JOHOR is in the tourism spotlight as more than 250 tour guides from across South-East Asia converged on the state to exchange stories, culture and industry know-how.
The host of the 2nd Southeast Asian Tourist Guides Conference saw participants from Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, the Philippines and Brunei.
The three-day conference at Persada International Convention Centre in Johor Baru was organised by Johor Tourist Guides Association.
Association president Jimmy Leong said the first edition of the conference was held in Kuching, Sarawak, last year.
“We expect this conference to help increase the number of visitors to Johor, especially with Visit Johor and Visit Malaysia 2026 (VM2026) in less than two months.
“When tourist guides attend such events and visit places in our state, they can share their experiences with others,” Leong said when met at the conference.
He revealed that Kuching saw a significant increase in tourist arrivals after the conference was held there.
“We expect Johor to enjoy a similar increase this time around.”
Leong, who is also Malaysian Tourist Guides Council president, said the conference was an avenue for South-East Asian tour guides to promote the region together.
“South-East Asian countries can work as a bloc in promotions because we have a commonality that is history, heritage and values.
“These three things combined, along with our shared background, could strengthen our ability to market the region.”
Leong added that the conference featured seven paper presentations from industry players, academics and tourism-related associations.
One of them was Assoc Prof Dr Nasha Rodziadi Khaw from Universiti Sains Malaysia’s (USM) Centre for Global Archaeological Research, who shared his findings and research from the Bukit Choras archaeological site in Kedah.
“We also have representatives from groups such as Malaysian National Committee for the International Council on Monuments and Sites, as well as Ecotourism and Conservation Society Malaysia.”
Leong, who also presented a paper entitled “Sharing Asian Heritage, History and Values – Key to Sustainability in Asian Tourism”, said participants were also given a tour of iconic places in and around Johor Baru.
Chance to network
The conference also gave participants the opportunity to get to know fellow tour guides and learn from each other.
Rasyed Abd Kader, from Kedah, said the conference, particularly the tour, allowed him to know Johor and its history better.
“It is good to learn about other states, especially their history and heritage,” he said.
“I hope to be able to implement what I have learned here, from the paper presentations to the information about Johor, in my tours.
“Perhaps I can also share with my tour groups the places they can visit when they come to Johor,” said Rasyed, who has been a tour guide for over 18 years.
David John Apigo, from Manila, said he looked forward to implementing sustainable practices he learned at the conference in future tours.
“It was a good opportunity for us to network with other tour guides.
“The paper presentations also allow us to learn about the diversity of attractions, heritage and cultures we all share.
“I hope to bring these lessons, along with the new information I gained about Johor, back home as I believe this is an ideal place for many tourists from the Philippines,” he said
The tour guide, with over 20 years of experience, is also a part-time lecturer.
Apigo also hopes to share his new-found knowledge with his students as ideas for future research.
Lai Jie Ying, from Sarawak, said apart from meeting other tour guides, she also learned about regulations involving the tourism sector in other places.
“It is only when we meet and talk to our peers from other countries that we realise how similar or different things are in other places.
“For me, this is a rare opportunity to not just connect with other tour guides, but also to visit another state.
“I hope that they will continue organising such conferences in other states in the future,” said Lai, who has been a tour guide at Sarawak’s Bako National Park for the past two years.
For Alfi Marza, from Pontianak in Indonesia, the conference was a good way for tour guides to appreciate each country’s similarities and differences.
“We share a lot of similar cultures and heritage, but there are also things unique to Johor that I did not know about.
“Through this conference, especially the tour on the last day where we visited popular places, we got to learn all this,” he said.
For May Hui, from Singapore, the conference was particularly important as many of her tour groups often travelled to Johor.
“It is very important for us to know about our next-door neighbour, especially Johor, which is just across the border.
“With this knowledge, we will be able to better share the history and cultures of the places they visit in Johor,” she said.
Ranjit Singh, from Kuala Lumpur, said knowledge gained from the conference, particularly from the paper presentation, could help tour guides better inform tourists.
“Apart from getting to know other tour guides, we also get to learn a lot at this conference about all kinds of things, from history to sustainability.
“It is very important for tour guides to have this information, which we can share with the tourists we receive from all around the world,” Ranjit said, adding that the conference was also timely with VM2026.
Johor tour guide Belinda Lim, who was among those arranging the tour for participants, said the initiative was a good opportunity to showcase what the state had to offer.
“We brought them to gems in and around Johor Baru, namely Kota Iskandar, Stadium Sultan Ibrahim, Laman Mahkota, Sultan Abu Bakar Heritage Complex and Kota Jail.
“We hope they will share their experiences here when they return home, which will also help promote Johor,” she said.
