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  • Opening Remarks From The Secretary General Of The Ministry Of Tourism And Culture Malaysia - Seminar On Accessible Tourism

Opening Remarks From The Secretary General Of The Ministry Of Tourism And Culture Malaysia - Seminar On Accessible Tourism

OPENING REMARKS FROM
THE SECRETARY GENERAL
OF THE MINISTRY OF TOURISM AND CULTURE MALAYSIA
SEMINAR ON ACCESSIBLE TOURISM
MATIC, 7 FEBRUARY 2017

Good morning and Selamat Pagi

1. It gives me great pleasure to be with you this morning at the Seminar on Accessible Tourism. First and foremost, let me welcome our international delegates to Kuala Lumpur. For those of you who are in Kuala Lumpur for the first time, welcome to Malaysia! And for those who have visited here before, welcome back and we are very happy to see you again.

2. To our local tour operators, NGOs, hoteliers and from every agency or organisation, we would also like to thank you for taking time off from your busy schedule to be with us here today.

3. I would like to commend the ASEAN – Japan Centre (AJC) for taking the initiative to organise such an educational and impactful seminar. We are pleased and honoured to be chosen as the host of the second leg of this seminar after the first one which was held in Japan in October last year. This seminar is not only useful to policy makers but also to the industry players and disabled people.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

4. Travel and tourism is a growing industry, in spite of the volatility and sluggish global economic growth. Malaysia recognises the significant impact of travel and tourism on economic and social development – in stimulating business, trade and capital investment; in creating jobs and entrepreneurship; and in protecting heritage and cultural values.

5. Let me highlight here the numbers to illustrate what I mean by significant. In 2015, Malaysia’s tourism industry was the third largest contributor to the economy with a direct contribution of RM67.1 billion to Malaysia’s Gross National Income (GNI) and second highest private investment contributor at RM24.5 billion. We have grown significantly, from 5.5 million international tourist arrivals in 1998 to 25.7 million in 2015 generating RM69.1 billion or USD17.6 billion in foreign exchange earnings and accounted for 1 out of 5 tourism-related jobs in Malaysia.

6. The World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) has forecasted a total of 1.8 billion international tourist arrivals worldwide by 2030 and part of it is made up by people with disabilities. According to the World Health Organisation, over a billion people are estimated to live with some form of disability. This corresponds to about 15% of the world's population. Between 110 – 190 million people aging 15 years and older have significant difficulties in mobility.

7. In this regard, countries are increasingly developing accessible destination and infrastructure that does not cater adequately for the needs of people with disabilities, including infants and the elderly. Hence, this seminar is indeed timely and in line with the growing worldwide attention paid to accessible tourism. In 2016, UNWTO has chosen “Accessible Tourism” as the theme for World Tourism Day 2016. This celebration promotes universal accessibility while reminding us of the importance of providing equal opportunities to travellers when getting around and exploring beautiful and diverse parts of the world.

8. The Ministry of Tourism and Culture has already set a standard to every tourism infrastructure development and facility where it must comply with the Malaysia Standard MS1184 - Universal Design and Accessibility in the Build of Environment. Fittings that need to be installed in every tourism project include ramps, handrails, accessible parking spaces, proper signage and toilets that are disabled-friendly. Besides that, under the Ministry’s star rating system for hotels in Malaysia, it is required to provide at least one specially designed room for the disabled in hotels. This room is required to be equipped with adequate accessible facilities such as a hand bars in the bathroom and lowered beds.

9. The Malaysian Inbound Tourism Association (MITA) offers special tourism packages which cater to disabled tourists. These packages include facilities such as wheelchairs and tour vans/buses with ramps. The two most popular tourist destinations for the disabled are Lake Gardens in Kuala Lumpur and the National Elephant Conservation Centre in Kuala Gandah. Other interesting packages for the disabled that are coming soon include scuba diving in Tioman Island and race car driving at the Sepang National Circuit.

10. I am sure all of you have noticed the van and bus for disabled displayed outside. These vehicles are displayed here today courtesy of MITA, and I would like to take this opportunity today to thank MITA and all tour agencies and associations for all their assistance and cooperation for all the special tour packages in making Malaysia more accessible for the disabled.

11. I was happy to hear that the international participants were taken to the Bukit Nanas Canopy Walk in Kuala Lumpur yesterday. This is one of the examples of tourism products developed by my Ministry which provides wider walking trails designated for wheel chair users. Many more products in Kuala Lumpur and the whole Malaysia have been equipped with disabled facilities.
12. The Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development has also introduced the National Council for Disabled. This Council consists of the Universal Design and Built Environment Committee and the Transportation Committee.

13. It is not solely the responsibility of the government to take care of the needs of tourists. Everyone here today should be part of or play a role in striving to provide universal accessibility to both international and domestic tourists.

14. I trust that all of us here are doing our part in ensuring that the disabled, irrespective of gender, age and physical ability get the chance to share the hospitality, diversity and uniqueness of our respective countries. The beauty of tourism is that it increases awareness and appreciation of each other’s culture, tradition and heritage. Hence, it promotes peace, harmony and well-being of the locals and tourists around the globe.

15. In conclusion, once again, on behalf of the Ministry of Tourism and Culture Malaysia, I would like to thank all international and local participants and speakers for being here with us today. Your presence here at this seminar proves that accessible tourism is pivotal and close to all our hearts. I hope that today’s seminar brings us together to strive to enhance the quality our tourism destinations around the globe. Together, we can cultivate and promote the concept of “Tourism for all” for the mutual benefit of all parties.

Thank you all.
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