According to Tourism Johor, it is expected that Johor will welcome 15 million overnight tourists by the end of this year. Suhairi Hashim, the director of Tourism Johor, stated that as of mid-August, the state has already recorded 8.8 million tourist arrivals. Last year, the target was five million tourists but they achieved nine million. This year, their goal is to have 10 million tourist arrivals, which specifically refers to people who spend at least one night in Johor. The number of visitors who enter Johor for day trips will likely exceed this figure, so only overnight tourists are included in the count. Suhairi Hashim is confident that they will reach 15 million overnight tourists by the end of the year, especially with the upcoming Majestic Johor Festival from August 26 to September 3 which is expected to attract more crowds.
In a press conference held in Puteri Harbour, Iskandar Puteri, Suhairi expressed that the annual event, the Majestic Johor Festival, will showcase local celebrities, sales booths, concerts, and the state’s football giant Johor Darul Ta’zim football club, allowing visitors to meet their favorite players. Last year, the festival attracted approximately 600,000 visitors. Suhairi believes that Johor’s tourism sector is on the right track after recovering from the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic, which significantly affected the industry for about three years. Currently, resorts, hotels, and tourism attractions in Johor are consistently packed every week, indicating an approximately 80% recovery. He urges all industry players to continue collaborating with Tourism Johor to introduce more tourism products and strengthen the state’s position in the tourism calendar.
Credit: The Star : Metro Feed
