The Kuala Lumpur Tourism Association (KLTA) organised a walkabout in the Changkat Bukit Bintang area and the China Town (Petaling Street) area together with government agencies including Kuala Lumpur City Hall, Royal Malaysia Police, Malaysia Immigrations Department, Royal Malaysian Customs Department and Tourism Malaysia to inspect the environment and the offerings of the tourist centric establishments in these two locations.
The walkabout started at 8pm and the participants were shuttled between the two areas by the Kuala Lumpur Hop-On-Hop-Off Tour Bus – itself an iconic and popular tourist attraction for both domestic and foreign tourists alike.
Established in 1963, the KLTA is the nation’s oldest tourism association. Its objectives are to promote Kuala Lumpur as a preferred destination, work with members and industry stakeholders to develop industry standards, develop city-centric tourism products and provide a common platform for stakeholder engagement.
In line with this objective of engaging with tourism stakeholders from the private sector and the government agencies, this evening’s activity was conducted with the view to go to the ground and explore the environment as a tourist would see it.
Through engagement with the establishment owners in Changkat Bukit Bintang and China Town, and even tour guides, it is hoped that issues faced by these stakeholders can be brought up for discussion with the relevant authorities in an effort to find workable solutions.
“These two areas are important from a tourist perspective as they offer night entertainment. It is important that the tourist offering is always of a good standard as this will also reflect the image of the city as whole”, said KLTA’s president Farouk Nurish.
“Although both areas offer seemingly similar establishments – restaurants, cafes, bars and clubs, they both have a very different and unique feel to them, and hence are capable of attracting different types of tourists. It is therefore important to ensure that the environment is safe and the operators all adhere to the service standards and the legal requirements as set by the authorities”.
“After today, we hope to have further engagement with the establishment owners and the government agencies in order to ensure that the experiences offered are of quality and this includes creating a safe and comfortable environment for tourists”, he said.
“Before the pandemic, Kuala Lumpur was in the list of top ten visited cities in the world. For us to regain that position we need to offer more in terms of tourism experiences to attract regional and global tourists to our capital city. We need to have more unique tourism offerings that are distinctly Malaysian and essentially Kuala Lumpur. To successfully achieve this, we need to have close collaboration with the multiple stakeholders; from accommodation providers to transport services providers to eateries, shopping centres, tourist attractions and entertainment outlets there must be a coordinated delivery of products that create that memorable experience that will brand Kuala Lumpur”.
While the entourage comprising KLTA members and the government agencies had only cursory stopovers at a few selected outlets in both areas, some of the establishment’s owners were on hand to meet and greet the entourage at the entrance of their outlets.
The establishments in the China Town area offer their own unique flavour and appeal, yet we all have one thing in common and that is preserving and promoting the rich heritage and culturally significant history of the area,” said Andy Tan, owner of Concubine KL.
Many of the buildings in China Town are over 100 years old, and each have their own story to tell. For example, the shophouse that is today Concubine is 130 years old. While we have created an interior that is contemporary and appealing to a young and young at heart clientele, we have maintained the original structures and fittings that are as old as the building.
China Town has in the last few years undergone a rejuvenation exercise to clean up and beautify some of the back alleys and lanes. This has resulted in the area attracting more domestic and foreign tourists as well as the flourishing of new businesses with varied dining and entertainment offerings.
