Latest news with #VJ2026
The Star
05-05-2025
- Business
- The Star
Adding to charm of Kg Sungai Melayu
Kampung Sungai Melayu is known for Malay cuisine and river-based leisure activities. — Photos: THOMAS YONG/The Star RM12.2mil upgrade for Kota Iskandar fishing village part of preparations for Visit Johor 2026 Johor government is investing RM12.2mil to turn Kampung Sungai Melayu into a major tourist destination in time for Visit Johor 2026 (VJ2026), says Iskandar Puteri assemblyman Datuk Pandak Ahmad. He said the fishing village was already a popular weekend spot, known especially for its asam pedas dish and mangroves. 'We are upgrading the area in two phases, with work expected to wrap up by February next year. 'The upgrades include additional parking bays, jetty, concrete boardwalk, cultural walkway and a range of other tourist-friendly amenities,' he said when met at the village. Located about 20 minutes from Kota Iskandar, Kampung Sungai Melayu is also known for its river-based leisure activities such as fishing, boat tours and crab catching. Pandak showing a rendering of an upcoming development at the village located near Kota Iskandar. Pandak said the village was selected as one of the key tourism attractions for VJ2026, thanks to its growing popularity with visitors from China, Japan and South Korea. 'More than 100,000 tourists have visited the village since it became an eco-tourism hub in 2018,' he said. 'We are expecting at least 10,000 visitors next year.' One of the highlights of the upgrading project is a new village archway completed at a cost of RM500,000. Pandak said a 1.2ha parking facility costing RM3mil, meanwhile, was designed to accommodate the expected rise in visitor numbers. Shuttle buses will also be provided to help tourists move around more easily. 'We are also building facilities such as trading spaces, an information centre, electric vehicle parking bays and recreational areas. 'All of these additions are aimed at boosting economic opportunities for the village's 800 residents while enhancing the overall visitor experience,' said Pandak.
The Star
28-04-2025
- Business
- The Star
Spruce-up for tourism spots across Johor
Onn Hafiz speaking on some of the infrastructure improvements to boost Johor's tourism appeal. — THOMAS YONG/ The Star Johor government has carried out 33 infrastructure projects since last year to improve local tourism spots. Construction as well as upgrading works have been implemented in Gunung Ledang National Park in Tangkak and Tanjung Piai National Park in Pontian. Mentri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi said all the projects were part of efforts to ensure the success of Visit Johor 2026 (VJ2026) which aims to attract 12 million domestic and international tourists. 'More than RM6mil has been allocated to upgrade public infrastructure at Gunung Ledang National Park where works began last August and will be completed this September. 'On a good weekend, the park is able to attract 15,000 visitors. 'We expect that once the upgrade is completed, the park will record an even higher number of visitors,' he said. Johor Zoo will soon be open at night. Onn Hafiz shared this with local tourism players during the VJ2026 townhall programme at a hotel in Johor Baru. He added that the state government had also allocated RM3.2mil to upgrade facilities at Tanjung Piai National Park where works began last August and are due to be completed this October. Nature lovers can also look forward to the official opening of Taman Botani Iskandar in Iskandar Puteri. For history buffs, there will be the opening of Royal Abu Bakar Museum at Istana Besar, Johor Baru. Another attraction to look forward to is the redevelopment of the century-old Kampung Sungai Melayu fishing village in Iskandar Puteri. Other improvements include the second phase of Johor Zoo's upgrading which will enable the attraction to extend its opening hours into the night. Onn Hafiz noted that many people had joked, especially on social media, of having nothing else to do in the state except eat. 'That perception needs to change and the government is taking measures to ensure this happens. While upgrades to Gunung Ledang National Park will be completed by September. 'It is time we elevate the state's tourism sector to the highest level because Johor has many attractive destinations that were previously under-promoted.' Onn Hafiz also expressed hope that players in the state's tourism industry would enhance hospitality standards when welcoming foreign visitors. 'In any business, it's all about service. We must ensure top-notch service so that tourists are encouraged to return to Johor. 'The ability to speak proper English is also a basic skill that we must improve on to attract more international tourists to Johor,' he said. The official launch of VJ2026 is set to take place this August, supported by a large-scale advertising campaign across the state.
