Realising the importance of domestic tourism in cushioning the external effects on a country`s tourism industry, the Government Tuesday launched the `Cuti-cuti Malaysia` campaign.

Culture, Arts and Tourism Minister Datuk Paduka Abdul Kadir Sheikh Fadzir said that all levels of society, including the JKKKs, Rukun Tetangga, residents` associations and schools would be asked to organise tours for their multi-racial communities.

We will go all out on a larger scale to promote domestic tourism this time compared with the `Cuti-cuti Malaysia` campaign launched in 1999, he said after launching the Cuti-cuti Malaysia 2004/5 campaign at the Malaysia Tourism Centre here.

The Ministry hopes to achieve 25 million local tourists by end of the campaign compared to 18.3 million local tourists last year.

Kadir said domestic tourism could cushion the effects of external factors, such as war, the outbreak of diseases and the world economic recession which resulted in a decline in foreign tourist arrivals.

Kadir said that according to a study, the number of domestic tourists had always outnumbered foreign tourists in this country.

For example, there were 9.9 million local tourists compared to 5.5 million foreign tourists in 1998 and 18.3 million local tourists (compared to 10.5 million foreign tourists) last year.

He said a successful tourist-oriented nation depended largely on local tourists rather than foreign tourists.

Domestic tourism, he said, also helped improve the quality of life among the people while increasing local currency circulation in the local market.

Kadir said previous the Cuti-cuti Malaysia campaign had changed the mindset of locals who now considered holidays a necessary part of life, thus contributing to increased productivity after being refreshed and rejuvenated. (BERNAMA)