I refer to the Srivijaya Inflight magazine (August – December 2014 issue). It was indeed a pleasant surprise when I opened the magazine to find between its covers, articles promoting Ipoh and Perak. About time!
I am particularly impressed by the Tourist Map of Perak by the State Tourism Board. The Medan Travel Agents Familiarisation Tour of Perak will hopefully lead to more visitors from North Sumatra in the near future.
However, I would like to point out that the authorities should be careful when promoting certain ‘attractions’; for instance, the Kinta Nature Park in Batu Gajah. It took me and my friends a long time to find the place (and we are locals) as it was badly signposted. When we finally found the place it was in a state of neglect. On top of that there were not many birds.
It only takes one or two disappointments to spoil what otherwise would have been an enjoyable trip for visitors. And nothing travels faster than bad news, so we have to be careful about the attractions we promote.
But that aside, overall this is a great effort at promoting the “Town that Tin Built” and the “Silver State”. I hope there will be follow-up articles (for instance about Ipoh food for which the city is renowned) and events (Why not an Ipoh Food Fest in Medan?) to keep travellers interested.
Ipoh and Perak need a tag line so that people can remember us easily. For Ipoh, the old tag of “The Town that Tin Built” would seem most appropriate. And to reflect the beauty of Perak and the warmth of Perakeans, perhaps, “Perak – Beautiful Places, Friendly Faces”.
I also noticed that the private sector in Ipoh has advertised in the magazine. This reflects confidence that visitor numbers from North Sumatera will grow. There are many more things the State and private sector stakeholders can do to promote tourism, but this is a good start. (Give) credit where credit is due. Well Done!
Yin
