KUALA LUMPUR: The government is considering positioning Langkawi as the "preferred" Muslim island destination.
Deputy Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister, Khairul Firdaus Akbar Khan, said there was a need to focus on niche segments to compete with neighbouring countries.
"We acknowledge that Langkawi faces stiff competition from islands in neighbouring countries. "Therefore, we are exploring positioning Langkawi as a favoured Muslim island destination, emphasising family-oriented leisure and recreation."
He said it was crucial to recognise the unique role each state plays where tourism is concerned.
"It's unnecessary for all states to adopt identical approaches as this could undermine competitiveness," he said in reply to a supplementary question from Teresa Kok (PH-Seputeh) in the Dewan Rakyat.
Earlier, Kok raised concerns that certain states introduced policies which could be seen as "unfriendly" to foreign tourists.
These include curbs on alcohol sales and dress code restrictions.
Khairul said in the ministry's engagement with stakeholders, they found such issues to be "well-managed".
Therefore, I believe it's essential to avoid magnifying trivial matters."
Meanwhile, he said Malaysia welcomed 7.56 million tourists as of April, up from 5.93 million during the same period last year.
"Our strategies to attract tourists to the country are yielding positive results."