Published on: Sep 25 , 2022 @ 17:08
Reporter: Aniruddha Pal
SPT News, Kolkata, 25 September: Travel Agents Federation of India (East) Chairman Mr. Anil Punjabi told SPT in an exclusive interview while leaving Kolkata for Malaysia that he will take special initiatives to promote tourism in West Bengal. He is going there with a special message. TAFI Convention 2022 is over. But Anil Punjabi continues his work diligently. As a result, he did a great job yesterday. He had an important meeting with the Johor Tourism Board of Malaysia. And in that meeting he invited the Johor Tourism Board and said – come, see West Bengal tourism with your own eyes and sell it.
Those who attended the meeting
The prominent people present in this meeting are Dr. Azlan Ab. Jalil, Deputy Director of Johor Tourism, Mr. Ivan Teo, Chairman, Malaysian Association of Hotels, Johor Chapter, Mr. Subramaniam A/L Kandasamy, Chairman, Johor Chapter of Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents, Mr. Edwin Tay KC, Chairman, Malaysian Chinese Tourism Association . The meeting with TAFI members in Johor was also attended by other key stakeholders.
In an exclusive interview to Sangbad Prabhakar Times, TAFI Chairman (East) Mr. Anil Punjabi said that an important meeting was held yesterday with around 30 members from across India at the Grand Paragon Hotel, Johor Bahru after a gala dinner.
Cheap Travel Destination Johor- Mr.Anil Punjabi
“Johor is an exotic and new destination for Indian tourists and will be easily marketable. It is about 90 minutes by road from Singapore and tourists can stay in Johor and travel to Singapore during the day and back at night. Living in Johor is cheap as one ringgit is Rs.20 in Malaysian currency and one dollar is Rs. 50 in Singaporean currency. The tour package will be almost one third cheaper. Many here stay in Johor and return home at night after working in Singapore. Tourists can actually visit three countries by staying in Johor, and even Bin Tan, famous for its white sands on the border with Indonesia, can be visited,” said Mr. Anil Panjabi.
Places visited in Johor
Batik Air has already started their flight service and Air Asia is already there, so connectivity to Kolkata is not a problem. Authorities took TAFI members to Johor to visit 100 acres of organic fruit farm, 25 acres of water park, Legoland (similar to Disneyland) for children, etc. There are large shopping malls and hotel rooms in Johor have views of the sea and Singapore.
Anil Punjabi’s thoughts on the Tollywood film industry
Anil Punjabi highlighted another important issue today. That is about the Tollywood film industry. Referring to this, he said, “The biggest benefit for the Tollywood film industry is that they can shoot a blockbuster Bengali feature film here at a much lower cost. They shoot in London and the cost of a British pound is around 100 rupees while the Malaysian ringgit is only 20 rupees. So they should think about it, which is a fifth down. Air fare is low and hotel accommodation is also cheaper post-Covid. I will discuss the matter with Tollywood film producers after my return. Johor Tourism has offered shooting spots here in exotic locations,” said Mr. Anil. Punjabi.
TAFI on a Johor trip
The Malaysian Tourism Board arranged travel for over 500 TAFI members who attended the conference in Kuching. Each group consists of 30 members and all groups are sent to different destinations for tourism promotion. The meeting was attended by members from Mumbai, Bangalore, Delhi and Jammu and Kashmir besides TAFI East members.
About Johor
Johor is a Malaysian state in the south of the Malay Peninsula. Johor has land borders with the Malaysian state of Pahang to the north and Malacca and Negeri Sembilan to the northwest. Johor shares maritime borders with Singapore to the south and Indonesia to both the west and east. Johor Bahru is the state capital and economic center, Kota Iskandar is the seat of state government, and serves as the royal city of Muar State. The capital of the old kingdom is Johor Lama. As of 2020, the state has a population of 4.01 million, making it the second most populous state in Malaysia. Johor has highly diverse tropical rainforests and an equatorial climate. The state’s mountains are part of the Titiwangsa Range, which is part of the larger Tenasserim Range connecting Thailand and Myanmar, with Mount Ofir being the highest point in Johor. Although its state capital, Johor Bahru, which is located within the Iskandar Malaysia Development Corridor, is one of the most densely populated and fastest growing cities in Malaysia.
Johor has a high diversity of ethnicities, cultures and languages. The state is known for its traditional dances of Japin and Kuda Kepang. The head of state is the Sultan of Johor, and the head of government is the Menteri Besar. The system of government is modeled closely on the Westminster parliamentary system, with state administration divided into administrative districts. According to Johor’s 1895 constitution, Islam is the state religion, but other religions may be practiced freely. Both Malay and English have been adopted as official languages of the state since 1914.
Majestic Johor is an ongoing campaign that seeks to promote tourism in Johor to the highest value it deserves. The ultimate objective is to introduce visitors to the exceptional southern state of Peninsula Malaysia and entice them to visit the jewel of Malaysia, the Johor. Built on the foundation of the state’s Arabic honorific “Ta’jim” which connotes a royal pride and admiration – for this urban, unique state. Suitable which is blessed with breathtaking scenery, rich tradition and heritage.
Published on: Sep 25 , 2022 @ 17:08
