KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 5 — The air pollution in some areas caused by the haze has affected tourist arrivals to Malaysia, said Deputy Minister of Tourism and Culture Datuk Mas Ermieyati Samsudin.

She said as such, the World Tourism Day 2015 celebration with the theme “1 Billion Tourists, 1 Billion Opportunities’ is the best chance to revitalise the tourism industry.

“The ministry is working on various initiatives and strategies to attract foreign tourists and encourage domestic tourism via the ‘Cuti-Cuti 1Malaysia’ campaign titled ‘Dekat Je.’

“The campaign aims to increase domestic tourism among local people over weekends,” she told a press conference after opening the ‘#Kolektif1 and Hop On Hop Off (HOHO) Bus Photography exhibition at the Malaysia Tourist Centre (MATIC) here, today.

As of 3pm today, tourist destinations Langkawi and Port Dickson were among 17 areas that recorded unhealthy Air Pollutant Index (API). — Bernama