Tourism: PM Wants Langkawi To Be Among Best In World

LANGKAWI, Nov 10 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said today he is committed to developing the island of Langkawi as a tourist destination of the world to the ultimate level.

He said that to achieve this, it required investments in Langkawi and big brands to attract more high-class travellers. "It is time to continue (former prime minister) Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad's mission on Langkawi. We have achieved much...But we have to bring it to the ultimate level.

"We need a few anchor investments...top class brands to be in Langkawi. A game changer... To bring Langkawi to be on par with Bali, Monaco and other places, what we call nautical holiday destinations... Luxury! That is the concept...we want Langkawi to be among the best in the world," he said.

Najib said this when performing the ground-breaking ceremony of the Hotel St. Regis Langkawi & Langkawi International Convention Centre here. Also present were his wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, Second Finance Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah, Rajawali Group chairman Tan Sri Peter Sondakh and Langkawi Development Authority (LADA) chief executive officer Tan Sri Khalid Ramli.

Najib said when he launched the Langkawi Blue Print in 2011, the goal was to draw three million tourists a year by 2015 but for this year the number had already reached 3.6 million. "But we need high end tourists as well...Who can spend and spread the word that Langkawi is among the best in the world," he said.

Therefore, he said, when completed in 2015, the nautical resort comprising integrated St. Regis Langkawi, which has 84 rooms and 11 villas, and the iconic and beautiful LICC would impact not only on Langkawi but Malaysia as a whole.

He said he also hoped that when the two facilities were completed, they could be used for the 2015 Asean summit due to be held in April that year. "(I) Look forward to this investment.. 15 months is a very tight schedule...Asean summit here in Langkawi...Free publicity...Free airtime... Aiming for the April deadline," he added.
-bernama.