GEORGE TOWN – Improve tourism infrastructure, unearth new products, and rehabilitate the eroding coastline so Penang will have more to offer when the industry rebounds, said the state’s Malaysian Association of Travel and Tour Agents’ (Matta) chapter.
Chapter chairman Vergis Mathews said that while the pandemic has to be dealt with, Penang should also look into “re-engineering its tourism sector”.
“We should not take the easy way out, which is to accord blame whenever something goes wrong. The private sector must be united and seek the state’s help to rebrand Penang,” he told The Vibes.
He acknowledged that the Batu Ferringhi beachfront has eroded, but said that the blame should not fall on reclamation efforts or other forms of development.
Mathews said that not all forms of soil erosion should be attributed to development in Penang as the state historically has huge deposits of soft clay soil that will erode land formation and beachheads.
“Look at the state’s land formation and one will know. One can grow excellent durians in the hilly confines of Balik Pulau as the soil is soft, but there is a risk of constant erosion due to the soft clay.”
Mathews said beachfront erosion is somewhat natural if there are strong waves, which are also triggered by climate change.
He was responding to reports that the tourism belt here is undergoing a significant level of erosion, with some beach resorts owners now pondering if it is necessary to inform tourists of the situation.
Ferringhi Garden restaurant owner Richard Long had urged the Penang Island City Council to spruce up the area with new landscaping, proper zoning of trading and food areas, as well as increased foot pathways to enable better connectivity in the tourism enclave.
The Ferringhi area was the country’s first tourism beachfront when international brand names such as Holiday Villa and Shangri-La Group invested in the area in the 1970s and 1980s.
Among the latest international names to debut here is the Hard Rock Hotel chain, whereas the latest hospitality property, called Angsana, had a soft opening last year in Teluk Bahang despite the pandemic.
Batu Ferringhi has more than 600 rooms, ranging from budget rooms to five-star ones.
Long said the area should have a garden concept, to mirror the state’s green campaign. – The Vibes, April 25, 2021
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