Government Plans To Gazette 2017 As 'Visit Klang Year'

KLANG, Dec 8 (Bernama) -- The government plans to gazzete 2017 as 'Visit Klang Year' in an effort to make the royal town the most popular tourist destination in Selangor, said Tourism and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz.

He said the town with its historical monuments and quaint fishing village in Pulau Ketam had the potential to be a tourist attraction.

"As such, we need to promote Klang as a tourist destination in Selangor and we can capitalise on the royal town's 'Bak Kut Teh' as many Chinese tourists come here to look for non-halal food," he told reporters after launching the 'Discover Selangor' smartphone application at the Klang Municipal Council (MPK) premises here Tuesday.

Also present were Selangor state executive council member in charge of tourism, Elizabeth Wong and MPK president, Datuk Mohd Yasid Dugan.

Mohamed Nazri also agreed to a proposal by MPK to make the Raja Mahadi monument the symbol of tourism in Klang apart from improving swamp areas in the town.

He also proposed that the fishing village in Pulau Ketam be developed with a homestay programme and the infrastructure around the island such as the jetty, upgraded.

He expressed disappointment with the poor turnout of foreign tourists at hotels in Selangor when only 764,000 tourists were recorded after the state fell to seventh placing last year (2014).

"This is disappointing because when people come to Peninsular Malaysia, their first stop is KLIA (Kuala Lumpur International Airport) which is located in Selangor. So it is such a waste if they do not visit the state. At times tourists visit Selangor for just a day trip but they spend the night in Kuala Lumpur," he said.

The 'Discover Selangor' smartphone application provides smartphone users with the latest information on tourist attractions in the state, including hotel accommodation and shopping centres.

According to Elizabeth Wong, so far, a total of 500 consumers have used the application and an estimated 5,000 smartphone users would be downloading the application by June 2016.

After a working visit to MPK, Mohamed Nazri went on a walkabout at Klang's Little India visiting some saree shops, ending his tour at the Sultan Abdul Aziz Royal Gallery here.
-bernama.