An exciting year ahead
NEXT year will be an eventful year for Pahang as the state plays host to tourists during the Visit Pahang Year 2017. Apart from promoting well-known tourist places such as Taman Negara, Genting Highlands, Cherating Beach, Pulau Tioman and Cameron Highlands, a myriad of activities has also been planned.
Some of the interesting events to look forward to are the Sultan Ahmad Shah Tioman International Eco Challenge, Kuantan Century Ride, Royal Pahang Billfish International Challenge, Cherating Night Surfing, Fraser’s Hill International Bird Race and the Annual Kuantan Half Marathon.
During the launch of the promotional campaign earlier this year, Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Adnan Yaakob said the Visit Pahang Year 2017 was timely and aimed to draw more visitors to the state.
“The last time we had a Visit Pahang campaign was in 1994. As it has been 22 years, we believe it is time to be more aggressive in our efforts to promote Pahang,” Adnan said.
Adnan said that tourism was a subsector that should be given attention as it contributed immensely to the economy. Last year, Pahang received 10.5 million visitors with revenues reaching RM7bil and it is targeting the arrival of 15 million visitors with estimated spending of RM14bil next year. The campaign’s theme would be “Hogoh Pahang”, which roughly translates to “Pahang Rocks” in the local dialect.
“We want Hogoh Pahang to be a rallying cry to get the people of Pahang to come together to make this campaign a success. We aim to make 2017 an all-inclusive year to promote not just tourism but also to ensure the locals benefit from the campaign.
“We’re planning to enlist the participation of entrepreneurs in the campaign and possibly, create an extra source of income via the sale of campaign merchandise, including apparel and soft toys,” Adnan said.
State Tourism and Culture Committee chairman Datuk Seri Mohd Sharkar Shamsudin said the targeted demographic were domestic tourists and also those from neighbouring countries while the higher-end targets were those from Europe and Saudi Arabia.
He said there were 10 to 15 iconic destinations in the state that could be promoted, such as the Merapoh caves and the Kuala Gandah Elephant Conservation Centre.
“Everyone I’ve met is excited to visit Pahang. Most importantly, the tourism operators, local governments and town councils have to be prepared to play host to our guests,” said Mohd Sharkar.