Tourism industry now 6th largest GDP contributor, says Najib

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's tourism sector is now the 6th largest contributor to the national economy, contributing a total of RM161 billion (14.9%) of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2014.
In spite of a year of tragedies, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak (pix) said the country's tourism industry still managed to attract 27.44 million tourists, with RM72 billion in tourist receipts to boast in 2014.
"These are healthy figures that we are not afraid to flash out. However, the impact of tourism goes beyond tourist arrivals or tourist receipts.
"Its impact is most important on the sustainable development of our economy and society," Najib said in his latest blog posting today.
Najib said when he first took over as Prime Minister, Malaysia faced the challenge of not having a sustainable source of income to run the country, which contributed to him initiating the National Transformation Programme (NTP).
"Back then, our oil dependency was at 41.3% and our oil supply was predicted to be able to last for merely 15 years ... that means my grandchild would grow up to a Malaysia that will be struggling to sustain itself if nothing was done to rectify the problem.
"Hence, I initiated the NTP with a vision to create a sustainable system for developing our homeland. There was an urgent need to strengthen and diversify our economy, and the tourism industry plays an important role in that," he explained.
Since the inception of NTP, he said the tourism industry has opened up new opportunities and benefited Malaysians, bringing in RM19.4 billion of investment and contributing 1.77 million jobs (13% of total employment) in 2014 alone.
Najib also attributed the tourism industry's success to the nation's aggressive promotional campaigns abroad.
He said the recently announced economic measures have also seen an additional RM80 million allocated to intensify promotional activities in selected markets including Asean, China and India.
"We are no longer known as 'the country between Singapore and Thailand'. We have successfully showcased our uniqueness, harmony and diversity.
"This presents a great opportunity for tourists to get to know Malaysia and for Malaysians to rediscover our historical and cultural roots," he added.
Najib said other local tourist attractions, such as the National Museum, National Monument and the Perdana Botanical Garden, will also be given a new lease of life.
In a recent poll conducted by independent Italian sources at the Expo Milano, Malaysia is ranked third most preferred destination by visitors to the Expo.