LANGKAWI TARGETS 2.5 MLN TOURISTS NEXT YEAR

LANGKAWI (Malaysia), Dec 28 (Bernama) -- The Langkawi Development Authority
(Lada) is targeting 2.5 million local and foreign visitors to this island next
year.

Langkawi, the Jewel of Kedah (Malay: Langkawi Permata Kedah is an
archipelago of 99 islands in the Andaman Sea, some 30 km off the mainland coast
of northwestern Malaysia. The islands are a part of the state of Kedah, which is
adjacent to the Thai border.

Lada Tourism Manager Megat Shaharul Azman Abas said Monday the target could
be achieved in view of the various national and international events to be held
on the duty-free resort island in 2011.

He told Bernama that this year more than two million tourists had visited
Langkawi, and next year’s target could be attained easily.

Megat Shaharul said the prominent events to be held next year included the
Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace (Lima 2011) exhibition in December
and the Le Tour de Langkawi (LTdL) cycle race beginning on Jan 23.

Other events include the One District One Product Expo in April, the
Malaysian Tourism Expo by the Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents
(Matta) in May and the International Geopark Youth Tennis in December, he said.

Megat Shaharul said Langkawi would also host the International Optimist
Dinghy Association (IODA) Championship from Dec 28 to Jan 8.

He also said that the island had been offered to host the International
Tennis Futures Championship by the International Tennis Federation next year,
which would feature the world's ranked players.

-- BERNAMA