KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 18  -- The federal government is proposing an additional allocation for the 2020 Visit Malaysia Year Campaign, said Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng. 

Hence, vendors and businesses in the tourism sector across the country, especially in Sabah, are encouraged to send in good proposals to the Treasury through channels such as Focus Group sessions, as well as the government web portal, Portal Belanjawan 2020, he said.

“The government places importance on a joint venture approach and hence, in Budget 2019, RM100 million was provided for in matching grants for international marketing and promotional programmes.

“Shared prosperity can only be achieved through our shared responsibility to improve the national economy generally, and tourism specifically,” he said at the Focus Group Session: Promoting Tourism And Other Strategic Areas In Sabah, held yesterday at Kota Kinabalu.

In 2018, the total number of tourist arrivals was at 25.8 million.For the first half of this year, the number of arrivals had already reached 13.3 million.

In line with the 2020 Visit Malaysia Year, the government has targeted an increase in the number of tourist arrivals to 30 million.

Lim expressed confidence that Sabah would contribute to achieving the growth in tourist numbers.

To support the efforts of states in growing tourism activities, the government in Budget 2019 agreed to return 50 per cent of the tourism tax proceeds of the respective states.

As of March 2019, of the RM67.7 million distributed to all state governments, Sabah received the highest allocation of RM12.7 million.

“This sharing of proceeds will continue with the aim of contributing to the upkeep of tourist facilities. Sabah and Sarawak will continue receiving the biggest allocation in Budget 2020, as in the previous budget,” Lim said.

-- BERNAMA