LANGKAWI: Kedah Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mukhriz Tun Dr Mahathir (pix) has urged tourism industry players to come up with creative ideas in offering packages to tourists, including having large-scale cultural performances at night.
He said the intense competition in the sector among regional countries requires the industry to come up with ways to offer new experiences for visitors coming to the duty-free resort island.
“Other countries are offering a variety of attractive packages for tourists, but in Langkawi, they (tourists) feel not much has changed in a while. Among other things, tourists feel that there are not too many night-time activities as our competitors in Phuket, Thailand; Bali, Indonesia; and Danang, Vietnam.
“So, I would suggest that there be a truly exciting cultural show that can draw 200 to 300 people every time. If it attracts more people, there will be economic growth such as opportunities to sell souvenirs and food, and this is among the ideas and aspirations being focused on by the state and federal governments,“ he told the media after visiting the Langkawi Broadcasting Department here today.
Also present were state assemblymen Juhari Bulat (Ayer Hangat) and Mohd Firdaus Ahmad (Kuah).
Mukhriz also shared his experience of watching cultural performances during a recent trip to Xi’an and Shanghai in China, that attracted wide audiences, tourists and locals, alike.
“I also recently took several Chinese entrepreneurs who are involved in the entertainment sector to see the Mek Mulung and Silat Gayung performances. They were very excited to see the show. I’m sure if tourists come to Langkawi, they would also want to see an authentic cultural performance like this,“ he said.
Meanwhile, at a separate event, Mukhriz praised the efforts of Samsudin Ismail, the owner of a motorcycle shop offering a new experience to tourists by renting old-school and classic US-made motorcycles under the Cleveland CycleWerks brand.
“I felt compelled to see for myself the good efforts of this young entrepreneur. This is another attraction for tourists when they come to Langkawi, even if they do not purchase a motorcycle, they can at least rent and ride a motorcycle around the island,” he said during his speech when officiating the motorcycle shop ‘’The Bank Garage’’. — Bernama
