Tourism Malaysia has urged local authorities as well as the private sector to turn vacant buildings with historical value into tourist attractions such as museums.
Tourism Malaysia director-general Datuk Seri Mirza Mohammad Taiyab said that it was a waste to let such buildings to be destroyed or abandoned.
"Many of the tourists who come to Malaysia want to experience culture and, at the same time, enjoy the scenery. Not only that, currently, tourists and the local people love to visit interactive museums as well as 3-Dimension museums.
"Don't waste available space, turn it into something interesting," he said at a press conference after launching the Odeon trick art cafe in Jalan Penang here today.
In the 70s and 80s, Odeon was one of the famous cinema halls in the state and, as time passed, it became outdated and was now being transformed into a cafe that promotes local heritage values at a cost of about RM5 million.
"Other places should take Odeon as an example, whereby an old empty space is being remodified to fit the current situation. Not only tourists will like it but locals will also benefit from it," he said.
Mirza also said that other states, especially Selangor, Melaka and Johor, should also have their own 3D museums as a tourist attraction.
In Penang, there are more than 40 interactive museums that offer all kinds of experience to the people and about 25 of them had been vouched for by the local tourism department as a place of interest.
Meanwhile, Mirza said that as of August this year, more than 16 million tourists from around the globe had chosen Malaysia as their tourism destination, with an increase of 4.5 per cent in the same duration last year.
"Our main tourist attractions are the islands and beaches and, currently, the demand for eco-tourism is on the rise. There are still many locations that can be promoted due to their beauty and local heritage," he said. -- Bernama
Bernama
Thu Nov 24 2016
The Odeon Trick Art Cafe & Restaurant in George Town launched by Tourism Malaysia director-general Datuk Seri Mirza Mohammad Taiyab last night. - fotoBERNAMA
Bekas CEO 7-Eleven, Hishammudin Hasan dilantik terajui Al-Ikhsan
Al-Ikhsan Sports Sdn Bhd melantik Datuk Hishammudin Hasan sebagai ketua pegawai eksekutif (CEO) baharunya berkuat kuasa 17 April.
'Inflasi diunjur meningkat suku kedua kesan pelarasan cukai perkhidmatan, rasionalisasi subsidi'
Momentum inflasi diunjur meningkat pada suku kedua tahun ini kesan daripada pelarasan cukai perkhidmatan serta rasionalisasi subsidi bahan api.
Kontroversi UM: Sarjana ‘berkualiti rendah’ tak patut dijemput - PM Anwar
Anwar menyindir ahli akademik AS yang terbabit dalam kontroversi pro-Israel sebagai sarjana berkualiti rendah dan tidak mempunyai pencapaian luar biasa atau istimewa.
Agong, Raja Permaisuri zahir ucapan Ulang Tahun Keputeraan kepada Sultan Terengganu
Ucapan itu dizahirkan Seri Paduka Baginda berdua menerusi poster yang dimuat naik di Facebook Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar hari ini.
Ada wajah kita tak mahu berpisah, tapi terpaksa melepaskannya - Datuk Red
Menerusi perkongsian itu, Adnan mengatakan ada perkara yang dia terpaksa reda dan menerima takdir yang sudah tertulis untuknya.
Komen jelik nahas helikopter Lumut, peniaga didenda RM23,000
Seorang peniaga dalam talian didenda RM23,000 di Mahkamah Sesyen di sini, selepas mengaku bersalah atas tuduhan memuat naik komen jelik berhubung nahas helikopter TLDM.
Bursa Malaysia dibuka rendah, jejaki prestasi Wall Street
Pada 9.10 pagi, FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) susut 2.29 mata kepada 1,566.96 daripada 1,569.25 ketika ditutup pada Khamis.
AWANI Ringkas: Pesawat ringan mendarat cemas di Subang
Ikuti rangkuman berita utama yang menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari di Astro AWANI menerusi AWANI Ringkas.
Cambodia Airways mulakan penerbangan terus Phnom Penh-Kuala Lumpur
Syarikat penerbangan Kemboja, Cambodia Airways, secara rasmi memulakan penerbangan terus dari ibu negaranya, Phnom Penh ke KLIA pada Khamis.
Semangat baharu bina ekosistem inovasi lebih dinamik
Perbadanan Pembangunan Teknologi Malaysia, MTDC meneruskan kesinambungan dalam memacu pembangunan teknologi negara, dengan melancarkan Citra MTDC, untuk mewujudkan ekosistem inovasi yang lebih dinamik.
Musa Yusof ganti Mirza sebagai KP Tourism Malaysia baharu
Pelantikan itu dibuat oleh Menteri Pelancongan, Seni dan Budaya, Datuk Mohamaddin Ketapi.
Kejohanan Gran Fondo New York di Malaysia bakal tarik pelancong ke Perak
Buat julung kalinya peminat lumba basikal di Malaysia dapat menyertai kejohanan marathon antarabangsa, Gran Fondo New York (GFNY).
Weibo bantu tingkatkan ketibaan pelancong dari China sehingga dua juta tahun ini
MITA bekerjasama rapat dengan syarikat media sosial terbesar di China, Weibo, untuk membantu mempromosikan pelancongan Malaysia di China.