Durian Tour To Woo Chinese Tourists

PUTRAJAYA, July 16 (Bernama) -- A durian tour? That’s the latest outing to Malaysia being served up to Chinese nationals to lure them to the country during the durian fruiting season to satisfy their craze for the king of fruits. Steel Zhao, the Tourism Malaysia marketing manager in China, said fulfilling the love for the durian, especially the popular Musang King or “mao shan wang”, would be the latest initiative to attract durian lovers to savour the fruits in Malaysia. Last weekend, Zhao was with a group of 60 Chinese tourists who visited Sg Ruan in Raub, Pahang, which is renown for its Musang King durian. “They will be able to enjoy the freshest durians, from the Musang King to the Durian Kampung, for a variety of choice at affordable prices as well as other local fruits. This will offer a different durian eating experience,” he told Bernama. He said the durian tour would offer a unique experience to the Chinese tourists as they could tour the farm and eat fresh durian besides visiting other tourist destinations in the country. “To attract more Chinese tourists, the best way is to bring them here to enjoy the freshest durians. The tour agencies in China can also come up with attractive tour packages, including eco-tourism destinations, to woo the durian lovers,” he said. “Durians are best eaten fresh, especially within the first few hours of their falling from the tree, to enjoy the flavour and texture of the fruit,” he added. Meanwhile, a tour agency representative based in Beijing, Fan Xin Ping, said the durian tour was gaining popularity among Chinese tourists visiting Malaysia. “We included the durian tour in our package and the feedback is positive. We hope to attract more tourists to experience the unique gateway to Malaysia,” she said. She said the durian tour was an eye-opener for the tourists as they could understand and gain knowledge on how to plant a durian tree, eat a variety of durians as well as enjoy the other eco-tourism products. – BERNAMA