ISKANDAR PUTERI: The Johor Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry plans to expand the Compliant Tourism Hotspot Zone programme to ecotourism areas across the state.
This comes after Kampung Sungai Melayu was selected as the first location under the initiative.
State director Lilis Saslinda Pornomo said the expansion would be carried out in stages, adopting the same approach implemented in Kampung Sungai Melayu, particularly in terms of legal compliance, price marking, cleanliness and safety, to protect the interests of consumers and tourists.
"This marks the beginning of the Compliant Tourism Hotspot Zone in Johor, and we hope it will be further expanded to other tourist hotspots next year,” she told the media after officiating the Johor-level launch ceremony at the Kampung Sungai Melayu Ecotourism centre here on Thursday (Sept 24).
Lilis said the implementation of the initiative was a continuation of the market compliance programme previously carried out by the ministry at eight public markets across the state.
She said the advocacy, education and integrated cooperation approach under the programme was now being expanded to tourist areas to ensure that operators and traders understood and complied with the regulations.
"This is also an added value that gives confidence in and enhances Johor’s reputation as a tourist destination, while attracting more domestic and international tourists,” she added.
According to Lilis, part of the requirements include the need to clearly display goods and service prices, including ticket prices for ecotourism activities.
She said the ministry would also provide PATUH price tags to traders in targeted areas to help ensure that prices are clearly displayed and easily visible to consumers.
Meanwhile, Kota Iskandar assemblyman Datuk Pandak Ahmad, who was also present at the launch, said the expansion of the initiative to other ecotourism areas in Johor could help ensure that tourist destinations were managed more transparently and give tourists greater confidence.
On Sept 12, the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry said that it was focusing on tourist areas nationwide through the implementation of the Compliant Tourism Hotspot Zone programme to ensure traders complied with the law, particularly those relating to prices and transactions.
Deputy director-general of Operations (Prevention) Aris Mamat said 16 tourist hotspots nationwide had been selected as pilot projects this year, including Wet World Pedas in Negeri Sembilan, as well as tourist areas in Melaka and Johor. – Bernama
