It has been 11 months since Selangor launched its ‘Pusing Selangor Dulu’ campaign, and Tourism Selangor chief executive officer Azrul Shah Mohamad could not be happier with the outcome.
“I am delighted with the outcome of the campaign, despite the Covid-19 pandemic,” said Azrul Shah.
“We could not count on visitors from the other states due to the restrictions on interstate travel.
“However, our ‘Pusing Selangor Dulu’ campaign saw many Selangorians embrace the opportunity to travel within the state.
“There was this misconception that Selangor only had malls, but now, people realise that we have so much more to offer.”
He said many found out about Sky Mirror in Kuala Selangor, while Fireflies Park and Sekinchan, saw a huge increase in the number of visitors.
Azrul Shah also said the state was ramping up efforts via its ‘Splendid Selangor’ and ‘Take Me Anywhere’ campaigns, targeting foreign tourists.
“Both these campaigns were launched in March when we collaborated with Tourism Malaysia Dubai.
“Now that international borders are open, we can start pushing these campaigns.”
Tourism is one of the largest sectors in Malaysia. In 2019, it contributed 13.3 per cent to Malaysia’s gross domestic product (GDP).
However, in 2020, tourism’s contribution to the GDP plunged to only 5.5 per cent, brought on by the worldwide Covid-19 pandemic.
“Selangor was among the hardest-hit states, but the ‘Pusing Selangor Dulu’ campaign helped to cushion the impact. I do not have the figures, but it certainly helped the traders and business operators,” he said.
Azrul Shah was speaking after signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with SmartSel Sdn Bhd to jointly develop and improve the high-speed internet network in selected public zones in the state.
Representing SmartSel was its managing director, Ahmad Akmal Hamzah, while Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari, witnessed the event.
The joint venture involves the installation, testing and launching of internet connection services in public zones in Selangor, including in selected tourist areas.
Tourism Selangor is responsible for providing access to selected tourist areas for the development and construction of telecommunications infrastructure.
