KUALA LUMPUR: The growing tourism sector in Mersing, Johor helps boost the district’s socio-economic growth, thus improving the livelihood of the people, said the East Coast Economic Region Development Council (ECERDC).
Chief Executive Officer Datuk Seri Jebasingam Issace John said Mersing has great potential to become a premier regional tourism destination and its holistic transformation would bring positive impact, particularly in developing local talents.
“We envisaged that the spillover benefits from the growth of the tourism sector will help create more employment and entrepreneurial opportunities for the local community,” he said in a statement today.
Jebasingam said the government had allocated RM30 million for the implementation of infrastructure projects, including the upgrading of amenities such as boardwalks and mosques, as well as utility works in the islands off Mersing.
As at August 2017, Mersing has received a total investment of RM1.6 billion and created more than 1,710 jobs.
The tourism sector makes up 63 per cent or RM1 billion of the total investments there.
The ECERDC is a statutory body established to spearhead the execution and implementation of the East Coast Economic Region (ECER) Master Plan.
It plays a lead role in setting the directions, policies and strategies for the socio-economic development of ECER by promoting and facilitating investments into the region.– BERNAMA