Blueprint Aims To Make Langkawi A Top 10 Ecotourism Destination

LANGKAWI (Malaysia), Dec 8 (Bernama) - The Langkawi Tourism Blueprint 2011-2015 aims to make the resort island among the world's top 10 island and eco-tourism destination by 2015. Under the plan launched by Prime Minister of Malaysia Najib Tun Razak here Thursday, Langkawi will by them offer better facilities for tourists and locals. It provides a tourism portfolio comprising 14 initiatives designed to cover the three themes of product, infrastructure and enabler. The first theme covers basic needs for tourists such as accommodation and restaurants to entertainment and attractive destinations while the second is on the experience of tourists from their arrival until departure. The third theme covers the three initiatives to lay a strong foundation for the tourism industry via community development and marketing. Langkawi will offer a wide range of attraction and capture high-end tourists via a variety of entertaining activities and natural environment for fun, relax, food and shopping. The island is also proud of its standards and practices to protect the environment and cultures that can be used as a model. It will host more tourists and offer a breathtaking experience, hospitality, services, various attractive destinations and great accommodation. Langkawi is expected to become one of the world's ten best islands like Bali and Maldives and the local population will also benefit from an economic standpoint. Tourism and tourism-related Gross National Income (GNI) in Langkawi is expected to surge two fold, from RM0.8bil in 2010 to RM1.9bil by 2015. The GNI increase is due to increased tourism revenue over the same period, from RM1.9 billion to RM3.8 billion. Some 4,200 new jobs will also be created with the building of more hotels including luxury ones that offer high quality services. (US$1=RM3.13) -- BERNAMA