TOURISM industry players in Terengganu are calling for the establishment of a new agency to protect the state’s tourism assets from political vagaries.

They claimed changes in the state government had a negative impact on the industry and believed the proposed entity could protect Terengganu’s tourism assets from problems arising from such a situation.

One industry player, who only wanted to be identified as Razali, said such a proposal had been forwarded to the state government before, alluding to the Barisan Nasional (BN) government, which administered the state from 2004 to 2018.

Razali said there was no response from the government.

“We did submit a proposal once because there have been instances of stagnated tourism projects as a result of political pressures,” he said.

The Malaysian Insight recently reported on the complaints of tourism entrepreneurs in Terengganu regarding the state’s unstable political climate which they claimed had impacted the development of the industry.

They cited the duty free zone in Pulau Bayas in Lake Kenyir as an example, which was abandoned due to the change of menteri besar when the state administration shifted from BN to PAS.

Razali said no matter who helmed the state government, the new administration must be aggressive in promoting the state’s tourism industry.

The current PAS government that replaced BN since May 2018 is merely continuing old projects with nothing new in the pipeline, he added.

“So far we have not seen any new tourism projects or products from this administration. The government of this state is only continuing with old projects like the lift bridge in Kuala Nerus,” he said.

Nonetheless, he was full of praise for the PAS government’s policy of developing community-based tourism products that provided income opportunities to locals.

“We know Terengganu has a very high potential to be a major tourism state. There are many areas in the state that have something to offer as tourist attractions,” he said.

However, Razali, who is active in promoting community tourism, said the state government needs to do more.

He said the government needs to train and provide a support system to people in villages, for example, to take advantage of the opportunities that exist.

Razali also said the state government should bear in mind the economic spin off the East Coast Rail Link Project (ECRL) will generate when it is completed.

“The question is whether we are ready to face this transformation. The ECRL will dramatically change the state’s tourism sector.

“The rail link will overcome one of the constraints tourism in the state had faced for years, access.

“If we are fixated on the old way of doing business, failing to fix our weaknesses and having no clear direction where the industry is headed, then I’m afraid we will remain in a rut,” he said.

Razali also hoped the state government would build more hotels.

“We don’t even have the room to accommodate all the tourists who had planned to come to Terengganu. Look a Malacca.

“They are a very small state yet they have more hotels than Terengganu.

“The quality of our hotels is also very unsatisfactory. There have been many complaints from tourists on this issue,” he said.

A tourism entrepreneur in Tasik Kenyir, Zalani Endut said he believed in the tourism potential of the state, but only if efforts are put into developing it .

He lamented the many tourism projects that were built in the past but ended up being abandoned.

“In Tasik Kenyir, there are many islands where tourism projects were built like Rambutan Park, Tropic Park, Heliconia Park and Botanic Park.”

He said the projects have since been left abandoned.

“They were not maintained. Now they end up as wasted projects.”

He said he hoped the state government or the tourism department rehabilitate the projects on these islands.

“It’s a pity to abandon them.”

Zalani said he had made a request to take over the bird and butterfly parks.

“I can’t afford to take over everything,” he said.

He said the state government also needs to build more infrastructure in tourist areas and improve the existing ones.

The infrastructure in Tasik Kenyir is a good example.

“It is still not satisfactory. It’s very difficult for us as entrepreneurs, we want to attract tourists but the infrastructure here is very sad,” he said. – June 5, 2023.