Lonely Planet has recently picked the world's best travel destinations for 2010, and Malaysia has made it to the lists of "top 10 most value-for-money travel destinations" and "top 10 best travel countries."

Lonely Planet's audience are mainly backpackers or independent travellers. Indeed, we should take delight in the fact that Lonely Planet has singled out the country for value-for-money travel.

Malaysia's idyllic islands and national parks make perfect destinations for independent travellers, and we have truly massive potentials in this sector.

Backpack and independent travels have gained in popularity in recent years, especially with budget airlines offering affordable air travels to a broader spectrum of exciting destinations. We should indeed grasp this unique opportunity to explore this section of our tourist market.

The inclusion of Malaysia in Lonely Planet's lists serves as a powerful booster to the country's travel industry, and it appears that we are poised to see an influx of tourists into our shores.

I'm not trying to pour cold water, but to keep the "value-for-mone" and "best travel destination" status, we must be able to keep the tourists coming back for revisits. Besides, many of our facilities and services also need to be further improved.

These are old topics, but I believe more people will comment on this over the next few weeks. The main issue is how we are going to enhance the quality of our services and facilities.

Tourism minister Datuk Dr Ng Yen Yen is currently in Sweden to sell Malaysia's homestay programme, which should be seen as part of the lucrative independent travel market. Many Swedish travellers have already expressed their desires to visit Malaysia soon, and experience the unique multicultural aspects of this country.

Homestay programmes are very popular in the West, and we should popularise this concept and introduce it to other Asian countries.

Most of the tourists from China and Hong Kong currently take part in tours that include Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand, and they therefore do not have too much time to really experience the multifaceted culture of this country.

On the other hand, Middle East tourists usually travel with their families and spend a big part of their time here shopping at luxurious malls.

That said, our rich cultural heritage is not something they can purchase with money; and they need to personally experience it.

Tourists from Greater China should be accommodated at the homes of Malays and Indians so that they can experiece a different kind of culture here. Of course, they can also choose to stay in Chinese homes to experience a lifestyle that has been assimilated into the local culture. As for the Middle East tourists, the unique Malay Islamic culture here should appeal to them very much.

The slogan of our tourism ministry is "Malaysia, Truly Asia," and our homestay programme is in the best position to showcase such a unique Asian charm.

The question is whether we are prepared for it. (By CHONG LIP TECK/Translated by DOMINIC LOH/Sin Chew Daily)