Perak government continues efforts to attract more tourists

Tourist-minded: Hamidah speaking to reporters while State Economic Planning Unit director Datuk Abu Bakar Said (left) and Tourism Perak chief executive officer Musa Dun (right) look on.

The state government will soon launch a three-year tourism plan to continue attracting tourists to the state as Visit Perak Year 2012 (VPY 2012) draws to a close.

State Tourism Committee chairman Datuk Hamidah Osman said the new campaign would be launched next year.

“Instead of using the name ‘Visit Perak Year’, we have decided to change it to ‘Discover Perak’. “The logo and its design will remain the same,” she said.

Hamidah added that the state would also be working closely with the Federal Government, which will be launching Visit Malaysia Year 2013/2014, to drum up promotional efforts. “We will be ready to welcome more tourists by 2014 and 2015,” she said.

Hamidah said VPY 2012 had been a successful campaign, adding that she was confident the state would achieve its targeted five million tourist arrivals, by the year end. “We expect the five events, which will be carried out in December, to attract large numbers of tourists,” she said.

The events are the Taiping Lake Gardens Carnival, Pangkor International Poetry and Folk Song Festival, Kacang Putih Festival in Buntong, Perak Tourism Fest and Hotel Decoration Competition. She added that the actual number of tourist arrivals during VPY 2012 would only be available early next year.

On a separate matter, Hamidah said a lay-by would be built near the Lata Kinjang waterfall on the North-South Expressway in Tapah for motorists to admire its scenery without having to exit the expressway.

She said PLUS Expressways Bhd approved an allocation for the project and was in the midst of acquiring land to construct an access road to the waterfall. “Parking bays will also be made available,” Hamidah said.
-thestar online.