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Langkawi Nature Blogs
Mark: 8 April 2010
Has the 'Langkawi Water Festival' fallen in the Water before it starts ?
"All are invited" - but only if you speak Malay . . .
Trying to find the program of the Festival in English, I went to the 'Tourist Information Office' in front of 'Pekan Rabu' in Langkawi. I asked them for information about the 'Langkawi Water Festival' in English. Long faces. But they were very helpful and made a phone call to the office of the Kedah Minister of Tourism on the mainland. And had to confirm;
There is NO ENGLISH INFORMATION AVAILABLE.
Ok. So lets put the facts together:
Langkawi organises an internationally advertised "Malaysia Water Festival 2010" - on the most international beach of Langkawi (Pantai Cenang) - trying to invite and involve the international tourists (and of course to profit from them financially) - and does address them in a language which probably 80 to 90 % of them do simply not understand.
I do not know how you - if you are one of those tourists - will feel and how you will react. You might say: "Not so important, I will go anyway - and find something happening somewhere and have some fun." Good on you.
But if you would say: "Sorry - I don't really feel invited" - I would understand that too.
Not too long ago, the 'Tourism Action Council' in LADA has been dismissed. They would have been in charge and would not have made such a blunder. Now the office of the Minister of Tourism of Kedah, on the mainland, is directly responsible for the Langkawi Events and has to catch the ropes.
I suggest, that some of the organisations who are interested in the Langkawi Tourism Industry, like the Malaysia Hotel Association, Chapter Kedah, Section Langkawi - or the local Tour Operator Organisation - have a friendly talk with the Minister of Tourism of Kedah.
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I would like to ad an adverse example of a very positive approach of a government to the Tourism Industry.
And - believe it or not - it is from Thailand.
Here is the chat I had a few days ago with Mike in Ray's 'Shore Cafe' in Kuah:
Mike: "I'm just back from Thailand with my boat".
Mark: "Oh, good. How was it? Any problems with immigration?"
Mike: "No - it went all so smooth! I went to the main Immigration Office in Phuket, and I couldn't believe it - I was served by an Englishmen. And they have an Italian too and a Dutch! They employ these people to be able to serve the tourists in their native language!!"
This makes one feel welcome !!
Comments
Hi Robert by Mark on 17 Apr 2010, 2:00 pm
Of course the fundamental question is - 'fundmental': do they really like to have tourists here - or do they like the tourists only like a farmer likes his cows (as long as they give milk....)?
We do have to differ here between the 'politics' and the personal relationships with the local people. I do not speak about the personal relationships here. But about the official politics in some states which do not favour English in Schools etc...
That there are fewer events might be because the right people have first to be convinced that there has to be some money and manpower spent on it. That make take some time.
That they do not address the tourists in English, may stem from the fact, that the generation in power does not speak English - or not well enough to be comfortable with. So they tend to overlook the fact, that English is needed here.
I personally think it might take some time to adapt and that 2011 will show us, where we really stand with this subject.
Mark
by Robert on 17 Apr 2010, 11:58 am
I read that the Minister of Tourism of Kedah had visited Langkawi about 36 times over the last year , one would think that with all the time spent on the Island more events would have taken place by now .
Must be still working on the details.
Robert