Non-affiliated tourist guide groups tarnish country’s image with pride and prejudice while the authorities are trying best to accommodate large unannounced tourist groups
A press conference was recently held at the Kafe For Forks Sakes, Kuala Lumpur, by the Malaysia Women Tourist Guides Association (MWTGA) and Malaysia United Tourist Guides Association (MUTGA) on the incident where a number of large tourist groups who were caught in a massive traffic congestion and caused delays to their itineraries.
Following that, the Johor Tourist Guides Association (JTGA) in collaboration with the Johor Tourism Association (JTA) voiced out their concerns about the two non-affiliated groups’ (MWTGA & MUTGA) unscrupulous complaints that went viral on social media.
Their actions are seen lesser as a complaint and rather more of a smear on the image of the country’s tourism industry, operators, and the authorities.
“The Johor Tourism Association (JTA) is very concern about the image of the country. While we are trying to do damage control, on the other hand the industry players are damaging the image with their viral posts on social media,” said Jimmy Leong Wie Kong, Honourary Chairman of the Johor Tourist Guides Association during the press conference at the Ministry of Tourism and Culture (MOTAC) Johor office.
Jimmy added that all the efforts of the government and supporting parties such as the tourist guides associations and affiliations are gone in vain by negative actions such as these.
“When you are a tourist guide, you must love your country. That is the first rule,” Jimmy added.
The Johor tourism industry players have urged the Federal Government and MOTAC to immediately stop and take action on these irresponsible groups of guides in order to not hurt tarnish the industry.
All industry players including the tourist guides, operators, agencies and authorities should understand the constraints at the CIQ complexes at the Causeway and the Second Link.
The infrastructure at CIQ was built 20 years ago and the capacity today has increased by many folds.
Johor Tourism Association (JTA) has suggested implementing Tourist Ambassadors to welcome and assist in coordinating tourists who are crossing the border from Singapore to Malaysia through the Causeway or Second Link.
Tourist guides and operators are also urged to consider alternative routes when bringing in their tourist groups, especially if Johor is not part of their itinerary because as border crossings are concerned, many other people such as the working class and domestic tourists also frequent the checkpoints.
