Optimism remains for Langkawi tourism sector

THE latest figures are a bit deflating for tourism players in Langkawi. In comparing the figures recorded last year, the number of tourists coming to Langkawi has slightly decreased since September.

Langkawi Tourism Association chief executive officer Zainudin Kadir was among the first to raise the alarm, publicly saying things were not turning out well leading up to the Deepavali festive break.

The hotel occupancy rates left much to be desired, he said.

He added that quite a few food operators had shut down and some car rental owners sold off their vehicles to avoid bank debts.

Then there were stories of pricey food on social media, plus the war of words among politicians over non-Muslims being barred from buying alcohol and wearing shorts on the island.

To the masses, these are political soundbites rather than music to the ears.

Some online media portals ran stories about Langkawi on the verge of becoming a ghost town, though this was somewhat of a hyperbole, according to Langkawi industry players.

In case you forgot, Langkawi was the nation’s first “travel bubble” during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2021.

Many people from around the world, yearning to go elsewhere, made a dash for Langkawi then as the nation eased back on restrictions on recreational activities during the pandemic.

The tourists could fly to Langkawi via arrangements with licensed tour operators and upon arrival, clear the seven days of periodic testing for Covid-19.

After that, they were free to explore the rest of Malaysia.

Now that the time for “revenge travel” is long gone, it is understandable that domestic tourists will not return to the holiday island anytime soon.

Another point is that the peak season in Langkawi has always been during the year-end school holidays, with arrivals soaring during Christmas and New Year’s Eve, so don’t be surprised to hear about Langkawi being swamped with visitors next month.

Despite the bad press, Langkawi will always hold a special place in my heart.

It brings a great many happy holiday memories for me, my friends and family.

My first trip there is still vividly etched in my mind.

The journey was during my rebellious youth phase in 2000.

My five childhood friends and I boarded a ferry at Swettenham Pier to reach this duty-free island.

As soon as we touched down, the first thing we did was to buy cigars and many brands of cigarettes, exchanging a few sticks with one another.

That phase of my life is gone and I’ve quit smoking but I still remember how gleeful our band of brothers was then.

And we had quite a few duty-free beers too, of course.

Our group rented a Nissan AD Resort and scoured many duty-free shops in Kuah town right up to the Mahsuri Tomb and Museum, Underwater World and Crocodile Adventureland.

There were no Waze or Google Maps then; maps were things printed on paper, remember?

Nevertheless, we had fun discovering things as we went along.

One thing we learned was that a plate of fried bean sprouts with salted fish could be expensive.

The reason? Bean sprouts had to be brought in by boat from mainland Kedah!

To keep Langkawi pristine, authorities control agricultural and industrial activities allowed there.

That is how you get a rustic, laidback archipelago and that is why some things are expensive in Langkawi.

Beansprouts are perishables that spoil quickly, so extra care and speed are needed to send them to the island.

So if you have a craving for beansprouts while in Langkawi, you have to pay a little more in view of the shipping cost.

Today, Langkawi tourism players have to grapple with the challenge of appealing to bread-and-butter domestic tourists as everyone can “fly” these days.

Just browse through social media and you will find your friends having a blast in Bangkok, Bali or Hanoi over long weekend breaks.

Malaysian destinations have to vie for the attention of domestic tourists as Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam beckon.

Those in the tourism sector need to up their game by constantly bringing changes and upgrades to attractions and experiences to give additional value for money.

Perhaps tourism players need to create promotional activities that link the two islands of Penang and Langkawi.

Their allure can complement each other. One has natural beauty, ancient geology, adventure sports and laidback island feel while the other is famous for its heritage, cultural diversity and fab hawker food.