By Rosli Mansor Ahmad Razali
IPOH: A total of RM44.18 million has been allocated under the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP) to implement 13 tourism projects across Perak, including the conservation of the Leaning Tower of Teluk Intan, the upgrading of Kinta Riverwalk, the development of the Lumut Mangrove Discovery Centre, and an ecotourism project at Lata Puteh in Selama.
Deputy Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Chiew Choon Man said another seven tourism infrastructure upgrading projects would also be carried out in Taiping, Gopeng, Hilir Perak and Manjung to strengthen the state’s tourism facilities.
He said this during his speech at the opening ceremony and gala night of the Malaysia Culture Festival @Perak 2026 at Dataran Bulatan Sultan Azlan Shah here last night.
According to Chiew, the projects reflect the Federal Government’s commitment to strengthening Perak’s tourism sector and positioning the state as one of Malaysia’s premier tourist destinations ahead of Visit Malaysia 2026.
At the same time, he said the Malaysia Culture Festival @Perak 2026 serves as an important platform to promote the state’s arts, cultural heritage and creative economy in line with the National Cultural Policy (DAKEN) and the Malaysia MADANI aspiration.
He said traditional dances, handicrafts and local gastronomy are no longer viewed merely as cultural heritage but have evolved into high-value tourism products capable of generating income for local communities.
“The Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MOTAC) also provides various incentives, including the Cultural Sector Support Grant (GSSK), to assist artists, craft entrepreneurs and traditional food operators in expanding their businesses,” he said.
On the country’s tourism performance, Chiew said Malaysia recorded 42.2 million international visitor arrivals in 2025, an increase of 11.2 per cent compared with the previous year, reflecting strong momentum ahead of Visit Malaysia 2026.
He added that the government will continue to focus on key source markets such as China, Indonesia, Japan and India to ensure the sustainable growth of the country’s tourism industry.
