KUANTAN – Pahang is targeting more than seven million domestic tourists to visit the state this year, said state Tourism, Culture, Environment, Plantation and Commodities Committee chairman Datuk Seri Mohd Sharkar Shamsudin.
He said the state government is optimistic of achieving the target if a movement control order (MCO) is not reimplemented in the country.
“Hotels and motels in the state have received bookings until April, a good sign that we can achieve the target and revive the state’s tourism industry.
“Although tourist spots affected by the floods are still closed, other attractive locations such as Cameron Highlands, Genting Highlands, and the national and state parks are open as usual. Our hope is that the MCO will not be reimplemented and that all parties adhere to the stipulated standard operating procedures (SOPs),” he added.
He said this at a press conference after the presentation of the state tourism and culture awards by Pahang Regent Tengku Hassanal Ibrahim Alam Shah Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah last night.
Also present were Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail and State Unity, Social Welfare, Women and Family Development Committee chairman Datuk Seri Shahaniza Shamsuddin.
Sharkar said various tourism programmes had been planned for implementation this year, including the Pahang Hiking Week and the Pahang Ocean Canoe International Challenge along more than 240km of the state’s coastline.
“For Pahang Hiking Week, we want to promote tourism and healthy lifestyles, as visitors can go hill-climbing and stay at homestays or hotels nearby,” he said.
“Pahang recorded 13.9 million tourist arrivals in 2019, bringing a revenue of RM15 billion. This shows that Pahang has one of the highest tourist arrival numbers.
“However, with the Covid-19 pandemic, tourism activities were halted for a while to curb the spread of the virus. We hope to revive the tourism sector this year,” he added. – Bernama, January 18, 2022
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