upcoming state budget, says Mentri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi.
He hinted that an announcement benefiting the group will be made during the Johor Budget 2026 tabling on Thursday (Nov 13).
“There will be something quite positive for the tourist guides in Johor,” he said.
“This is a sign and token of appreciation from the state government for all that you have done for this special state,” added Onn Hafiz.
He spoke during the opening of the 2nd Southeast Asian Countries Tourist Guides Conference here.
The Mentri Besar said tour guides play a pivotal role in connecting cultures, promoting responsible tourism and creating lasting visitor memories.
“Tourist guides are more than narrators. They are cultural ambassadors, safety custodians and interpreters of heritage,” he added.
“In any successful tourism ecosystem, the government creates the vision and operators market their experience but it is the tourist guides who deliver the promise,” said Onn Hafiz.
The three-day conference, which began on Tuesday (Nov 11), has gathered about 250 tour guides from across Southeast Asia.
The first edition of the conference was held in Kuching, Sarawak, last year.
