KUALA LUMPUR: The Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MOTAC) and Ministry of Finance (MoF) through the Malaysia Convention and Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB) will launch a 3R Initiative as a recovery programme for the business events industry.

Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri said the 3R which stands for Reset, Restart and Recovery aims to shape the future of the industry by collectively accelerating recovery.

"To reset the industry, international delegates need to continually choose and attend events in Malaysia. But they must have adequate COVID-19 insurance coverage as it is the current travel requirement. Hence, MyCEB will offer and provide full insurance coverage to the first 10,000 international delegates.

"The first recipient is the Asia Turbomachinery and Pump Symposium (ATPS) which will be held in May with an estimated 800 delegates. This is certainly a good start," she said after attending the MyCEB Association Day at the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre (MITEC), here today.

She said through the initiative, MyCEB would also cover a portion of the cost for 10 industry players to restart their business in joining each international tradeshow namely IMEX Germany, ibtmWorld Spain and IMEX America.

"Hopefully they will obtain business leads, contracts, and subsequently secure events for Malaysia," she said.

As a responsible government and in the spirit of Keluarga Malaysia, Nancy said the bureau would also assist industry players to obtain professional qualifications such as CMP, CEM and other international qualifications available for the industry.

"MyCEB has also agreed to support companies maintain their membership in key industry associations such as MACEOS, AFECA, ICCA, IAPCO and others by subsiding the membership fees," she said.

At the same event, Nancy also announced the launch of MySafe Business Events Planner, a digital planner by MyCEB and Business Events Council Malaysia (BECM), introduced to provide safety measures and information on National Government COVID-19 management to assist and guide international business events travellers and organisers while being in the country.

The event also witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between MyCEB and Kraftangan Malaysia to prioritise local crafts as gifts and souvenirs for international delegates to elevate the rural economy as well as promoting Malaysia's heritage.

-- BERNAMA