GEORGE TOWN: Once considered the country’s top tourist destination, with five-star beach hotels dotting the coastline, Batu Ferringhi has now lost its lustre among holidaymakers.
Hoteliers and tourism players up north say it is about time Batu Ferringhi is revived to its glory days.
The area became very popular for leisure travel in the 70s. By early 2000, the area had become a focal point for Penang tourism.
Beginning with just three resorts in the 70s, Batu Feringghi grew to house some 10 world-renowned hospitality brands – from the Shangri-La Rasa Sayang Resort and Spa to the Hard Rock Hotel, as well as the Bayview Beach Resort and the Golden Sands Resort.
Malaysians and foreigners flocked over to enjoy both its sandy beaches and food.
But by mid-decade of the new millennium, beach erosion, the mushrooming of water sports services and a general downgrade in terms of cleanliness and public amenities, Batu Ferringhi slowly began to lose its lustre.
“The area is a victim of its own success, with over-crowding,” said Penang Malaysian Association of Travel and Tour Agents chapter chairman Vergis Matthews.
And with the Covid-19 global pandemic, which has brought tourism to a standstill, Matthews said now is the time to rebrand and reinvent Batu Ferringhi to regain its position as a top beach destination.
He called for new ideas to stir interest in the area after the Unesco World Heritage Site enclave in George Town started to pull tourists away from the beach.
Rasa Sayang Communications director Tunku Suleiman Tunku Abdul Rahman suggested that the present lull be used to upgrade the area.
Also lending support is restaurateur Richard Long, who owns the Ferringhi Garden Restaurant and the Langkawi Wild Life Park.
Long said it would be good if local authorities could upgrade public amenities.
“We need to enliven the area. A tourism destination in this era needs to stand out as there are many others the world over.”
Meanwhile, Malaysian Association of Hotels Penang chapter chairman Khoo Boo Lim said Tanjung Bungah assemblyman Zairil Khir Johari had already brought up ideas to reinvent the locality.
He mentioned that the Penang Island City Council was upgrading the 5km walkway from Rasa Sayang to Teluk Bahang.
“What we need is for local authorities to ensure that cleanliness is maintained at all times inshore and at sea. Once cleanliness is maintained, it will be a natural attraction here.”
Khoo also suggested that more art and culture programmes be held, citing the present generation of travellers who like to snap selfies and photographs.
