27/09/2025

SATURDAY | SEPT 27, 2025

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Joint conservation, tourism effort off Johor coast

Anwar to launch Visit Malaysia 2026 in Malacca MALACCA: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim will officially launch Visit Malaysia 2026 (VM2026) in Klebang today, an event that will put Malacca in the spotlight and draw global attention to the country’s tourism ambitions. The launch coincides with the three-day World Tourism Day (WTD) celebrations and the World Tourism Conference (WTC), further strengthening Malaysia’s position on the global tourism stage. Carrying the themes “Malaysia Truly Asia” and “Surreal Experiences”, VM2026 aims to showcase the nation’s cultural richness and natural wonders to the world. The campaign highlights Malaysia’s diversity and heritage while underscoring its ecological treasures and unique traditions. Adding to the international flavour, more than 150 representatives and delegates from the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) will attend the ceremony. The Malacca government, together with UNWTO and the Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry, has lined up a series of programmes designed to attract both locals and foreign visitors. These include the International Kite Festival, heritage showcases featuring more than 3,000 performers and the Malacca Konda Kondi Festival, which revives nostalgic traditional games. Entrepreneurship also takes centre stage through the Malacca Entrepreneurs’ Carnival 2025, in which over 60 local businesses will engage in business-matching sessions with transaction targets of up to RM10 million. Meanwhile, WTC 2025 and WTD 2025, themed “Tourism and Sustainable Transformation”, seeks to secure two records in the Malaysia Book of Records – the Largest Simultaneous Zapin Performance in a Single Event and the country’s first-ever Konda Kondi competition. History enthusiasts will be treated to “The Historical Maritime Exhibition of a World Naval Hero: Enrique de Malacca”, which sheds light on the Malaccan who sailed with Ferdinand Magellan and became the first Asian to circumnavigate the globe in the 16th century. Rare artefacts, including Magellan’s 1519 will and the Maluku Fleet Register naming Enrique as his official interpreter, will also be displayed. The evening will culminate in performances by Datuk Seri Siti Nurhaliza and Misha Omar, alongside a 1,000-drone light show over the Klebang skies. More than 600 police personnel will be on duty to ensure safety throughout the festivities. With WTD 2025 and WTC 2025 under way, Malacca is expected to benefit significantly, with projections of 16.5 million tourist arrivals and RM23.48 billion in tourism revenue this year. – Bernama something even better, rooted in its diversity and spirit.” Rejecting dual pricing based on nationality, he argued it risked making tourists feel unwelcome. Instead, he suggested rewarding locals through loyalty programmes, holiday discounts or cultural promotions while keeping public facing prices consistent. “Informal dual pricing, where locals or those speaking certain dialects are charged less, is common but also a chance for Malaysia to lead with integrity. By promoting universal pricing through QR menus, fixed-rate kiosks and mobile apps, the country can eliminate confusion and build trust.” He added that vendors should be trained to embrace hospitality as a core value rather than a negotiation tactic. “This is not just good economics. It is the foundation of a modern, confident and welcoming nation that takes pride in its openness and kindness.”

o Organisation works with local communities to protect reefs, traditions while creating alternative livelihoods

markups. That way, businesses adapting responsibly can rise with the times, while every tourist feels respected and treated fairly.” He cautioned that unchecked markups could create a “tourist-only economy” that sidelines locals, but emphasised Malaysia could counter this by involving communities in planning, supporting affordable housing near hotspots and promoting shared ownership models such as cooperatives and homestays. “When residents benefit directly from visitor spending through jobs, income and pride, tourism becomes more inclusive and resilient, preserving culture while driving lasting prosperity. This is not a threat, but an opportunity for locals and visitors to thrive together.” He cited Thailand’s certification schemes, Vietnam’s price-display rules and Bali’s community-set rate guidelines as examples that fairness and growth can go hand in hand. “These models prove fairness and growth are not opposites, but partners. Malaysia can build contributes data and expertise to help Malaysia design a national framework for regenerative tourism. “Malaysia is still relatively undeveloped compared with our neighbours,” she said. “It’s not too late to plan carefully.” She encouraged more businesses to dedicate part of their profits to environmental goals. “Protecting nature makes business sense, our reefs thrive, turtles return and visitors keep coming.” TIC executive director Noor Azariyah Mohtar highlighted its Rumah Eko initiative, which merges conservation data with authentic visitor experiences. “We collect habitat, species and island waste data while partnering with islanders to showcase food such as Laksa Pulau and performances such as the Zapin Pulau dance.” To safeguard biodiversity, she called for: 0 Carrying-capacity studies and zoning within Johor Marine Park to manage tourist and boat traffic; 0 Community guardianship to curb turtle-egg poaching, enforce no-anchoring and no fishing zones, and protect islands; and 0 Responsible tourism packages that channel visitor spending to local stalls, heritage shows and community facilities She also urged tourists to follow simple rules: no littering, no taking corals or marine life and respect for local culture. TIC is working with authorities and the Fisheries Department on signage, guided tours and upskilling programmes for operators, women and schoolchildren. “These will feed into its upcoming Eko Guardian programme to raise hospitality standards and community stewardship.” Within the next decade, Noor Azariyah envisions Pulau Besar as a model marine park where environmental protection and cultural preservation go hand in hand. She urged travellers to spend wisely. “When you spend, you might help an island community with daily expenses or send a child to school. “With science, culture and community woven together, Pulau Besar shows how tourism can protect the very beauty that draws travellers here, ensuring reefs, turtles and traditions endure for generations.”

Ű BY KIRTINEE RAMESH newsdesk@thesundaily.com

MERSING: Off Johor’s eastern coast, a cluster of islands is showing how tourism can safeguard nature while sustaining culture and livelihoods. Tengah Island Conservation (TIC) is working with local communities to prove that protecting fragile marine ecosystems need not come at the expense of economic survival. Its president Cher Chua-Lassalvy stressed that conservation succeeds only when islanders are equal partners. “We won’t make any difference if the communities around us aren’t involved,” she explained. The initiative began with school programmes before expanding to Mersing’s shrinking islander population. The cluster includes Pulau Besar, Pulau Tengah, Pulau Rawa, Pulau Pemanggil and Pulau Harimau. Cher admitted that winning trust required patience. “People wondered if we were making money off them. You have to listen first.” Today, TIC works with village leaders, trains youths and preserves traditions such as the Zapin Pulau dance, even converting old homes into community hubs. These collaborations create alternative livelihoods through boat rentals, homestays and catering, turning conservation into economic opportunity. “When visitors spend locally, they help families send their kids to school,” Cher noted. She emphasised that protecting reefs and mangroves is both a moral duty and an economic necessity. “Nature saves governments millions,” she explained, citing coral reefs that shield coasts PETALING JAYA: For Visit Malaysia 2026 to succeed, the country must turn rising costs in tourist hotspots into an opportunity to build transparent, inclusive and sustainable tourism that benefits both locals and visitors. Universiti Teknologi Mara’s Academy of SME and Entrepreneurship Development coordinator Dr Mohamad Idham Md Razak argued that rigid price caps should be avoided as they risk deterring investment and weakening service quality. “Instead of limiting prices, Malaysia has a powerful opportunity to build trust through transparency and innovation. By mandating clear digital price displays, launching real-time comparison platforms and supporting small businesses with grants for upgrades or energy efficiency, the country can ensure fair pricing without stifling growth,” he explained. He warned that while capping prices may look Ű BY QIRANA NABILLA MOHD RASHIDI newsdesk@thesundaily.com

Noor Azariyah envisions Pulau Besar as a model marine park, where environmental protection and cultural preservation go hand in hand. – KIRTINEE RAMESH/THESUN from erosion. Yet their true value is often overlooked. The group is now working with the Finance Ministry to document such “spillover benefits,” showing how conservation spending ripples through the wider economy. Still, Cher warned of sudden policy decisions such as land reclamation or mega resorts that could destroy what makes Pulau Besar unique. Instead of chasing large developments, she urged shining a spotlight on what already exists by promoting authentic village life and culture. “It’s about balancing tourism and heritage. If we have too many people, that’s a problem too.” As part of the United Nations Sustainable Tourism Observatory Network, TIC also like a quick fix, it risks undermining innovation. He added that Malaysia’s competitiveness depends on offering authentic, reliable and fairly priced experiences. By investing in clean infrastructure, training entrepreneurs, promoting certified operators and showcasing cultural richness over low-cost gimmicks, Malaysia could attract higher spending travellers who value safety, consistency and meaning. “Such an approach makes tourism a sustainable engine of inclusive growth, where businesses thrive because they deliver value, not because they are forced to lower prices.” Mohamad Idham noted that 60% to 70% of recent price increases stem from genuine inflationary pressures – wages, rents, utilities and global supply chain costs – while 30% to 40% reflect market behaviour that could be improved. “With better data, public awareness and targeted enforcement, Malaysia can distinguish between legitimate cost increases and unfair

Rising tourist costs represent opportunity, not threat: Expert