JOHOR BARU, MALAYSIA: The Johor Baru City Council (MBJB) is preparing a comprehensive plan to develop tourist spots here.

Mayor Datuk Naim Nasir said the city had a poor rating in terms of tourism, in a study conducted by the Malaysian Town and Suburban Planning Department under the Malaysian Urban Indicator Network (Murninet) from 2005 to 2008.

Naim said although Johor Baru received about 15 million international tourists annually, it was seen only as a transit point for many.

Johor Baru, the southern gateway, had the lowest tourist stay-over rate of 1.8 days, compared with the national average of 6.8, he said during the full council meeting on Saturday.

He said Johoreans had not enjoyed the benefits of a strong tourism industry and the council was looking for ways to provide assistance to them.

"We do not want those who are involved in the tourism sector to be left behind," he said.

He added that the action plan was expected to cover the physical, economic, social and environmental aspects of tourism to generate higher revenue.

He said the state had high potential for tourism from its existing resources - including beaches, culture, art, food, and health and sports attractions.

Naim added that he hoped the plan would propel the city towards realising its vision of becoming an international city by the year 2020.