KUALA LUMPUR: The Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry will be focusing on the business events industry during the National Recovery Plan (NRP) period, says its minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri.

       She said this was in line with the government‘s announcement on opening up the domestic tourism sector in Phase Three of the NRP.

       “There are 81 events scheduled to be held this year, including 56 conventions and 24 exhibitions,” she told reporters after visiting the vaccine administering centre (PPV) at the World Trade Centre Kuala Lumpur (WTCKL) yesterday.

       Citing the WTCKL, she said convention centres could operate again, thus boosting the industry, and noted that there were 19 convention centres in the country being used as PPV.

       Nancy said the business events industry could generate 25,000 employment opportunities by 2030.

       “Business events can be managed in a targeted manner for vaccinated delegates with a high degree of compliance with safety and the standard operating procedures,” she added.

       Meanwhile, Nancy said the Covid-19 Free Destination Programme initiated by her ministry would continue to enable the main tourism destinations to reopen after the targeted herd immunity was achieved.

       She also said the ministry was waiting for the supply to start vaccinating workers in the tourism sector and sub-sectors in Pulau Langkawi, the identified location for the pioneer project under the programme.

       She said Langkawi was chosen as it had international travel facilities that could bring in foreign tourists directly, besides having a population of 76,400, adding that it could be easily seen whether the pioneer project could help the tourism industry recover quickly.

       Nancy, who also had the opportunity to watch a performance by musicians from Istana Budaya and the National Culture and Arts Department at WTCKL, said the ministry planned to have such a performance at a number of PPV in the country. — Bernama