Potential to be top tourist spot

Photo: PelanconganKini

NUSAJAYA: Johor is confident that the state will be a top tourist destination in the country with new tourism products expected to be launched by this year.

The state recorded a jump in number of foreign tourists arrival with an increase of 147,475 or 0.88% last year compare to 2010. State Tourism and Domestic Trade committee chairman Datuk Hoo Seong Chang said in 2011, a total of 16.7mil foreign tourists visited Johor compared to 16.5mil two years ago. He pointed out that the state government was confident that the number of foreign and domestic tourists would double with the opening of several new tourism products in September this year.

Hoo added that among the latest tourism products were Johor Premium Outlets (JPO), which has become a hit not only for locals but also to foreign tourists. “With the opening of Legoland Malaysia and Puteri Harbour Indoor Theme Park in a few months time we are confident that Johor will see many tourist arrival for this year.

“For the first quarter of this year alone - Jan to March - there was an increase of 729,423 or (18.32%) which is 4.71mil foreign tourists while in 2011, it was 3.98mil within the same period,” he said. He was replying to Datuk Lee Hong Tee (BN-Jementah), Dr Boo Cheng Hau (DAP-Skudai) and Ng See Tiong (BN-Parit Yaani) at the recent Johor state assembly meeting.

Hoo also said that tourists from Singapore, Indonesia, China and the Philippines were frequent to the state while there was also an increase in tourists from countries such as United Kingdom, India, Thailand, and Japan. “The state government through the Johor Tourism Department are working closely not only with the Tourism Ministry and private sector but also with the Immigration Department, the Customs Department, and the police to ensure that foreign tourists not only have a good time here but also to make traveling easier and safer,” he said.
-thestar online.
http://www.johortourism.gov.my/