LANGKAWI – Ecotourism should be the lynchpin of Langkawi’s tourism promotion when the island reopens to visitors on Thursday.
Malaysian Nature Society vice-president Eric R. Sinnaya told The Vibes that sustainable development is the key going forward, especially when Covid-19 is contained.
Since Langkawi’s inception as a duty-free holiday destination 34 years ago, he said, there have been many awareness campaigns conducted on the need to conserve and preserve the island’s natural resources.
“But none of it was undertaken in a big way, on the need to inculcate awareness about the island’s fragile ecology. Now, it is more important after the lessons we have learnt from the pandemic.
We have long forsaken Mother Nature, and it has come back to bite us in a big way. Covid-19 is thought to be an infectious virus that originated from wild bats.
“We are also facing threats from climate change.”
He urged the private sector to offer more ecotourism packages, covering forests, mountains, waterfalls and beaches, besides island-hopping tours.
Such tours must be accompanied by educational talks so that tourists learn about Langkawi’s rich geological history, as well as its flora and fauna, he said.
“There are many packages to develop. We can bring tourists on trails of trees and plants, as well as butterflies, bird-watching and marine life.”
Sinnaya said it is not a challenge observing physical distancing during nature tours, as the groups are usually small.
He said he plans to convey the matter to Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri when she visits the island on Thursday to mark its reopening.
Friends of Langkawi Geopark chairman Datuk Kamarulzaman Abdul Ghani said the island’s ecotourism anchor is its Unesco-certified global geopark status.
Langkawi’s Gunung Matchinchang is where the oldest rock formation in Malaysia was found.
Kamarulzaman, a former Langkawi Development Authority general manager, said ecotourism is the island’s biggest asset.
“Tourism authorities need to find ways to better promote it as a niche attraction.
The only issue is that domestic visitors seldom appreciate ecotourism because it is arduous to traverse steep rock formations and jungle trails. But, it should be seen in a constructive light – such outings build stamina and fitness.
“Sustainability is the right tonic for Langkawi.” – The Vibes, September 13, 2021
