"WE must encourage repeat visits," said Tourism Minister, Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said in her opening address at the 7th Convention and Annual General Meeting of the Malaysian Homestay Association.

Homestay operators from states in East and West Malaysia participated in the event held in Felda Semenchu, Johor on May 3, with a delegation of Korean visitors as special guests.

Azalina encouraged the promotion of homestay programmes as it is a great way to export Malaysian culture as well as to entice repeat visits.

Visitors adopted into the home as 'anak angkat' (adopted child) can experience typical Malaysian kampung culture.

She said that since Asian countries shared a common rice-eating habit, operators should capitalise on 'Rice Power,' to promote homestays in these countries.

The 18-member Korean delegation, made up of media and private school principals from schools in Seoul, Pusan, Cheonan, Kwangju and Daegu, were here on a familiarisation tour to see Homestay properties and the activities for the English and Culture Exchange Homestay Programme. In this programme, students from Korea will spend two to three weeks in homestays to study English and experience local culture. This is an innovative programme that will help enhance co-operation in the tourism and education sectors between Malaysia and South Korea.

Malaysian Homestay Association president Sariman Hamdan explained that an English curriculum was created in collaboration with the Korean school principals. English teachers from nearby schools in the homestay villages would teach the Korean homestay guests.

Later this May, Sariman and a Malaysian delegation of homestay operators would promote this homestay programme in a road show held in various Korean cities. Some 70 to 80 Korean students are expected to arrive in Malaysia in July.

Azalina said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi would launch a new domestic campaign to give equal focus to all interesting places that had a relevant link.

The emphasis is a more co-ordinated effort between the state and the federal government. For instance, a Historical Trail could lead visitors on an exciting expedition from Malacca to Johor with a tour of Portuguese and Dutch heritage sites.

They could also trace the Malacca Sultanate in this trail and then continue to Kota Tinggi for the origins of the Johor Sultanate.

In some of these places of interests where there are no hotels, homestays have an important role in providing clean and comfortable accommodation for visitors.

In this context, Azalina urged homestay operators to maintain cleanliness not only in their homes but also in the natural environment.

"Our environment is our future, so we need to take care of it," she said. Azalina added that visitors would observe how we protect our environment and not neglect it as we move ahead with development. The general public must be educated to keep our tourist attractions clean or face the risk of turning away tourists.

"We must put in effort to ensure that people not only come, but also come back again," she said.