KOTA BARU: Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri said the Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry (MOTAC) was surprised when it was announced that the tourism sector was allotted RM1.6 billion under the 2022 Budget tabled in the Dewan Rakyat yesterday.
"The allocation announced by the Finance Minister yesterday surprised us as the ministry did not expect to receive such a huge amount," the MOTAC minister said.
Nancy said funds from the allocation among others would be utilised to repair 738 budget hotels registered under MOTAC which have been badly affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.
In addition, the funding will also be utilised to re-skill tourism operators, she said.
"The ministry knows that many operators and other players in the industry were badly affected by the pandemic and many now want to restart their businesses.
"The RM1.6 billion allocation includes RM60 million for domestic tourist promotion and RM50 million for cultural purposes," she said after visiting a floating market at the Pengkalan Datu Cerana Villa Eco Resort here today.
She is hopeful that tourism players will play their part in ensuring the ministry's promotions and campaigns to aid in the sector's recovery will be carried out smoothly.
On today's visit, Nancy said the ministry will help Kelantan promote the floating market as well as other state tourism products.
"Kelantan is a unique state... it has various products such as wayang kulit, wau, gasing and even batik.
"All these products need to have good packages to attract outsiders, including foreigners, to Kelantan.
"But to achieve this, all quarters, including several related ministries, need to cooperate so that promotion for these products can be done well," she added.
Finance Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz in tabling the 2022 Budget yesterday, said seven key initiatives, involving a total value of RM1.6 billion, would be implemented next year to revive the tourism sector which has been badly affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.
He said it included a Wage Subsidy Programme, which specifically targeted tourism operators whose income have been undermined by the pandemic.
The Finance Minister also said the government would allocate RM600 million as specific financing for the tourism sector under the PENJANA Tourism Financing and BPMB Rehabilitation Scheme; RM85 million in special assistance to more than 20,000 tourism operators registered under MOTAC for three months and RM50 million for maintenance of tourism infrastructure, including the Sultan Abdul Samad Building and Lembah Bujang in Kedah.
Tengku Zafrul added that RM30 million was also allocated in form of matching grants for the repair of 738 budget hotels that are registered under MOTAC, as well as for registered homestay owners; RM50 million in matching grants to companies to organise arts and culture-related programmes, as well as RM60 million in incentive funds for activities to promote domestic tourism.