KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 11 — More long-term tourism initiatives will be introduced for Kuala Lumpur with the establishment of the Kuala Lumpur Tourism Bureau today, according to city Mayor Datuk Mhd Amin Nordin Abd Aziz.

He said the Tourism Bureau will replace the Tourism Unit of Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) with a more comprehensive organisation comprising representative from the city police, the Tourism and Culture Ministry, the Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) as well as representatives of tourism-linked associations and stakeholders.

“The Tourism Bureau has an advisory board with the purpose of steering the bureau towards creating a more viable tourism industry [in the city],” Mhd Amin told reporters here after announcing the bureau’s formation.

The mayor said that the bureau, which will oversee the implementation of the Kuala Lumpur Tourism Master Plan 2015-2025 announced earlier this year, is expected to eventually be self sustaining, although DBKL will provide RM16 million as initial funding.

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The bureau’s general manager, Noraza Yusof, who previously headed the DBKL Tourism Unit, added that DBKL had previously only been implementing the Tourism Master Plan initiatives that were seen as easily achievable, but will announce the new projects under the bureau later this year.

“On December 3, we will have our first advisory board meeting. After that they will make an announcement of what initiatives the bureau will be undertaking for 2016,” she said.

The Kuala Lumpur Tourism Master Plan 2015-2025 aims to double foreign tourist arrivals and quadruple tourism income from RM19 billion in 2013 to RM79 billion by 2025.

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The setting up of the bureau itself is part of the Tourism Master Plan to establish a dedicated agency to drive and monitor the implementation of the master plan.