LANGKAWI – The Langkawi Tourism Association has lauded Kedah’s Sultan Sallehuddin Badlishah’s suggestion to restrict the number of tourists visiting Pulau Payar Marine Park Centre.
Its president Ahmad Pishol Ishak said that this will protect Pulau Payar from being polluted and damaged by visitors.
“It is good because we do not want Pulau Payar to be polluted. If we can limit the number of tourists, that is even better.
“Previously, we had discussions to limit the number of visitors, but we failed to reach a decision because there are many operators in Pulau Payar,” he told The Vibes.
In fact, Pishol said, limiting the number of visitors will make tourism activities easier to organise.
“If we implement this, tourists will need to book activities on Pulau Payar in advance, hence maintaining business activity,” he said.
Yesterday, the Kedah sultan visited the 31.2ha island to launch the opening gimmick of the iconic Pulau Payar Reef.
Previously, some 800 tourists visited the marine park daily.
The marine park comprises four islands – Pulau Payar, Pulau Lembu, Pulau Kaca and Pulau Segantang.
The islands were gazetted as a marine park in 1994 under the Fisheries Act 1985 (Amended 1991).
Among the attractions on Pulau Payar is the possibility of sighting various marine mammals including dolphins, whales and whale sharks, which can be seen between October and February. – The Vibes, March 26, 2021
