KUALA LUMPUR – The success of the recently concluded Le Tour de Langkawi (LTdL) should serve as an eye-opener for the government to increase its allocation to the Youth and Sports Ministry to facilitate more international events and boost the sports tourism industry, says Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (Matta) president Nigel Wong.
The international event, which is Asia’s oldest road cycling race, spanned 1,190km across 11 states and was reported to have garnered approximately 75 million viewers over the course of eight days.
LTdL, which featured 22 teams and 132 cyclists from across the globe, saw its tourism segment supported by both Batik Air and Malaysia Airlines.
Despite not receiving financial support from state governments, LTdL managed to secure approximately RM8.1 million in sponsorships from companies like Petronas, Tourism Malaysia, Bubbles O2, Bintulu Port, and Motoshoot.
Speaking to Scoop, Nigel said that hosting more international events like the LTdL would directly create more opportunities for the tourism sector to excel, positioning Malaysia as a sports tourism powerhouse in the coming years.
Nigel also said that the sports ministry could use its annual budget to facilitate more sporting events along the country’s coastlines, citing that a significant number of tourists visiting Malaysia are more interested in its beaches than other attractions. As of June this year, Malaysia recorded 11,808,937 foreign tourist arrivals.
“Sports tourism is a major industry in many countries, and there is much more we can do to turn Malaysia into a sports tourism hub – we have the potential. LTdL is a great example of how the sports ministry has managed to promote the country’s tourism aspects.
“Events like this not only boost national revenue but also create many job opportunities for tour operators like us. Malaysia is in an excellent position to capitalise on its geographic and strategic strengths in tourism, especially given our favourable weather conditions.
“However, this alone is not enough. The government should allocate more funds to the sports ministry so they can support more events like LTdL. Local businesses and retailers would also benefit greatly from such initiatives.
“I hope the sports ministry, with its upcoming budget, will focus on organising more international sports events along the coastline to align with tourists’ interests. Doing so would significantly boost revenue for both the tourism and sports industries,” Nigel said when contacted.
Aside from LTdL, Malaysia has also hosted several international sporting events over the years such as the MotoGP Racing Series, the Monsoon Cup, the Langkawi Ironman Triathlon, and the Royal Langkawi International Regatta.
Malaysia’s total tourism revenue as of June this year is reported to be RM 45 million.
Last year’s budget saw Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim allocate RM184 million for sports initiatives, a significant reduction from 2023’s allocation of RM399 million.
This year’s Budget 2025 is scheduled to be tabled on October 18. – October 11, 2024