マレーシア・ニュース

マレーシアの観光局は観光客取り込みを目的として、ショッピングセンターやレストランの営業時間延長、エンターテイメントの充実を求めている。ダトゥク・セリ・テング・アドゥナン・テング・マンソァ大臣は、観光客からマレーシアにある殆どの店は10時に閉まり、満足にナイトライフを満喫できないという声があがっていると述べた。この声はクアラルンプール、ペナン、ランカウィの地方で上がっているとホーチミンシティー旅行センターをはじめ、各地の旅行会社からも似たような苦情が来ている。ダトゥク氏は政府になんとか提言して、良い方向に進むように努力すると述べた。だが現実はそれほど簡単なものではなく、家から離れているところに店を出している人たちにとって、遅くまで営業しているというのは都合が悪く、事は簡単に進みそうにはない。
さらにマレーシアの店は夜間の時間帯のアルコールが他の国に比べて非常に高いという苦情もあった。ダトゥクさんは政府に減税をするように求めているが、全ての要求が満たされるのはしばらく先になりそうだ。

[ 7月6日　1：02　ＭＣＳ]

ニュース・ソース

{ HO CHI MINH CITY }The Tourism Ministry wants longer opening hours for shopping complexes,entertainment outlets and restaurants,believing that this will bring in more tourists.
Its minister Datuk Seri Tengaku Adnan Tengaku Mansor said the ministry had received complaints from foreign visitors that there was little nightlife in Malaysia as most shops closed at 10pm.
"They have been complaining to us that places like Kuala Lumpur,Penang and Langkawi are very dull at night," he told reporters agter meeting Ho Chi Ming City Tourism Department director Nguyen Thi Lap Quoc and some travel agents here yesterday.
His minister,he said,had informed the Federal Territories Ministry and local authorities about the situation and hoped they would extend the operating hours of these outlets.
"They are very open to our suggestions and are considering amendments to the laws to allow longer opening hours," he said.
On whether the move would leaed to problems of safety,he said: "We should look at it in a positive way,and it is a matter of enforcement."
However,he stressed that longer opening hours should be limited to outlets located away from housing estates.
Tengaku Adnan said his ministry would also talk to the Finance Ministry about the taxes on wine and beer.
"Currently,a lot of tourists are complaning that the prices of wine and beer sold in Malaysia are too high. In fact,the prices of such products are the highest compared with pther countries like Thailand,Singapore and Vietnam," he said.
He added that his ministy was drafting a paper to the Finance Ministry on the subject.
"The paper is almost ready and it will be submitted to the ministry before the next budget,and we will let the Government decide on the reducation of such taxes," he said.
Tengku Adnan said he had also directed state governments to refurbish places of interest in preparation for the Visit Malaysia Year 2007 campaign.
He said the work, including painting and repairing of infrastructure at tourist spots, should be done immediately to avoid situations that could damage the country's image.
"The directive is given out as the ministtry has received a lot of negative reports from tourists that the infrastructure at these destinations is not as good as those ptomoted in tourism brochures," he said.

＜6-7-2006 The Star＞