ROMPIN, Oct 9 — Pahang recorded 5.11 million tourist arrivals, with revenue estimated at RM4.59 billion as of June, said State Unity, Tourism and Culture Committee chairman Leong Yu Man.
She said of the total, 4.75 million were domestic arrivals, while the rest were international tourists with 282,373 of them from ASEAN countries.
“The highest number of tourists was recorded in Genting Highlands, Kuantan, Cameron Highlands, Pulau Tioman and Temerloh,” she said after the closing and prize-giving ceremony of the Royal Pahang Billfish International Challenge (RPBIC) 2023, here yesterday.
Leong expressed confidence that the target of 13 million tourists to Pahang for this year can be achieved, given that the statistics for the third quarter are currently being processed and the number of tourists will increase during the year-end school holiday.
On RPBIC, she said the catch-and-release fishing event, which was first held in 2004, was instrumental in establishing the Rompin district as one of the world’s top billfish fishing spots.
Kuala Rompin is known as the “Billfish Capital of Asia”, where the species can be found abundantly in the area during their active migration season between March and October each year.
“Boats in Kuala Rompin are usually fully booked on weekends throughout the period, and as of last June, the tourist arrivals to Rompin stood at 19,924,” said Leong.
