Tourism Langkawi

1.0 INTRODUCTION

Evolution of travel and tourism at PULAU LANGKAWI. The purpose we choose LANGKAWI as a tourism place for our group assignment because it's smaller islands, has a legendary reputation, with many places where myth and natural beauty seem to coincide. Many of its legends are all the more real, simply because its people are convinced of their authenticity. Langkawi certainly has its own share of geological uniqueness, as the very landscape from which these legends are derived.

Langkawi Island is an archipelago of 104 islands lying in the north western coast of Peninsular Malaysia. The exact location of these tropical islands is at the site where the Straits of Malacca meets the waters of the Andaman Seas. Langkawi which means Reddish Brown Eagle in the Malay language is nestled on the Thai-Malaysian sea border. According to the book "The Legends of Langkawi" by Tun Mohamed Zahir it says that the term 'Langkawi' is a combination of two Sanskrit words, Langka (beauty) and Wi (innumerable). As per the book, Langkawi means the place of immense beauty. One more reference states that Langkawi means Eagles' Island. According to it, the term Langkawi is a combination of two words Lang and Kawi. Where 'Lang' is a corrupt form of Malay word 'helang' which means eagle, 'Kawi' means marble. Since both eagles and marble are found in abundance in Langkawi, probably the place was named after the fact. This island is unique in the sense that it has so many legends and myths associated with it. Langkawi Island is therefore also called Pulau Lagenda or Legendary Island.

Pulau Langkawi's past is said to have controlled its destiny for the last two hundred years or so. The Pulau Langkawi of old is all paddy fields, village style living, complete with laidback atmosphere, bullock carts and dirt roads. It is also of fascinating plants and creatures, beautiful beaches, fishermen and stagnant development. It was only when Malaysia's first Prime Minister, the late Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra al-Haj, (who was also a member of the Kedah royal family), served as a District Officer in Kedah that Langkawi started on its long road to modernisation and growth. The island then captured the imagination of the fourth Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Dr. Mahathir Mohammad, with its charm, history and potential as a tourist destination. After becoming Prime Minister, Dr. Mahathir, who had served in Pulau Langkawi as a young doctor, proceeded to actively develop Pulau Langkawi together with the Kedah government and there are plans to turn Pulau Langkawi into a premier tourist destination in Malaysia. The most talked about legend is that of Mahsuri who is said to have laid a curse on this island for seven generations. Luckily the period of this curse is over now and Langkawi Island is fast becoming an internationally recognised tourist destination. The government of Malaysia has declared the entire Langkawi Island as a duty free zone. Hence this island is also termed Duty Free Island.All goods sold in this island are exempted from government tax.Therefore this Legendary Island is a haven for the shoppers.You only need to stay in Langkawi for a minimum of 48 hours to take back home a reasonable amount of tax free goods.

The Pulau Langkawi of today boasts of many modern amenities and infrastructure while still retaining its traditional facade. World class resorts and golf courses have been built alongside the more traditional accommodation of chalets and rest houses. An airport services tourist with direct flights to the island, and as for sailing enthusiasts or the affluent who own luxury yachts, Pulau Langkawi has a marina where they can park their boats when not in use. As a truth, Langkawi original form is very pleasant. It boasts of pristine beauty; a mountainous inland with limestone outcrops, the vivid green of its vegetation contrasts greatly with the white sands of its beaches and the inviting blue-green waters just beckons to visitors.

3.0 DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM

To ensure continuous growth of the tourism industry, innovative marketing efforts will be undertaken on a sustained basis to promote Pulau Langkawi as a major tourist destination. Promotional activities, including the publication of information brochures in foreign language other than English, will be undertaken to cater to the various needs of international tourists not conversant in English, other than that, various types of advertisement is being carried out to promote the beautiful island of Langkawi, Pamphlet and articles about the island also given out widely to the community in order to promote tourism. Forging strategic alliances with foreign airlines and tourist organizations will be actively pursued in order to jointly exploit tourist oppurtunities. The growing impact of information