With the Visit Malaysia Year (VMY) 2007 looming around the corner, will it be just another year or will Malaysia have an influx of visitors? This question has always been on my mind ever since I had a chance to be involved in the MegaFAM tour organised by the Ministry of Tourism.

The government has always been supportive of the tourism industry as it is one of the biggest revenue earners for the country. Thousands of jobs are created from hotels to transportation, to shopping, etc. However, if one stops to think, apart from the Twin Towers, the KL Tower and other man-made attractions, do we really have a proper facilities in place?

What about the hole-ridden roads we have to avoid everyday? What about the rubbish which is strewn everywhere? What about the murky water that comes out from the taps? What about the 'business-minded' cab drivers that just do not like to turn on their meters? What about the irregular public transportation (the latest being the insufficient number of cabs at KLIA)?

Millions of ringgit have been poured into advertisements in the UK to promote Malaysia. Much more has been spent on bringing in travel agents from around the world to experience Malaysia. Has this been effective? Yes, that is before the tourists arrived and found out otherwise.

To be fair, there were also wonderful experiences and stories taken home by tourists who would share these with others bringing in more tourists later on. But every sector (government and private alike) has an important role to play. It is the country's friendliness, service level and the honesty that will bring them back.

If Malaysia is truly Asia then let's show them that. We do not want tourists to arrive at a world- class airport only to be fleeced by taxi touts. We do not want tourists to see a 'teh tarik' river with toppings not far from the beautiful sight of the Twin Towers.

We do not want tourists to have a wonderful shopping spree at KLCC or Mid Valley only to have a bumpy and very expensive ride back to their hotel. A bumpy ride should be left to those who want to experience rally driving in the jungle.

I'm sure many have written and voiced out on the above. It is now left to the relevant parties to buck up and improve for otherwise VMY 2007 will just be another year.