Continuous efforts by Langkawi to Spur Tourist Arrivals
With hopes to boost tourist arrivals on the island, Langkawi Development Authority (LADA) hosted a Tourism Networking event on 4th August 2022 ahead of the MATTA Fair that is set to take place from 5th to 7th August 2022 at the Amari Hotel, Johor Bahru. This event seeks to primarily create a platform for networking between tourism operators from both Singapore and Johor and to stimulate the growth of Langkawi as the most popular tourist destination in Malaysia.
This event which saw the attendance of travel agencies, local tour operators, and hoteliers was organised to enable LADA to promote Langkawi in Singapore and Johor Bahru, as well as create opportunities for collaborations between Tourism Malaysia Southern Region and Singapore. Through this, LADA strives to contribute to the comeback of the island’s economic vibrancy, which has been heavily impacted by the pandemic.
“LADA wishes to create a strong relationship with industry players from both Singapore and Johor Bahru given that Langkawi’s economic blueprint is supported by the presence of such strong tourism industry influencers.
Our ultimate goal is to pave the way for Langkawi’s economic recovery and we believe that we are on the right track as we can now delightfully share that Langkawi came in at number 5 in Asia’s Best Awards 2022 for Top 10 Islands in Southeast Asia,” said Chief Executive Officer of LADA, Nasaruddin Abdul Muttalib.
More recently, LADA had also campaigned to attract more charters to the island by launching the Langkawi Charter Flight Incentive Program (LCFIP), which will offer financial incentives to air charter operators worldwide. With a special allocation under LCFIP, this fund will be used to reward flight companies that provide charter flight services on the island.
There is also a wide range of tour packages introduced with special prices for travellers – Honeymoon Packages for the lovely newlyweds, Family Packages for family bonding vacations, and Group Packages for both leisure and Meetings, Incentives, Conventions, and Exhibitions (MICE). With this, it is anticipated that the tourism segment in Langkawi will be rejuvenated and the number of tourists coming on the island will also increase.
“We want to strengthen domestic tourism and spur economic recovery for Langkawi. We are incredibly excited to have several airlines starting operations for new routes, for instance from Johor Bahru to Langkawi, as this helps position Langkawi as a highly accessible destination through the increase of connectivity. This is a step in the right direction and pivotal to ensuring a seamless travel experience for tourists,” added Nasaruddin.
At the moment, flights between Johor and Langkawi will run daily whilst flights between Singapore and Langkawi will run 8 times a week. Singapore is also known as the air traffic hub for Southeast Asia and it has the potential to become an entry point for tourist to visit Langkawi. This growing decentralisation of Malaysian airline hubs will definitely make travelling easier for all visitors.
In order to reinforce Langkawi’s status as a preferred destination for holidays and MICE for both domestic and international markets, LADA will also be planning roadshows in Klang Valley, Penang and Ipoh soon to focus on attracting affluent tourists who are often after unique, memorable experiences.
As the nation gradually transitions into an endemic phase, LADA will continue to diversify initiatives to restore the local economy and make Langkawi stronger and more resilient. Other plans that have been arranged and solidified include conducting robust domestic and international promotional activities, implementing targeted marketing for high-end tourists, and creating new tourism products including geo- tourism to attract more tourists to the island.