KL TOURISM DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL

KUALA Lumpur Tourism Development Council has been established to ensure that the city's tourism industry progresses in the right direction.

Twenty-four representatives from government and corporate sectors and non-governmental organisations were appointed as council members to help identify potential tourism products and services. Mayor Tan Sri Ahmad Fuad Ismail is the council chairman.

The council was recently launched at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC), where it also held its first meeting.

"The purpose of the council is to create a platform for the members collaborate closely to develop the tourism industry of KL," said Fuad. "City Hall has allocated a launch grant of RM1 million to the council to carry out its initiatives."

He thanked the members for accepting the appointments, and said he was confident that the council would contribute ideas and initiatives for the advancement of tourism as well as address the challenges faced by the industry in Kuala Lumpur.

The members were appointed in consideration of their roles and experience in the industry, he said. "I believe their experience and expertise in their respective fields will benefit the team in mapping out the development of the tourism industry," he said. Fuad said a council meeting would be held every two months to discuss issues, challenges and developments.

"We are not really far behind Singapore. In fact, Malaysia has many advantages, especially the shopping in KL. Tourists love shopping here simply because the prices are cheap and affordable compared to Singapore."

He said KL had the potential to grow as a tourism hub, which would generate more income and job opportunities for city residents. He said there were many places to visit here, and one of the ways to see the sights was by tram on the "Hop On Hop Off" programme for just RM2. City Hall has six trams running for the programme. City Hall is also upgrading the landscapes of the city parks, he said.

Last year, KL was named "Asia's Leading City Destination 2011" at the World Tourism Awards. In 2010, KL was the sixth most visited city by international tourists, with 8.9 million visitors.