Drowning Langkawi tourism players hope for Putrajaya lifebuoy

Langkawi Tourism Association (LTA) president Zainuddin Kadir is hoping that large-scale promotions would reverse the decline of tourists flocking to the island.

He is hoping that both Putrajaya and the PAS-led Kedah state government would work together and he is willing to be the “middle person” for discussions on this matter.

“The state government has no money to assist with regard to a budget (for promotion). We are waiting for the federal government,” he told Malaysiakini yesterday.

Although some have blamed the crisis on the alleged overzealous “moral policing” of tourists, Zainuddin pointed the finger at the Langkawi Development Authority (Lada) instead.

“Lada claims Langkawi is in good shape. But in reality, we are significantly affected,” he said, adding that the pinch was harder for the upcoming Deepavali break.

Furthermore, he said Langkawi only has “two new products” to offer - the Eagle Nest Skywalk and the snorkelling centre in Pulau Singa.

According to Zainuddin, Lada’s alleged lack of drive could also be attributed to its chief executive officer post being vacant.

“No new CEO has been appointed. It has been eight months,” he said.

Tourist arrival

The LTA president claimed that the hold-up in releasing the schedule for the ferry service is compounding the problem.

“For today (yesterday), it came out just two hours ago (about 10am). So how are people supposed to plan their trip? People cannot make last-minute plans,” he said.

However, a spokesperson for the firm which operates the ferry service denied Zainuddin’s claim.

The spokesperson, who declined to be named, said the schedule is updated in their system on a regular basis, which allows customers to pick a date of their choice to travel.

Zainuddin said tourist arrival began to drop after the government allowed Malaysians to travel abroad following the end of the Covid-19 movement control order.

Quizzed on the competition from tourism spots in Thailand such as Hat Yai and Krabi, he acknowledged that hospitality across the border was “number one”.

However, Zainuddin believes that tourists still have a soft spot for Langkawi but reiterated his allegation that the poor ferry service is disrupting business.

On Wednesday, Kedah Menteri Besar Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor said the Tourism Ministry and federal agencies should play their roles instead of leaving it to the state government.

He also criticised Tourism, Culture, and Arts Minister Tiong King Sing for casting a negative light on Langkawi by claiming that tourists are being told not to wear shorts or consume alcohol.

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