MALACCA: The reopening of the Melaka International Airport in Batu Berendam after being closed for three years due to Covid-19 will be able to boost tourist arrivals in the state.
State Tourism, Heritage and Culture Committee chairman Datuk Muhammad Jailani Khamis said the inaugural Batik Air flights from Penang and Pekanbaru, Indonesia would also open doors to making Melaka the leading tourist destination in the country.
“The state government is also aiming for direct flights from India through Kochi and Madhya Pradesh, and from Guangzhou and Hainan in China, as both countries have sent their representatives to this state for discussions.
“This is one of our efforts to explore new markets such as India and Brunei,” he told reporters at the airport here today.
Earlier, Muhammad Jailani welcomed the first group of 38 tourists from Penang via the Batik Air ATR-72 aircraft, with State Works, Transport, Public Facilities, Infrastructure and Flood Management Committee chairman Datuk Rahmad Mariman also present.
Muhammad Jailani said the state government had held proactive and continuous discussions with all quarters at the federal and international levels to ensure that the Melaka Airport could resume operations after the country’s borders reopened on April 1.
In a related development, he said Malacca recorded 2.4 million tourist arrivals as of June, an increase of 1.7 million or over 200 per cent compared to the same period last year.
“We have planned various exciting activities and promotions to help us achieve the 5.6 million tourist arrivals target by the end of this year,” he said.-Bernama