KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 12  -- Tourism industry players are pleased with Budget 2020 as their proposals have been accepted this time, said Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Mohamaddin Ketapi.

Mohamaddin said the proposals included a 50 per cent excise duty exemption and a capital allowance given to eligible tour operators for the purchase of new tourism vehicles.

“With this incentive, industry players can buy new buses and this is important for tourism,” he told a press conference at the Retro Havoc Car Show and Drive 4 Paul Charity Fundraising in Bandar Malaysia today.

Mohamaddin said the ministry would make full use of the allocation and prevent any leakage in making the Visit Malaysia 2020 (VYM2020) programme successful.

In Budget 2020 tabled by Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng yesterday, RM1.1 billion is set aside for the Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry for the purpose of promoting relevant programmes in conjunction with VMY2020.

It includes RM90 million specifically for driving awareness and promotions for the VMY 2020 campaign.

Meanwhile, in the event, more than 400 exotic, sport and custom cars were displayed in a fund raising effort towards Reach Out Wordwide (ROWW), an international charity to help disaster victims.

In MELAKA, Chief Minister Adly Zahari said tourism was a major contributor to the state's economy and the allocation under Budget 2020 for VMY2020,  is expected to boost the state's tourism sector.

"The RM90 million allocation is for tourism promotion purposes in various aspects including incentives for tourism industry players to conduct tourism programmes,” he said.

The allocation, he said would also help the state government and players in the tourism industry to emphasise the health tourism sub-sector which is now a popular choice among tourists to the state.

"So the state have to be ready to manage the budget as it would have a direct impact on Melaka and its people,” he told reporters after the investiture ceremony of the birthday celebration of the Yang Dipertua Negeri Melaka and presentation of state awards and honours at  Seri Negeri today. 

In LANGKAWI, Kedah, tourism industry players are confident that the target of five million tourist arrivals on the duty-free island next year is achievable with the RM1.1 billion allocation for VMY 2020.

Langkawi Tourism Industry Association president Ahmad Phisol Ishak said besides the tourism allocation, Budget 2020 also included an allocation of RM30 million for the production of glutinous rice in Langkawi, and this, he said, would also serve the island's tourism industry well.

"The glutinous rice can not only generate income for the farmers, the plantation would also be another new product of agro tourism on the island. This is a great initiative from the government and Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who is also the Langkawi MP," he said.

-- BERNAMA