Malaysia goes for yield

Malaysia is shifting its direction from attracting mass, middle-income tourists to high-yield visitors as part of the government?s plan to transform the country into a high-income economy by 2020.

?We started with mass tourism and now, we need to take it to the next level,? said Tourism Malaysia deputy director-general Amirrudin Abu. ?Continuing with the mass market would put a strain on our resources and we?ll not be able to conserve our natural attractions such as coral reefs.?

The 2020 target is to bring in 3.5 times more tourism receipts than the present 2010 target of RM54 billion (US$16 billion).

On June 1, a lab initiated by the NTO?s Performance Management and Delivery Unit kicked off a two-month exercise to brainstorm with key players from the industry on getting out of the middle-income trap and wooing upscale tourists instead.

The lab will also discuss how niche segments such as Malaysia My Second Home, MICE, Health and Education Tourism ? all of which generate thrice as much revenue as the leisure segment ? can be further marketed.

?In August, we?ll have an inkling of what is the way forward,? said Amirrudin.

Recommendations from the lab may result in Tourism Malaysia reviewing its role and marketing strategies. In the meantime, the NTO will continue with its current strategies.

Agents welcomed the shift towards high-income tourists, saying it would most likely result in higher salaries, better products and services. Columbia Leisure managing director OY Jason said: ?The government should not neglect developing the software such as training of frontliners. In the long run, our culture will have to change. We?ll have to be more welcoming. This will take time but the education process must start from young.?