KUANTAN, Sept 16 — The East Coast Rail Link (ECRL), scheduled to begin operations early next year, is expected to drive Pahang’s tourism sector, with the number of visitors to the state projected to increase by up to 30 per cent.
Tourism Pahang general manager Nor Zahira Muhammad Azmi said the increase was expected due to improved accessibility and shorter travel times provided by the country’s mega project.
“We expect a 20 to 30 per cent increase in visitors from our target of 17 million tourists this year,” she told Bernama.
She said Pahang had sufficient accommodation capacity to cater to the expected increase in tourist arrivals, with about 36,000 registered rooms available statewide.
“In terms of accommodation, I don’t think there is a problem because Pahang has one of the largest accommodation capacities in Malaysia. However, all tourism industry players need to make preparations from now and not wait until the ECRL starts operating,” she said.
She said most hotels now also play a role in promoting nearby tourist destinations to guests, thus helping ensure the industry is prepared for the influx of tourists via the ECRL.
She also hoped that all tourism sectors would benefit from the project, as each had its own potential, including ecotourism, agrotourism, as well as beach and lake destinations.
“In addition, the homestay, cultural tourism and gastronomy sectors are expected to grow as tourists are now more interested in local experiences, including enjoying traditional food. With shorter travel times, more people will also have the opportunity to make day trips,” said Nor Zahira.
She also feels that railway-based tourism packages have the potential to be expanded with the operation of the ECRL, with travel agencies encouraged to offer packages based on stations and nearby destinations.
“For example, tourists who get off at the Bentong Station can be taken to Genting Highlands, while those arriving at Temerloh can continue to Kuala Gandah or Pekan Sehari,” she added.
In addition to urging tourism industry players to make early preparations for the products they would offer, she also hoped accommodation operators would ensure that their premises were registered.
She said tourists were becoming increasingly discerning and placing greater importance on safety, including choosing licensed accommodation with insurance coverage to deal with any unforeseen circumstances.
She added that operators also need to work with travel agencies to highlight new packages in addition to utilising social media for promotional purposes.
“Industry players must seize the opportunity to collaborate more with travel agencies to sell packages, while leveraging social media platforms to promote existing products.
“Social media plays a very important role. If a place goes viral, it can become popular very quickly,” she said, adding that Tourism Pahang was also prepared to assist in promoting licensed accommodation establishments.
Pahang has seven ECRL stations – Bentong, Temerloh, Maran, Paya Besar, KotaSAS, Kuantan Port City and Cherating .
The project, previously scheduled for completion by the end of this year, is expected to begin operations next year.
