langkawi magazine
Archives SECTION
Plan to Boost ‘Travel Now, Pay Later’ Scheme for Students
Combining elements of saving and travelling. Tourism Malaysia plans to promote the concept of `travel now, pay later` among Malaysian students.
Its director-general, Kamaruddin Siaraf, said Tourism Malaysia had discussed the matter with several financial institutions, including Bank Simpanan Nasional, to encourage students to travel during their holidays and pay for the trip ininstalments.
Tourism Malaysia has come to an initial agreement with one of the banks but Kamaruddin said it was still too early to unveil the details.
The discussions, he added, included how to make it easier and more convenient for students to save and travel, such as opening a savings account for travelling purposes.
Tourism Malaysia would also work with 40 business partners, including Menara KL and Langkawi Cable Car, to make travelling more affordable for students, he said.
Tourism Malaysia has a special tie-up with the `travel now, pay later` scheme in India.
'Saving is a good habit and if the money saved is used on travelling, it will expand their horizons and help them to gain new knowledge,' Kamaruddin told reporters after launching four Tourism Malaysia programmes for the young here, yesterday.
The programmes include the Ziarah Ramadan Program Pelancongan Pelajar, a road show during the Ramadan month to promote travel packages, and the Supercamp Pelancongan Pelajar Anak Soleh Anak Cemerlang, an education-cum-tourism promotion programme for students.
The other two programme that were simultaneously launched were the Perkhemahan Pelancongan Pelajar Remaja Cemerlang Negara Terbilang, a summer camp-type programme for youths, and SMS Cuti-cuti Malaysia – Destinasi Pelancongan Popular 2004, an SMS-based campaign on the most popular travel destinations in the country.
Kamaruddin said travelling would encourage students to make good use of their time during school holidays.
He said financial constraints had stopped many students from joining Cuti-cuti Malaysia tour packages that would otherwise benefit them and help them acquire knowledge.
He said Tourism Malaysia would work closely with all schools – primary and secondary – and their tourism clubs, to promote domestic tourism.
Parent Manmohan Singh, 45, said he welcomed the idea because the children can look forward to travelling in the country during school holidays. The scheme, he added, would help ease the financial constraint of parents.
`It's a good idea. Parents don't have to worry about having to pay the tour fees in one lump sum,` said the father of a nine-year-old daughter.
Kuala Lumpur 21/10/04
