Tourism Malaysia lauds Langkawi plans
KUALA LUMPUR: Tourism Malaysia has lauded the 18 initiatives announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak last week to boost tourism in Langkawi in the next five years.
Its director-general, Datuk Seri Mirza Mohammad Taiyab, said Langkawi had been the agency’s focus for 20 years as it was an attractive tourism product.
“I see the 18 initiatives announced by our prime minister for the development of Langkawi as a brilliant effort by the government to boost the tourism industry.”
He said the government had carried out efforts to upgrade facilities in Langkawi, including expanding the airport and having world-renowned hotels and resorts.
“These initiatives will bring more tourists to Langkawi and Malaysia. We are targeting around 1.5 million European tourists this year,” he said in conjunction with the European Travel Agents and Tour Operator Association’s 117th semi-annual meeting.
ECTAA president Merika Hallik said the meeting was part of the “preferred destination” agreement signed between the organisation and Tourism Malaysia to boost the visibility of Malaysia in Europe.
“We intend to contribute to the Visit Malaysia 2020 campaign, which is projected to welcome 36 million tourists to Malaysia.
“This meeting in Malaysia is one of its kind. European travel agents will experience Malaysian life and see the gems it holds for European travellers.
“We are confident that the preferred destination agreement will be mutually beneficial for travel agents and tour operators of Europe and Malaysia.”
Present was Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents president Datuk Tan Kok Liang.
Najib had said the 18 initiatives proved the Barisan Nasional government’s commitment to realise Langkawi’s potential as a worldclass destination. The measures will complement existing ones, including the RM1.3 billion allocation to upgrade infrastructure.