Access To Efficient Public Transport Boosts Tourism In Kuala Lumpur

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 1 (Bernama) -- Kuala Lumpur has been ranked the world's fourth best shopping city by global news network CNN.

Access to efficient public transportation such as the Light Rail Transit (LRT) trains, buses and taxis leading to shopping malls helps to boost tourism. Besides that, the diversity of choice, value, and price promotions offered at the shopping centres and leading boutiques during the year-end sales also meets every individual's preferences and budget.

The cosmopolitan federal capital is currently being flooded by foreign tourists as well as the local population who are taking advantage of the school holidays to shop with the family for school items and the festive season.

A tourist from Indonesia, Naria Agustina, 30, from Jakarta, said she chose to travel and shop in Malaysia due to the easy access to public transport. "In Malaysia, access to public transport such as taxis, the LRT and buses is easy. It's easier for people to get to the shopping centres and prices are also cheaper. It is also easy for me to get halal food," she told Bernama here, Sunday.

Another Indonesian tourist, Sandra Marianda, 27, from Bandung, said besides convenient public transport, other facilities such as walkways from Suria KLCC to Pavilion KL also provided comfort to tourists to shop here.

For Jill Oomen, 38, from Holland, her first expectation about Malaysia, especially Kuala Lumpur, was the situation to be haphazard. "I have never been to Kuala Lumpur... So I wanted to see the city and of course the Petronas Twin Towers. It's a very nice place, very nice people, it's very clean and it's well organised. It's not like what I thought it would be before coming here," she said.

Oomen, who visited Central Market also acknowledged that it was fun shopping there because it had a wide selection of craft items as gifts.

In conjunction with Visit Malaysia Year 2014, the government is targeting to attract 28 million foreign tourists who are expected to contribute RM76 billion in tourism receipts.
-bernama.