In an effort to boost nature tourism in Malaysia, Selangor and Perak are joining hands to further raise the standards of geoparks in both states.
Through Tourism Malaysia, the Selangor government recently signed a memorandum of understanding with Perak’s Lenggong Geopark.
“This collaboration is not just about sharing expertise but it is also about driving sustainable development that benefits the people,” state local government and tourism committee chairman Datuk Ng Suee Lim said in a press statement.
He added that Selangor has identified 31 geosites, 20 of which hold strong tourism potential. The state also aims to position the Gombak-Hulu Langat Geopark as a Unesco Global Geoparks by 2028.
Selangor’s Gombak-Hulu Langat Geopark, which was officially declared as the state’s first national park in November 2024, is looking to learn from Perak’s Lenggong to obtain the Unesco recognition. The Lenggong geopark is currently in its Aspiring Unesco Global Geopark phase, and is set to be officially recognised as a geopark next year.
As said by Tourism Selangor chief executive officer, Chua Yee Ling, the “partnership will create opportunities in staff exchanges, geo-guide training, academic workshops, seminars, research collaborations and more initiatives”.
This collaboration not only strengthens Malaysia’s presence in global sustainable tourism but also supports the ongoing Visit Selangor Year 2025 (VSY2025) campaign that aims to welcome eight million visitors to the state.
Currently, Malaysia is home to two official Unesco-recognised geoparks: Kinabalu Unesco Global Geopark in Sabah, and Langkawi Unesco Global Geopark in Kedah.
Aside from Lenggong, Delta Geopark in Sarawak was also among the nine geoparks from various countries that received Green Card status at the 10th Session of the Unesco Global Geoparks Council, held in Chile early last month.
Once confirmed by the Uneso Executive Board, both the Perak and Sarawak geoparks will be formally announced as part of the Unesco Global Geopark network in 2026.
