Malaysia recorded some 811,833 visitors from Brunei in 2023, marking a more than 200 per cent increase compared to only 301,757 in 2022.
In a networking session with media and travel agents, Chairman of the Tourism, Industry, Investment, and Corridor Development Committee of Perak shared that Brunei is one of the five top arrivals to Malaysia with more than 390,000 visitors from January to April 2024 after Singapore, Indonesia, China and Thailand.
Loh Sze Yee said that this growth presents an excellent opportunity to further showcase Perak’s unique attractions through its successful promotional strategy.
“We look forward to receiving more Bruneian arrivals as we share the same culture, food and traditions. Come and visit Perak and enjoy what we have to offer,” he said.
Perak recorded 17.1 million domestic tourist arrivals in 2023 which was an increase of 2.5 million, ranking fourth after Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Sarawak. “This year, we are expecting 14 million daily visitors and a total of 22 million domestic visitors,” said Loh.
The Visit Perak Year 2024 (VPY2024) campaign was launched recently during the New Year Celebrations 2024 at Silverlakes Village Outlet in Batu Gajah on 31 December 2023, carrying the theme “Promising Perak”.
The campaign aims to rejuvenate the state’s tourism sector post-pandemic, serving as a lead-up to the national Visit Malaysia Year 2026.
According to previous media reports, the last Visit Perak campaign was held in 2017, and the following was initially planned for 2022. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, VPY2022 was postponed and resumed this year.
Rooted in sustainability, competitiveness and inclusiveness, the campaign aspires to establish Perak as a prime destination for ecotourism, culture, heritage, economy and gastronomy.
The Perak State Government aims to attract eight million domestic arrivals along with 350,000 international tourists with a projected revenue of RM10 billion. To achieve these targets, Tourism Perak has intensified promotion and collaboration across various agencies to ensure the state remains a competitive and relevant tourist destination.
The chairman further said that the 12 icons of Perak are namely Pulau Pangkor, Gua Tempurung, Royal Belum, Bandar Lama Ipoh, Kuala Kangsar, Taiping Zoo, Teluk Intan Leaning Tower, Lenggong Vallet, 7 Lata Selama, Matang Mangrove Forest Reserve, Sungai Klah Hot Spring Park and Orang Utan Island.
“These attractions show that there are activities for anyone and everyone to do, see and experience,” he said in an interview. Perak’s tourism mascot is the Tapir, selected due to the tangible evidence of tapir-like animals depicted in prehistoric paintings at Ipoh’s Gua Tambun.
“The mascots are named “Kopiro & Kopita” because Ipoh and Perak are well known for their coffee,” said Loh, adding that Ipoh is the birthplace of Ipoh White Coffee which has been ranked among the top 10 coffees in the world.
THE BRUNEIAN | BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN
