Tiong (front, second right) alongside other leaders and representatives of participating countries gather for a group photo.
BINTULU (Nov 13): Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing last Saturday attended the ‘Tourism Resilience Summit’ in Sendai, Japan to discuss preparation for crisis in tourism sector.
The summit, co-organised by the Japan Travel Agency and the United Nations (UN) Tourism Regional Support Office for Asia and the Pacific, aims to foster knowledge exchange and discuss strategies for establishing crisis-response mechanisms.
It brought together representatives from national and local governments, tourism industry players, and major organisations to share insights and discuss previous experiences.
“These efforts are crucial for ensuring resilience within the tourism sector, enabling it to endure, respond to and recover swiftly from unexpected disruptions, and providing a degree of security for both travellers and industry stakeholders,” said Tiong.
“The goal is to draw inspiration from past cases, helping all participants deepen their understanding of tourism resilience.”
During the Ministerial Meeting, Tiong shared how the Covid-19 pandemic highlighted the vulnerabilities within the tourism sector when faced with unforeseen crises.
“In Malaysia, we have been working to address these vulnerabilities and strengthen our sector’s resilience through initiatives like the National Tourism Policy 2020-2030 and the Tourism Recovery Framework.
“From launching the Langkawi International Travel Bubble in September 2021 to the full reopening of our borders on 1 April 2022, we have demonstrated adaptability and innovation.
“We recognise that the tourism sector will face future challenges requiring a more proactive approach to crisis preparedness,” he said, adding that Tourism Malaysia, the Malaysian National Security Council, and the Health Ministry had collaborated closely to respond effectively to these challenges.
Adding on, Tiong said the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (Motac) has formulated a comprehensive, multi-channel strategy to strengthen resilience.
Motac, he said, is conducting detailed risk assessments tailored to the unique geographic and tourism characteristics of each state to deepen understanding of potential crises.
“This includes integrating data on possible crisis incidents, infrastructure limitations, and socioeconomic impacts, enabling us to create customised preparedness plans for each state.
“By co communicating timely information through websites, social media and real-time updates, we can keep the public informed and avoid misinformation.
“Ongoing training and role delegation also enhances crisis-management capabilities of relevant entities, fortifying the resilience of the communities and protecting livelihoods.
“By prioritising these measures, Motac is actively working to build a stronger, more sustainable tourism sector,” he said, adding that Motac is committed to collaborating with tourism stakeholders to safeguard the safety and well-being of both travellers and communities and to preserve the vitality of the industry.
Also present at the summit were Japan’s Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Tetsuo Saito; Sendai Mayor Kazuko Kori; as well as leaders and representatives from Malaysia, Laos, the Philippines, Timor-Leste, Fiji, the Republic of Palau, Papua New Guinea, and South Korea.
The organisations represented at the summit included the UN World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO); the UN Tourism Regional Support Office for Asia and the Pacific; the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA); the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR); the Japan Association of Travel Agents (JATA); the Japan National Tourism Organisation (JNTO); and the Japan Travel and Tourism Association (JTTA).