Johor Taxi Drivers Team Up With LEGOLAND® MALAYSIA To Drive Tourism

Y.B. Datuk Hoo Seong Chang Chairman of Johor Tourism Committee & Siegfried Boerst

Johor, 6 September 2012 – Excitement about the opening of LEGOLAND® Malaysia is at an all-time high and now taxi drivers are also getting involved to spread the cheer. As a key part of the public transportation network, they have been called upon to ensure their passengers are well informed about the latest tourist destination found in their own city. This is in view of the Park opening to the public on the 15^th September 2012.

In order for taxi drivers to be able to share first-hand knowledge of the Park’s 40 rides, shows and attractions with their passengers, three hundred of them were invited to a special preview at LEGOLAND® Malaysia. By sharing their personal experience of Asia’s first LEGOLAND Park, they will play an important new role in developing Johor as a tourist destination.

Every taxi association in Johor Bahru is to take part in the campaign, which has been developed by Johor Tourism Department and LEGOLAND® Malaysia. It will also see every taxi carry brochures about the Park.

At the campaign’s launch at the newly revamped Galleria@Kotaraya, Mr Siegfried Boerst General Manager of LEGOLAND® Malaysia addressed a crowd of VIP guests and members of the media. He said, “LEGOLAND may be a global brand but we see ourselves as a part of the local community here.  The taxi campaign will help to put the Park on the map for those visiting the region. In turn, we hope visitors will also explore the wider area and develop Johor as an international tourist destination.”

Also speaking to reporters at the launch, Y.B. Datuk Hoo Seong Chang Chairman of Johor Tourism Committee emphasized the importance of taxi drivers, as a frontliner of the state tourism, to display good manners, notable character and high quality of cleanliness of the taxis. He identified the significance of preparations from taxi drivers in welcoming tourists to Johor, together with the essential training provided by the responsible government agencies, as key to providing the best hospitality. He also hopes for more smart partnerships and joint collaborations to be initiated in the future as an effort to promote and develop Johor as an attractive and popular international tourism destination.

Asia’s first LEGOLAND®, which opens to the public on 15^th September 2012, is expected to attract a large number of first-time visitors to the area. They are expected to come from Malaysia, Singapore and further afield. The taxi campaign will complement the new bus and coach routes also being launched to help people get to LEGOLAND from a variety of destinations.

The arrival of LEGOLAND® in Johor has been welcomed by the local community. Residents and business owners alike anticipate that there will be a surge in the number of people visiting the region. It is expected that the success of LEGOLAND will directly impact the tourism market in Johor as more visitors choose to discover the region. It is predicted that visitor numbers will increase again when LEGOLAND opens its Waterpark 2013 and its Hotel in 2014.

-Legoland Malaysia.

www.legoland.com.my