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IPOH's tallest skyscraper - The Haven Lakeside Resort Residence is poised to welcome more tourists in conjunction with "Visit Malaysia Year 2026."
Its initiator and mover Peter Chan said that it is about time that Perak, known mostly as just a transit state, becomes a permanent attractive feature on the tourism map given its unique tin mining history, geopark attraction, character and tranquillity.
"I think I speak on behalf of the majority of Perakians that the state is not just confined as a transit stopover between Penang and Selangor but, as unique in its own tourism features," said Chan.
He spoke of his determination to see his pride and joy - The Haven rise to help attract more visitors to the state which has improved in its positioning as a quality weekend getaway and for business functions under the meeting, incentives, conventions and exhibitions (MICE) segment.
Chan's optimism was reinforced by feedback from state exco for tourism, Loh Sze Yee, who said Perak had achieved 8.4 million tourists arrivals this year surpassing its original target of eight million.
In 2023, it was only around seven million.
Tourism Perak has captured the essence of the state as a scene for arts and culture, sports tourism, eco-tourism, gastronomy, heritage and community driven activities.
Last year, tourism receipts recorded were in the vicinity of RM180 million.
Loh also said continued efforts are being made to position Perak as a most competitive tourism destination.
Chan believes that Perak does have a long way to go, but it does have potential.
He has directed his Haven stakeholders and staffers to redouble their marketing efforts for Perak for the coming year.
Chan sees The Haven as mirroring what Ipoh had endured, which is experiencing a comeback after the tin mining industry slumped in the 1980s.
The Haven consisting of a hybrid of branded hotel/residence of the 516 parcel units in three towers, managed collaboratively with Europe’s biggest hospitality operator TUI Blue.
Completed in 2014, Chan said that Haven will grow exponentially in popularity due to its uniqueness, rarity and service besides strategic position in Perak’s capital, adjacent to the master city developer of the Sunway township there.
He also wants to assist in changing the perception that Ipoh is a "boring" capital city, saying that medical services and business travel can be strong contributors towards the growth in tourism.
With Keretapi Tanah Melayu (KTM)'s move to bring in more efficient and faster ETC electronic train services between Ipoh and KL Sentral, Chan said the property market can also boom in Perak because people can stay here and work in Selangor or Penang.
“It is already happening but we want it to speed up.”
“We have attracted more than 150,000 foreign tourists from over 120 countries on our own in the past decade and indeed, there’s lots of room to grow." - November 8, 2025.