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LAHAD DATU – The Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry has received 182 applications from registered homestay operators for homestay repair matching grants, said its minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri.
She said all the applications from registered operators under the Malaysia Homestay Experience Programme as of April 25 were currently being reviewed by the ministry’s Technical Evaluation Committee.
“Of the 182 applications, 19 are from homestay operators in Sabah.
“Apart from that, as of Monday, the ministry also received 16 applications from operators of budget hotels with orchid status nationwide for the same grant,” she said during the roadshow on grants for the cultural sector here today.
The federal government, through Budget 2022, had allocated RM30 million for the purpose of giving out matching grants for the purpose of homestay and budget hotel repairs under the ministry.
Nancy, however, expects the number of applications for the grants to increase before the April 30 closing date.
Meanwhile, she said the ministry was aggressively carrying out roadshows nationwide to give tourism industry players a detailed explanation of the grants worth RM50 million provided by the government.
“Alhamdulillah, for the roadshow in Lahad Datu held earlier, I was told that six cultural non-governmental organisations were present and eligible for the assistance,” she said.
At the roadshow, Nancy also presented financial assistance to 10 representatives of tourism industry players in Sabah.
Five licensed tour operators and travel agencies received RM9,000 each while five homestay operators received RM1,800 each. – Bernama, April 29, 2022