LETTERS In 2022, travel and tourism accounted for one in eleven jobs worldwide and contributed US$7.7 trillion to the global economy and Malaysia's second-largest source of foreign exchange income — 14 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP).
But, these days, not everything about tourism is positive. Look at what happens in other famous destinations.
Bali learned the hard way as residents witnessed tourists' insensitive behaviour, overconsumption of water, plastic pollution, traffic jams and overdevelopment.
Tourist dollars drive up prices, making them less affordable for locals. Renting out homes drives up housing prices.
Malaysia must learn from Bali's experience as we move towards Visit Malaysia 2026.
Currently, Melaka's Visit Melaka Year 2024 is successful with about 10 million visitors as at the end of September, exceeding its target of 8.7 million for the whole year.
Up north, Penang has welcomed around 600,000 international travellers to its shores in 2023 compared with about 400,000 in 2022 and 2019.
Areas of George Town and Gurney Drive, however, are dealing with issues of rapid tourism growth, urban livability and the effects on the natural environment.
Furthermore, Melaka and George Town are Unesco World Heritage Sites.
Comprehensive sustainable tourism planning and strategies plus heritage preservation are vital to avoid the experience of Pulau Sembilan, south of Pulau Pangkor, which was closed in 2017.
It's a mistake if we put the environment and local residents' interests on the back burner.
Overtourism happens when we overlook tourism's negative impacts and fail to manage tourist numbers, which leads to overcrowded destinations.
Effective policies and rules are essential in managing tourist inflows and minimising environmental and social damage.
Promoting destinations that offer unique experiences, which will also save on unnecessary infrastructure upgrades might be the better approach.
Tourism should be seen not only as an economic engine that sells services but as part of global natural and socio-cultural systems that should benefit future generations.
SALEH MOHAMMED
Kuala Lumpur
The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of the New Straits Times