PUTRAJAYA: Malacca will improve infrastructure and logistics in the state in conjunction with the hosting of three major tourism events, namely Visit Melaka Year (TMM) 2024, World Tourism Day (WTD) 2025, and World Tourism Conference (WTC) 2025, said its Chief Minister, Datuk Seri Ab Rauf Yusoh.

As a preliminary measure, he said a contraflow system would be implemented in the state as a traffic dispersal initiative starting Dec 15, which may reduce approximately 40 per cent of congestion.

“Malacca is subject to heritage laws and cannot undertake any new developments, so the best approach is to change the road directions,“ he said at a media briefing after the kick-off meeting for WTD and WTC chaired by the Minister of Tourism, Arts, and Culture, Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing, here today.

Ab Rauf said that the hosting of TMM, WTD, and WTC is expected to further boost the tourism sector in Malacca which usually receives over five million visitors annually, and spur the local economy.

Meanwhile, Tiong said that WTD and WTC, scheduled to take place from Sept 27 to 29, 2025, will bring together more than 3,000 international and local participants from 159 countries.

He added that Malaysia was selected as the host country for WTD 2025 with the theme ‘Tourism and Sustainable Transformation’ at the 25th UNWTO General Assembly in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, last October, and WTD 2025 was also proposed to be held in conjunction with the hosting of WTC.

“Malacca was chosen as the host because of its culture and history, and the state’s commitment to consistently leading the development of the tourism sector has successfully positioned Melaka as a renowned destination worldwide,“ he said. –Bernama