Malaysia diiktiraf antara destinasi pelancongan termurah

RAUB 29 Jan. – Sektor pelancongan Malaysia terus mendapat pengiktirafan antarabangsa apabila tersenarai di antara lapan destinasi percutian paling murah di dunia selain Vietnam dan Thailand oleh portal pelancongan murah, STA Travel United Kingdom.

Menteri Pelancongan, Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen berkata, selain itu, berdasarkan laporan Organisasi Pelancongan Dunia Pertubuhan Bangsa-bangsa Bersatu (UNWTO) Malaysia menduduki tangga kesembilan dari segi ketibaan pelancong.

Manakala portal informasi dan pelancongan Lonely Planet pula meletakkan negara ini antara 10 negara yang baik untuk dilawati, katanya.

"Industri pelancongan telah banyak mengharumkan nama negara di mata dunia, malah ia merupakan sektor kelima penyumbang terbesar kepada pendapatan negara,” katanya ketika berucap pada Majlis Riang Ria Tahun Baru Cina dekat sini, semalam.

Majlis dirasmikan Tengku Mahkota Pahang, Tengku Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah dan turut hadir Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Adnan Yaakob. – BERNAMA

JPO a big hit with bargain shoppers

ONE month into its opening, Johor Premium Outlets (JPO) - a shopping haven joint-venture project between Malaysia’s Genting group and the US’ Simon Property Group - has been attracting strong crowds, especially during weekends.

This spells good news not just for Johor’s tourism industry, but also for the development of Iskandar Malaysia.

Iskandar Malaysia, which aims to be the most developed region in the southern peninsular, needs something to get the average Malaysian excited about it and JPO is one of few projects that help provide it, analysts say.

“Malaysians are shopaholics, so something like this stirs their adrenaline,” one remarked.

JPO, Southeast Asia’s first premium outlet, located in Kulaijaya, is a project earmarked under the country’s Economic Transformation Programme to boost tourism.

It is expected to attract some three million visitors in its first year of operation.

About 90 per cent of its Phase One’s 70 branded/designer stores, including Coach, Ferragamo, Burberry, Levis and Guess, are
already operational.

The rest, which include Polo Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger and Brooks Brothers, are being fitted out, according to a property research report by HwangDBS Vickers Research on January 16.

“Discounts range from 30 per cent to 60 per cent, a tad better than Singapore sales,” its analysts Yee Mei Hui and Quah He Wei said, noting that the “strong” crowds comprised both locals and Singaporeans.

“We believe JPO will likely attract shoppers consistently, particularly from residents within the Johor state as well as visitors from Singapore, given its location that already has captive shoppers of 8.3 million (3.1 million population in Johor and 5.2 million population in Singapore) and ample car park space,” Hong Leong Investment Bank (HLIB) Research said in a recent report.

While JPO’s size may pale in comparison to similar outlets in the US, Japan and Hong Kong, Phase Two of its development could see another 60 outlets come up, bringing the total number of outlets to 130.

Future development may also include a 2,000-room hotel and water-theme park.

JPO, officially launched by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak on December 11 2011, is a 50:50 joint venture between Genting Plantation Bhd’s Azzon Ltd and Premium Outlets, the outlet division of Simon Property Group.

HLIB Research estimated that JPO could contribute some RM11 million a year in net profit to Genting Plantations, a mid-sized plantations firm, from this year onwards.

From an equity investment standpoint, HwangDBS believes that Genting Plantation, which owns 5,500 acres of land in Kulai, could be JPO’s largest beneficiary.

“Every RM5 per square feet increase (from RM10 per square foot assumed) would raise its sum of total parts value by 10 per cent,” it said.

It had a “buy” call on the stock with a target price of RM9.60 a share.

Genting Plantations’ stock, which fell by 2.3 per cent last year, last traded at RM9.28 on Friday, up 13 sen.

Legoland Malaysia expects a million visitors in first year

JOHOR BARU: Legoland Malaysia is projecting its nearly-completed theme park to attract a million visitors during its first year of operation.

Its general manager Siegfried Boerst said the theme park will be officially opened in the second quarter of this year.

"We are looking at more than one million visitors for the first 12 months of operation, and we hope it increases all the time," he told reporters after the unveiling of Legoland Malaysia's dragon mascot made entirely of Lego bricks called "Ollie The Dragon" at Thistle Hotel here on Friday.

The model took 50-man hours to build from approximately 10,000 Lego bricks.

Boerst said construction of the RM700 million theme park is progressing well despite the rainy season affecting Johor, adding he is confident it will be completed on time.

Legoland Malaysia, he said, is planning public relations activities in Malaysia and several other East Asian countries including Singapore and Indonesia leading up to the theme park's official opening, adding it is also developing Johor as a tourist destination.

On the annual pass ticket sales, he said Legoland Malaysia is happy with the response, with its counters selling more than 300 passes daily, with Malaysians making up 80 per cent of the buyers, although the operator is hoping to attract more Singaporean buyers.

"We have registered several thousand annual pass sales, and we intend to keep it open for a few more weeks," he said.

The annual passes, sold at a discounted price of RM195 (adult) and RM150 (children), are valid right into the end of 2013.

Tickets are available online through the AirAsia RedTix and Legoland Malaysia websites.

Legoland Malaysia, the world's sixth Legoland and Asia's first, is located in Iskandar Malaysia and will feature more than 40 interactive rides, shows and attractions when it opens.

Other Legoland theme parks across the world are in Denmark, the UK, Germany and Florida and California in the US.

Bernama