Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam has ordered the State River and Coastline Development Authority to prepare a comprehensive calendar of events for next year’s Malacca River Fest. The Chief Minister said the move to detail-out activities for the fest could attract more foreign tourists.
“We could globalise the river fest as tourists from other countries can plan their travel here particularly to participate in the event,” he told reporters after flagging-off a dragon boat race that was organised in-conjunction with the one month Malacca River Fest.
Mohd Ali said it was disappointing to note that only Indonesia had sent participants for the dragon boat race as such an event could attract enthusiasts from as far as China, Taiwan and Macaa. Some 29 teams, mostly locals took part in the race that was held to extensively promote the fest to the masses.
He said by detailing out the activities for the river fest, the state could promote the event as one of its main tourism products.
Mohd Ali hoped the authorities could outline interesting side-events for the 2012 fest and post it into websites so it could be accessed by foreign tourists.
“My aim is to turn the fest into the equivalent to the scale organised during the San Antonio River Festival in the United States, hence we have to emulate the approach taken by the organisers there. Therefore, I hope the calendar will be prepared in the next two weeks so I can instruct my officers to embark on the overseas promotion blitz, at once,” he added.
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