Some of Langkawi’s tourism players are pushing for an increase in destination marketing, in anticipation of an influx of corporate groups, brought about by an expanded airport terminal and recent events.
One such stakeholder, premiere leisure water sports company Naam, has been working closely with other stakeholders, such as the Malaysia Convention and Exhibitions Bureau (MyCEB), Langkawi Development Authority and Destination Asia, to promote Langkawi as a rising destination for meetings, incentives and conventions.
This is in the lead-up to the Pacific Asia Travel Association Travel Mart 2018, which will be held in Langkawi from September 12-14.
“Most corporates are looking for exclusive (activities), especially for teambuilding. We have a lot of (activities) catered to this for high-end companies,” shared Jenny Choo, sales & marketing manager, Naam.
One of Naam’s offerings include travelling out to more secluded islands and diving spots instead of popular and crowded areas such as Tanjung Rhu Beach and Pantai Cenang Beach.
Choo added that on top of its convention centre and facilities, Langkawi is also expanding its international terminal to accommodate more inbound traffic.
Mark Hisham, head of sales & marketing, Naam, revealed: “We hope that with the new government, MyCEB will get (a higher) budget to do more promotions and events.
“Prime minister Mahathir’s parliamentary seat is in Langkawi, so we hope he will continue where he left off before and make Langkawi glorious again. We have been lacking in infrastructure, so in order for us to keep up with (similar destinations like) Phuket and Bali, we have to focus more on this.”
Gem Vacation & Travel’s director, A. Majid M., told TTGmice that Langkawi is becoming an increasingly attractive destination for its affordable price point, considering its offerings that are comparable to the Maldives.
What the destination can benefit from is more marketing and outreach to agents to showcase what products are available for corporates, he opined.
