LANGKAWI: Despite reports of low hotel occupancy and sluggish tourist arrivals during the Malaysia Day school holidays, checks at ferry terminals to the island as well as with government agencies and industry players indicate otherwise.
At both the Kuala Kedah and Kuala Perlis terminals today, ferry traffic into Langkawi remained strong even as the holiday period drew to a close.
Langkawi resident Ahmad Ikhtidar Ikhsan Jamili, 27, said he faced difficulty securing tickets to return home after visiting his family on the mainland.
“I expected it to be difficult to get return tickets, so I booked early. But even then, it was surprisingly hard because the bookings filled up quickly. The terminals were congested as expected,” he said when met at the Kuala Perlis terminal.
Earlier reports suggested that Langkawi tourism was lacklustre, with hotel occupancy rates below 60 per cent and a 39 per cent decline in tourist arrivals.
However, Ferry Line Ventures Sdn Bhd operations manager Norhafiz Abdul Wahid told the New Straits Times on Sunday that more than 100,000 people were expected to travel to the island by ferry during the holiday, with 118 additional trips added to meet demand.
When contacted today, Norhafiz confirmed that ferries were operating at near full capacity.
“All trips are almost fully booked, and we are considering adding more as demand remains high. Our operating hours have also been extended to accommodate the volume,” he said.
Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) Kedah and Perlis chapter chairman Eugene Dass clarified that initial occupancy figures were misleading.
He said that while statistics showed rates as low as 52 per cent, the survey only covered a limited number of participating hotels in Kuah town and beach areas, and was conducted before the school holidays began.
Langkawi Homestay Association chairman Mokhtar Shabudin Ismail also dismissed claims of a steep decline, saying homestay bookings were satisfactory.
“The suggestion that tourism dipped sharply is highly misleading. Based on our observations, occupancy has been steady,” he said.
Langkawi deputy police chief Superintendent Samsulmuddin Sulaiman confirmed that arrivals had been high, with police intensifying monitoring to ensure public safety.
“We anticipated the increase and stepped up our operations accordingly. We will ensure the safety of all visitors,” he said.
The Langkawi Development Authority (Lada) also told the NST that both ferry and flight arrivals were encouraging, with updated official figures to be released soon.
A spokesperson said that as of August 2025, Langkawi recorded 2,018,153 tourist arrivals compared with 1,964,814 during the same period last year, a 2.64 per cent increase.
Between Sept 1 and Sept 16, arrivals via the Kuah ferry terminal rose 22.43 per cent, while Langkawi Port saw a 27.86 per cent jump. Domestic flight arrivals increased by 10 per cent, while international flights surged by 23 per cent.
The spokesperson added that the agency would soon issue a statement to clarify the island’s actual tourism performance.
© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd
