Johor bahru: The Johor government is giving priority to locals in the development of the state's tourism sector as part of a strategy to strengthen the industry sustainably. Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi said the approach could be seen, among other things, through the implementation of different ticket prices at the Johor Zoo, with locals charged RM10 compared to RM30 for foreign tourists.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the effort was also supported by work to upgrade facilities at several major leisure locations in the city, including Taman Merdeka, the Royal Johor Botanical Gardens, and Hutan Bandar. The move aims to ensure that locals are the first group to enjoy the tourism facilities provided by the state government.

"I want to emphasise to the Johor people that in terms of leisure, recreation, they are given priority first, and there will be many more products that will be launched this year," Onn Hafiz told Bernama when asked to comment on the perception that the state was dependent on foreign tourists, especially from Singapore. This was stated in an interview led by editor-in-chief Arul Rajoo Durar at Saujana, the Official Residence of the Johor Menteri Besar.

Onn Hafiz acknowledged the importance of foreign tourists but stressed the need for balance by focusing on domestic tourists, who indirectly help promote Johor's tourism products. "We are confident that when our own people are proud of our tourism products, they will become 'third party validators' to promote good things about this state," he added.

Several tourism products throughout the district have been upgraded, including the Gunung Ledang Waterfall area in Tangkak and Kampung Sungai Melayu in Iskandar Puteri, which have the potential to be ecotourism destinations. The strategy aligns with the Visit Johor Year 2026 plan, which focuses on strengthening support for both domestic and international tourists.

The state government has targeted direct and indirect revenue collection of RM42 billion for Visit Johor Year 2026, based on a target of 12 million tourists throughout the year. Additionally, RM116.35 million has been allocated for the period 2024 to 2025 to upgrade public facilities, enhance tourism attractions, and improve visitor experience in the state.