Submarine museum targets 500,000 tourists

MALACCA: The submarine museum featuring a French-made SMD Ouessant (Agosta 70 class) vessel is expected to attract about 500,000 tourists and visitors to the state by the end of this year.

The project, costing RM12.5mil came under heavy criticism and deemed a waste of money by certain quarters. State Museum Corporation general manager Datuk Khamis Abas said that from Jan 1 to March 14, the museum had attracted 53,737 tourists and visitors and the figure could reach 500,000 by year end. “Among them were 10,000 tourists who visited the SMD Quessant,” he said.

Based on the popularity and returns generated, the cost of bringing the Agosta 70 class vessel formerly owned by the French navy was irrelevant. Apart from being a museum, the submarine museum also acts as an information centre for visitors who are interested to learn more about underwater warfare in detail.

-Bernama.