KUALA SELANGOR: Many tourists used to flock the Sky Mirror named after its mirror-like reflection of the sky, but the crowds have dwindled due to the haze which enveloped parts of the state.
A travel and tour agency which organises day trips to Sky Mirror located in Sasaran beach here said sales and the number of tourists have dropped significantly in the past few weeks.
A Sky Mirror Malaysia spokesman said the haze has affected their sales as the Air Pollution Index (API) has been unfavourable.
Fewer tourists, locals and foreigners alike, are visiting Sky Mirror as the haze has marred the scenery, which would result in the poor quality of photographs.
“Our sales had dropped to 40 per cent compared to the previous long weekends. The same goes for enquiries for our tours, which is not many currently. There is also a reduction in the number of foreign backpackers these few weeks compared to July and August.
“The haze has affected the photos' quality. Even if we get a sunny day but it does not reflect in the photographs as we cannot see the blue skies,” she told the New Straits Times today.
The spokesman added that they would normally cater to over 150 customers during long weekends.
However, the numbers have reduced to about 100 during three long weekends to mark the Merdeka Day celebrations, King’s birthday and Hari Malaysia on Monday.
“Most of our clients who continued with the tours are those who had made their bookings three to four weeks prior. Foreign tourists do not mind the poor weather and would go ahead as they want to experience the tour.
“However, it is not the same for local tourists as they want to stay away due to the haze. For clients that are making enquiries and want to book the tours in the coming days, we advise them on the haze situation and poor air quality before confirming their seats,” said the spokesperson.
The spokesperson hoped that both the federal and state governments would consider carrying out cloud seeding operations as soon as possible or explore other ways to ease the weather condition.
“Annually, we are affected by haze and there seems to be no solution to it. We hope something can be done soon.”
The Sky Mirror is only accessible to tourists twice a month, during the new moon and full moon periods when sand emerges from the tides.
It is located 1.74 nautical miles off the coast of the fishing village of Jeram, Selangor, in the middle of the Straits of Malacca.