Plethora of progs in nine districts to draw local, foreign tourists to Selangor this year

By Abdul Rahim Sabri

SHAH ALAM, Jan 11 — For 2025, the state government has made it a crucial mission to attract both local and international tourists to visit and spend in the state.

Aiming for eight million visitors, it is projected to record transactions worth RM11.7 billion for the Visit Selangor Year (VMY) 2025 campaign.

During the tabling of the 2025 Selangor Budget on November 15 last year, RM8 million was allocated for comprehensive preparations, including organising various activities and upgrading tourism facilities to boost visitor arrivals across the state’s nine districts.

Menteri Besar Dato’ Seri Amirudin Shari said that government agencies, particularly Tourism Selangor and local authorities, are collaborating to ensure the success of the campaign themed ‘Surprising Selangor!’.

More than 100 programmes and initiatives are planned across all districts, covering tourism sectors including knowledge, sports, food and beverage, as well as arts, culture, and heritage.

Among the main programmes planned to include the Islamic Arts Festival, the Darul Ehsan Berselawat series, and the Islamic Turath Festival, with a RM1.5 million allocation.

“The tradition of Islamic knowledge based on turath or authoritative texts should be the focus, rather than TikTok content that incites division or confusion,” he said during the tabling.

In addition to increasing the number of knowledge-based events, RM1 million has also been allocated to organise the Selangor International Pickleball Championship, which is expected to attract professional players and spectators from within and outside Malaysia to the state.

Although well-established in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom, many international athletes are expected to participate in this sport, as Selangor aspires to host the event despite it being relatively new to the country.

This event is also a preparation for the state to discover new talents with the potential to represent Selangor in the Malaysia Games 2026.

Not to be left behind, entertainment artists and cultural practitioners are also involved via state cultural and heritage festivals.

The state government will continue its initiative of entertainment duty exemption for local artists and a 10 per cent reduction for international celebrities. Ticketed exhibitions will also benefit from a reduction in duty to 15 per cent, compared to the previous rate of 25 per cent.

As an identity of the state’s cultural programmes, the Selangor Rhythm Festival (Pesta Rentak Selangor) will be further enhanced.

Several programmes showcasing elements and identities of the state’s arts, such as cempuling music, the Joget Selangor dance, and Kelingkan textile art, will be organised to attract more tourists, thereby boosting the local entertainment industry.

If last year’s Heritage Food Fiesta was a resounding success, this year’s inaugural Selangor Coffee Festival is expected to draw even more tourists with a RM1 million budget.

“Additionally, the Asean Barista Championships will provide an opportunity for baristas in Selangor to grow and compete with world-class coffee experts across Southeast Asia,” said Amirudin.

“Di samping menganjurkan Asean Barista Championships sebagai peluang untuk barista-barista di Selangor untuk membangun dan bersaing dengan pakar-pakar dunia kopi di seluruh Asia Tenggara,” kata Amirudin.

State executive councillor for local government, tourism, and New Village development Dato’ Ng Suee Lim aims to align VMY2025 with the First Selangor Plan, which is set to conclude this year.

As such, the significant allocation and various other initiatives reflect the state government’s serious commitment to realising this vision.

“This allocation demonstrates our commitment to advancing Selangor’s tourism sector as a key driver of economic growth.

“With the target of eight million tourists, we expect to generate approximately RM11.7 billion in tourism revenue and create new job opportunities,” he said on December 23 last year.