Tourists give city the thumbs up

KUALA LUMPUR: The latest report by Euromonitor International has placed Kuala Lumpur ahead of Paris, Hong Kong and New York in terms of international tourist arrivals.

According to the Top City Destinations Ranking 2009, the Federal capital is ranked fourth out of 100 cities in the world.

New York City, Dubai, Paris and Hong Kong have been placed in the sixth, seventh, eight and tenth spot, respectively.

The report showed that despite the unprecedented drop in international tourists arrivals worldwide which fell by 3.5 per cent, Kuala Lumpur recorded a growth of 5.2 per cent, which saw 9,400,000 tourists entering the country in 2009.

Euromonitor International is a leading independent provider of business intelligence on industries, countries and consumers.

What's attracting visitors to Kuala Lumpur? Streets caught up with some tourists in the city to find out.

Australian Liam Swaaney (left), 29, loves the architecture of the buildings.

"I can't stop shooting pictures of the beautiful buildings in Kuala Lumpur. Malaysia is a good starting point for a Southeast Asia vacation," said Swaaney.

He said he could see the rich cultural diversity of the country just by looking at the architecture of the buildings.

Megan Cantwell (below), 24, who loves backpacking, said Kuala Lumpur has much to offer in terms of places to visit.

"I've been here for only three days and I've already seen some great places like the Twin Towers, Dataran Merdeka and KL Tower," said Cantwell, a Canadian.

Rupinder Singh, 29, from India, said he's in Kuala Lumpur for a business trip as well as a short vacation.

"This is my first time to Malaysia and I have visited many interesting places," said Rupinder, who visited Dataran Merdeka and Batu Caves, among others, with his wife.

Elena Kozlova, 30, who hopped off from a bus load of Russian tourists at Dataran Merdeka was surprised to see so much of greenery despite the many tall buildings.

"I've enjoyed every moment since I set foot in the country. I'll definitely be back," said Kozlova, who is heading for Borneo for a two-week diving trip.

Iqbal Warsi, 55, from London decided to visit the city after hearing all the wonderful stories about Kuala Lumpur from her son, who was here for his honeymoon.

Iqbal and her husband love everything there is about the city, especially Bukit Bintang.

"It reminds us of Piccadilly in London. We can find all kinds of food and see the different cultures in one small place," said Iqbal. They added that the locals were friendly and helpful.

Frenchman Nicolas Lamballe, 32, who is on his second visit, loves the city.

"Kuala Lumpur is a beautiful place with very nice people. I will definitely come back and bring more friends with me next time," said Lamballe.