IPOH, Dec 8 — Tourism players have described the RM21.4 million allocation in Perak Budget 2024 for tourism promotion as a tonic for the sector, which is still recovering from the impact of COVID-19.
Perak Tourism Association (PTA) chairman Datuk Mohd Odzman Abd Kadir said the funds would come in handy for the Visit Perak Year 2024 (TMP2024).
“The tourism sector is one of the pillars of the state’s economic growth and this will benefit the people’s economy. We thank the state government for this.
“Many countries’ tourism has yet to fully recover even after the pandemic. Now, we have to do promotions in a big way and this allocation is very encouraging as it is higher than that given last year,” he said.
He told a press conference this after attending the launch of the ‘Cura Si Manjakini’ novel by Kolej Poly-Tech MARA (KPTM) Ipoh and Six Sense Creative (SSSC) at KPTM Ipoh, near here today.
Yesterday, the Perak State Assembly unanimously approved the RM1.35 billion state budget tabled by Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad.
Saarani said out of the RM21.4 million for tourism and cultural promotions, RM10 million would be channelled to Tourism Perak, an increase of RM3 million over the 2023 allocation.
Cura Si Manjakini tells of the adventure of a student across two eras in tracing the Perak Malay Sultanate history.
KPTM Ipoh director Noor Laili Abdullah said the Cura Si Manjakini historical fiction would help to promote the reading habit, especially among the younger generation.
