Questioning the rationale for charging tourist fee in Langkawi

I REFER to your report “Langkawi to charge tourist fee” (The Star, June 21). As a resident of this beautiful island, I simply cannot understand the rationale behind this ridiculous move to charge visitors a tourism promotion fee starting from July 1 when they check into hotels here.

Langkawi is a pristine island surrounded by beautiful nature. It is one of our major holiday sites visited by millions of tourists yearly. Its popularity is due to the fact that it offers something for everybody and at a very affordable price.