LETTERS: TOURISM operators and workers often hear, read, speak and write about the industry using the words tourism, tourists, excursionists, visitors, or tour guides without fully understanding them.
If this is the case, they will be unable to interpret important tourism facts and figures correctly.
For example, the 2019 Domestic Tourism Survey reported that there were 239.1 million domestic visitors making 332.4 million trips and spending RM103.2 billion for the whole of that year.
The top five destinations for domestic visitors were Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Sabah, Perak and Sarawak.
When I organised training sessions, I would ask participants why Penang and Melaka have fewer visitors, and they would say that many people from Peninsular Malaysia travel there for holidays.
But, at most, their numbers would be a few hundred thousand. It is a misconception to think that the visitors are from other states doing interstate travel. Those travelling within are known as intrastate visitors.
Another misconception is that domestic tour packages for travel within Malaysia are sold to Malaysians only.
They include expatriates and family members staying here, foreign students and workers, and even newly arrived foreign tourists.
Likewise, outbound tour packages for travel from Malaysia to overseas are not limited to Malaysians but could be sold to anyone in or outside the country. Since 2012, I have been conducting a Travel and Tours Enhancement course that tour operators must attend to renew their company licence with the Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry.
I have yet to hear a clear and useful definition of outbound, inbound, and domestic tours from a participant.
The most effective training for tourism personnel is to organise workshops for tour operators conducted by travel industry leaders. This will enable organisers and participants to get the best answers in open discussions while also helping participants find solutions on their own.
Y.S. CHAN
Kuala Lumpur
The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of the New Straits Times