By Rosli Mansor Ahmad Razali
LUMUT: Perak has marked another significant milestone in its tourism sector with the arrival of the international cruise ship Star Dream Cruise, scheduled to call at Marina Island and Pulau Pangkor on June 1 and 22, opening a new chapter for the state’s cruise tourism industry.
The cruise ship, carrying between 2,000 and 3,000 international tourists per voyage, is expected to catalyse local economic growth while strengthening Perak’s position as an emerging tourism destination in the region.
Perak State Executive Council member in charge of Tourism, Industry, Investment and Corridor Development, Loh Sze Yee, said the arrival of Star Dream Cruise reflects growing interest from international cruise operators in Perak as a new destination with strong development potential.
“The arrival of this cruise ship not only brings thousands of international tourists to the state, but also generates positive economic spillover effects for the local community, especially tourism operators, traders and service providers.
“The state government remains committed to strengthening the cruise tourism ecosystem through strategic collaboration with industry players to ensure Perak emerges as one of Malaysia’s main cruise hubs in the future,” he said at the Star Dream Cruise welcoming ceremony at the Marina Island Jetty Complex here today.
The ceremony was organised by Tourism Perak Management Berhad in collaboration with Pan Silver Ferry and the Manjung Perak Sustainable Tourism Development Association, while Marina Island served as the venue sponsor.
According to Loh, efforts to attract international cruise ships to the state align with plans to diversify Perak’s tourism products and increase the number of high-spending tourists, thereby directly benefiting the local economy.
He said the economic spillover from the cruise sector is expected to benefit food and beverage operators, retail businesses, transport services, hospitality, and handicraft industries around Lumut, Pulau Pangkor, Sitiawan and Ipoh.
Apart from promoting the state’s cultural heritage and tourism attractions, the cruise industry is also creating new job opportunities for locals in hospitality, tour guiding and related tourism services.
Efforts to position Perak as a cruise stopover destination are also seen as placing the state as an alternative to major national cruise ports such as Port Klang and Penang.
Based on industry data, the cruise sector in Southeast Asia has the potential to support more than 529,000 jobs and generate economic output of up to RM39.6 billion, underscoring its value as a high-impact tourism segment.
The arrival of Star Dream Cruise is expected to further boost tourism activities in Lumut, Sitiawan and Ipoh through increased visitor arrivals and demand for local products and services.
Also present was Tourism Perak Management Berhad chief executive officer Suhaimi Abu Hassan Shari.
