South East
Asian Cities Compete to Attract Tourist Shopping
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August
is Malaysia’s shopping month
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By
Kazi Mahmood, IOL South East Asia correspondent
KUALA
LUMPUR, August 8 (IslamOnline) - Malaysia, Singapore and Bangkok are
fiercely competing to become the pole attraction in the South East
Asian region where millions of foreign tourists are flocking in a
steady flow.
One
of the major attractions the governments of these countries are
encouraging are months long festivities coupled with huge sales that
touch major shopping complexes and international brands.
However
in Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok, the focus is also turning on
infrastructures that have long been left redundant but have since been
adjusted to cater for the rise in tourist arrivals in the South East
Asian region.
Observers
told IslamOnline that these two cities are pacing up their development
programs, which were stalled after the 1997 financial tumble, and are
expected to finish with major changes in city attractions by the end
of this year.
In
Bangkok’s most exclusive shopping area called the Gaysorn, the
rehabilitation of the Gaysorn Plaza on Phoen Chit Road and the opening
of a network of elegant walkways linking several major buildings to
the Chitlom Skytrain Station has been hailed as very positive.
Without
ever having to join the masses down on the pavement level, and
regardless of the weather, shoppers and Sky Train passengers now have
fully covered access to the boutiques of Gaysorn Plaza, as well as
Sogo Plaza and the Grand Hyatt Erawan, the Bangkok Post wrote
recently.
Among
the boutiques to have opened recently at the refurbished Gaysorn Plaza
are Christian Dior, Prada and Louis Vuitton.
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Thailand’s
capital Bangkok attracts millions of tourist annually
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The
additional walkways have cost local tenants some 50 million baht, but
they clearly reckon it’s a worthwhile investment given the new
business heading their way.
Bangkok
attracts millions of tourist annually, mostly from Europe and the U.S.
as well as the Middle East. Shop owners in the Gaysorn area agree that
the recent development has encouraged shopping and brought more
tourists to visit their shops, IslamOnline was told.
On
the other hand, Malaysia is bound to launch its new rail system, the
monorail which links areas not yet covered by the existing Light Rail
transportation systems (LRT’s).
The
monorail will bring citizens and tourists to areas such as Bukit
Bintang, Jalan Tungku Abdul Rahman and Sultan Ismail, as well as part
of Jalan Ampang. These areas are popular shopping dens for locals and
tourists.
Malaysia
is due to celebrate its independence day August 31, and August is the
month of grand sales with the launch of the super saver sales around
the country.
From
wholesalers to retailers and shopping complexes such as the Suria
Kuala Lumpur City Center (KLCC) are offering huge discounts on their
branded and non-branded items.
The
annual August sales, which end in early September, attract thousands
of Singaporeans and Indonesians who enjoy the shopping spree. It also
attracts a large portion of tourists from Europe, the Middle East and
parts of Africa as well as the U.S.
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Orchard
road in Singapore is the oldest shopping street in South East
Asia
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Branded
goods are sold at almost 50 percent to 75 percent discounts even at
the KLCC, Bukit Bintang and other major shopping complexes around the
country.
The
nation-wide sales started after the 1997 crash in a bid to generate
quick sales and help the local industry survive from cash starvation,
economists told IslamOnline.
Since
then these sales became an imperative as they attracted huge crowds
from other countries due to the huge discounts. The low rate of the
Malaysian currency, the Ringgit that is exchanged at RM3.80 for one
U.S. dollar, is also a determinant factor in the success of these
sales, a shop owner in Bukit Bintang told IslamOnline on Wednesday,
August 7.
Besides
the sales, Malaysia has also initiated in the past two years a new
concept of sidewalk in Bukit Bintang where locals and tourists can
find food, products of international brands and other items of great
interest being sold in accessible shops.
Malaysia
is attempting to turn Bukit Bintang and Jalan Ampang into the famous
and popular Orchard road of Singapore. Orchard road is the oldest
shopping street in South East Asia after Bangkok’s Gaysorn.
For
years it has been the major attraction in the region, bringing
millions of tourists to visit its sometimes very exclusive shops.
However since the 1997 economic crash, Singapore is slowly losing its
luster to Malaysia’s Bukit Bintang also known as the Golden Triangle
of Malaysia, and to Bangkok’s Gaysorn. This is due to the high rate
of the Singapore’s currency, sources told IslamOnline. The exchange
rate of the Singapore dollar to the U.S. dollar is U.S. 1 for S$1.77.
In
Indonesia, the huge city of Jakarta has lost its luster since the
reformasi or reforms rallies during the years 1997-1999. The recent
spate of bombings in shopping complexes has also given serious blows
to the city.
The
lack of infrastructure and the absence of planning will make the city
redundant and it will take strong planning and investment for
Indonesia to get a larger share of the attraction.
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