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Perak targets five million domestic tourists amid spike in Covid-19 cases

Perak state Housing, Local Government and Tourism Committee chairman Datuk Nolee Ashilin Mohammed Radzi speaks to reporters in Ipoh September 29, 2020. ― Picture by Farhan Najib
Perak state Housing, Local Government and Tourism Committee chairman Datuk Nolee Ashilin Mohammed Radzi speaks to reporters in Ipoh September 29, 2020. ― Picture by Farhan Najib

IPOH, Sept 29 — The Perak government is targeting five million domestic tourists for this year amid a spike in Covid-19 cases in Malaysia, which has crossed the 11,000 mark, with 1,011 active cases.

State Housing, Local Government and Tourism Committee chairman Datuk Nolee Ashilin Mohammed Radzi said the target was set following the overwhelming bookings received by hotels around Perak post the movement control order.

“We have received more than 90,000 room bookings in 67 sample hotels around Perak,” she told a press conference after attending the closing ceremony of the Semarak Tourism Carnival at the Lost World Hotel Sunway here.

Based on 2019’s statistics, Nolee said that Perak had received a total of 10.1 million domestic tourists, who stayed overnight.

“However, for this year we are only targeting half of the amount we achieved last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Cooperation among industry players is important in order to develop tourism packages which will attract the domestic visitors to come more than once,” she added.

Noting the spike Covid-19 cases at the moment, Nolee said that the state government will do its best to maintain its green zone status.

“This is what we can do at the moment. That’s why we urge and emphasise industry players to carry on with the standard operating procedures.

“We also need to educate the people who visit the state to play their part as responsible tourists in order to maintain their safety,” she said.

Yesterday, Malaysia reported 115 new Covid-19 cases, bringing Malaysia’s cumulative positive cases to 11,034 while the death toll remained at 134.

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