Perak Hopeful AirAsia's Bangkok-Ipoh Flight Will Boost Tourist Arrivals From Thailand

By Haikal Mohd Isa BANGKOK, Sept 4 (Bernama) -- The Perak state government is banking on AirAsia's direct flight from Bangkok to Ipoh which it hoped to commence by early next year in luring more tourists from Thailand to the state. Perak Tourism, Arts and Culture Committee chairman Tan Kar Hing said meetings had been held with the budget airliner to secure its agreement to start direct flights to the state capital. "We are hoping AirAsia's Bangkok-Ipoh flights will start within the first quarter of next year," he told Bernama during a promotional event jointly organised by the state's tourism arm and Tourism Malaysia's office in Bangkok, here recently. Currently, the "silver" state received flights from several airlines namely Malindo, AirAsia and Scoot, a Singapore's budget carrier. The Simpang Pulai assemblyman also said, Perak had been approaching several airlines whom he declined to identify, to entice them to commence direct as well as chartered flights to the state, in a bid to make Perak more accessible among foreign tourists. Also attending the event were Malaysia's Ambassador to Thailand Jojie Samuel and director of Tourism Malaysia Bangkok, Abdul Haris Hadi. Besides boosting air connectivity to Perak, Tan said, officials from the state had begun preliminary discussions with their counterpart in the southern Thai town of Betong, which is situated opposite Perak's Pengkalan Hulu to attract more Thai tourists to the state. “Betong will have a new airport in 2020 and the Perak state government is hopeful that the new airport will spur more tourist arrivals from Thailand by using the existing land border in Betong-Pengkalan Hulu,” he said. He said travellers from the Southeast Asian country will find Perak attractive to visit as the state had a multitude of attractions to suit different kind of travellers from nature lovers, historical and cultural enthusiasts to gastronomic adventurers . "Over the last four consecutive years, Perak has been receiving the highest amount of domestic tourists and visitors in Malaysia. Therefore, it is timely that the silver state aims to increase and attract more foreign tourists by sharing the gems in Perak," he said. Last year, Malaysia received 1.8 million tourists from Thailand and the number is projected to increase to 1.9 million this year. -- BERNAMA