The Kedah government has identified several places with great potential for commercial tourism in an effort to lure more tourists to the state.
State Tourism, Arts and Culture, Youth and Sports, Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Committee chairman Mohd Firdaus Ahmad said these places were Mong Gajah in the Padang Terap District; Langkawi Gateway in Langkawi; Jerai Geopark in the Kuala Muda/Yan districts; the Kedah River banks and Mount Keriang in the Kota Setar District.
The Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA), Invest Kedah and the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MOTAC) have established a sub-committee to identify such areas for development, he said during Question Time in the state legislative assembly meeting.
“There are many areas in the districts with great potential for commercial tourism. Other areas, besides these, will also be identified for development,” he said when replying to a question from Mohd Radzi Md Amin (PAS-Pedu) who wanted to know whether the state government had identified new areas for development as commercial tourism sites.
Mohd Firdaus also said that preference would be given to the local people, including youths, in recruitment for jobs available in the newly developed commercial tourism areas.
“The local authorities will offer the jobs to the local people first. Entrepreneurs, especially women, should take advantage of these opportunities,” he said.
He also said that the state government was striving to obtain financial allocation for large-scale promotion of all tourism sites in Kedah.
