REGULAR arts and cultural activities are helping breathe new life into Johor Baru’s city centre, with businesses and young people welcoming more events to draw visitors into the heritage area.
Tailor K. Jayaletchmi, 49, who has been operating her business along Jalan Dhoby for more than a decade, said the area had seen a noticeable increase in visitors compared with previous years.
She said people used to come into the city mainly during holiday periods, but crowds could now be seen more often.
“Previously, people came into the city mostly during festive seasons, but now there are people coming almost every day, especially on weekends,” she said.
Jayaletchmi attributed part of the change to the growing number of cafes and eateries that have opened in the area.
“With more cafes opening here, many young people are now coming into the city, so the area is no longer as quiet as it used to be,” she said.
She also welcomed the organisation of events in the business district, saying such activities could further increase the number of visitors and benefit traders.
“When there are events around our business area, it helps to attract more people here. The city is no longer as quiet as before,” she said.
Jayaletchmi said the improvements to the city centre, including cleaner and more attractive surroundings, had also contributed to its appeal.
“I hope Johor Baru city centre can continue to become a place that attracts people’s attention because this will also help small businesses like ours,” she said.
Restaurant owner Robin Jian, 64, agreed that regular events could have a positive impact on businesses that had remained in the area for years.
“Having events around this area will definitely help other businesses that have been operating here,” he said.
Jian said he had noticed more people returning to the city centre and hoped the authorities would also address parking availability as visitor numbers increased.
“With the crowd starting to come back, I do hope the authorities will look at having more parking areas available,” he said.
He said better parking facilities would make it easier for people to visit Johor Baru city centre, particularly those travelling by car.
“People may want to come here, but they also need somewhere convenient to park their vehicles,” he said.
