LANGKAWI, Oct 7  -- The target of wooing five million tourists to this tax-free island in conjunction with Visit Malaysia Year 2020 requires a massive promotion exercise, said Langkawi Tourism Association (LTA) chief executive officer Zainudin Kadir.

In this regard, he called on the government to increase its allocation for the tourism sector, specifically for Langkawi, to boost promotion efforts by industry players both locally and abroad.

“The hope from those in the island’s tourism sector is for the 2020 Budget to take into account the need for promotions on a larger scale so that the target of five million tourists could be achieved in conjunction with the Visit Malaysia 2020 Year.

“Currently, the tourism industry players in Langkawi are using their own funds to promote their products, but sometimes their efforts at doing so may have some limitations...we want visitors to come here on a regular basis, so information regarding this tax-free island needs to be carried out consistently,” he told Bernama.

Agreeing with the LTA, hotel manager Wan Mohammad Fadzil Wan Kamaruzaman said there was a need for Langkawi to be promoted on a regular basis since it is one of the main contributors in revenue for the tourism sector.

“If the funds for the sector are further increased, promotion efforts can be implemented through participation of industry players from Langkawi at leading international tourism trade shows,” he added.

-- BERNAMA