LANGKAWI, Thurs:
AS victims of last Sunday’s tsunami rebuild their lives, the authorities in
Langkawi are also embarking to restore the island's image among local and foreign tourists.
Langkawi Action Tourism Council has already made plans to invite a group of 30 foreign journalists next week to the island to have a first-hand look at the island.
Its chairman Nawawi Ahmad, who is also the State Culture, Arts and Tourism committee chairman, said
Langkawi was lucky to have escaped with minor damage confined to a small coastal part covering Pantai Cenang, Pantai Kok, Kuala
Melaka,
Bukit Maluk and Kuala Teriang.
He said 734 families were evacuated to five relief centres while 140 fishing boats were damaged or lost with estimated damages in personal and public properties at RM16 million.
Also damaged were six luxury boats moored at Rebak Marina and Telaga Harbour
"Several hotels and resorts were affected but with minimal damage and they were back in operation the next day.
“Yet the public perception was that
Langkawi was totally destroyed like the other island resorts in
Thailand. It is not true and we want to explain this through the media."
"Our infrastructure, water supply and communication are not affected. Our airport continues to open even during that Sunday and the flights are coming in and out as normal and the same goes for the ferry service, " he said.
Nawawi said the decision to invite the foreign media was made soon after the incident.
"We are inviting the media from
Germany,
Australia,
Japan and
Hong Kong to come here, ” he said.
