Draw more tourists to districts

IT IS right that district tourism is now being given more attention by the authorities in Selangor.

The state, which has various tourist attractions in all its nine districts, has not been able to realise its full potential in drawing international and domestic tourists. This is one of the reasons why tourism earnings are far behind that of Malacca and Penang.

Selangor is made up of many cities and towns located in urban, suburban and rural areas. District tourism would be the right approach to give tourism greater focus and importance. The state tourism department and State Executive Council need to pick about five travel and tour firms for the urban districts and between two to five companies for the rural districts.

District tourism is best promoted by established tour firms as they are experienced and can be relied upon. Their input and feedback can enhance tourism as well as gauge the effectiveness of tourism promotions. These firms can liaise with the state government and district and municipal authorities to develop tourism in the districts.

It will be a win-win situation for both the state government and the tour firms. Many of the less frequented and less famous tourist attractions can be brought to the forefront and generate income for the locals.

There is a lot of potential for tourism in Selangor but unfortunately tourist activities are mainly confined to urban shopping and related activities.

Every district in Selangor has unique attractions and features and it is time tourism is made an important component of the state’s economy. A lot of tourist activities and places – sea-food restaurants, eco-tourism, fishing villages, islands, homestay programmes, parks, museums, heritage sites, agro-tourism, beaches, historical buildings, picnic spots, houses of worship etc can be promoted intensively.

Tourism can be a big revenue earner for Selangor and district tourism can be the catalyst for developing and promoting it.