Malaysia will promote family-oriented nature tourism as the country recovers from the pandemic, said Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri.

The Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister said Malaysia will set itself apart from neighbouring countries by being a nature-based destination that caters to families.

"Malaysia will set itself apart from its regional neighbours by promoting clean, healthy, family-oriented tourism. We will capitalise on our abundant natural beauty heading towards this new direction," she said during a virtual event recently.

Speaking at the official announcement and signing ceremony of Escape Cameron Highlands, Nancy said tourists are seeking more outdoor adventures now.

"Visitors want to travel and reconnect with nature for recreation. This will be the trend of tourism moving forward which has been caused by the pandemic. The future of global tourism will be about family fun in the form of wellness," she said.

Nancy added that the demand for nature-based tourism will grow exponentially worldwide and Malaysia is primed to tap into this trend.

She said the upcoming Escape Cameron Highlands will serve a catalytic role in new tourism investments, while renewing interest in Malaysia’s eco-tourism sector.

"This timely development will kickstart the revival of Malaysia's domestic tourism industry, as a whole, which has been greatly hit by the Covid-19 pandemic since last year," she said.

Escape Cameron Highlands is a nature-based adventure park that will be built into the natural landscape.

The first phase of Escape Cameron Highlands is scheduled to open in the first half of 2023.