KUALA LUMPUR, July 17 — Selangor’s tourism sector is expected to receive a new boost when the Piano Land cruise ship from China will dock permanently (home port) at the Port Klang Cruise Terminal (PKCT) starting the fourth quarter of this year.
Tourism Selangor CEO Chua Yee Ling said it is expected to boost the arrival of international tourists directly to the state, thus opening up new potential in the state’s maritime tourism.
“The Piano Land ship has a capacity of around 2,000 passengers and the selection of PKCT as the home port proves that the terminal has suitable and competitive facilities for the growing cruise ship tourism segment,” she told reporters after the Surprising Selangor Media and Influencer Hi-Tea here today.
Chua said Tourism Selangor was also designing an exclusive package to take tourists directly from the terminal to Pulau Ketam without any transit, allowing them to enjoy unique experiences such as walking through the mangrove swamps, seeing eagles, and visiting the kelong (manmade wooden platform) on the island.
“Currently, tourists have to take a taxi to the South Port Terminal Jetty before boarding a boat to Pulau Ketam. With a direct route from PKCT, tourists from cruise ships can go straight to the destination upon arrival. PKCT has also upgraded a special jetty for this purpose,” she said.
According to Chua, the move is also supported by the development of short-term tourism packages around Klang and Shah Alam, in line with the cruise ship stopover period, thus providing added value to the state’s maritime tourism sector.
She said that in conjunction with Visit Selangor Year 2025, her team will be organising the Selangor Travel Fair 2025 on July 26 and 27 at Central Market here, targeting more than 30,000 local visitors.
The event, which will gather 30 exhibitors such as Farm Fresh, Selangor Fruit Valley, GL Play, Tourism Malaysia and the Selangor Malay Customs and Heritage Corporation, will also feature the launch of the official video and song of Selangor Kan Ada!, performances by Aizat Amdan and Lah Ahmad, creative workshops and a live podcast recording.
Meanwhile, state executive councillor for local government and tourism Dato’ Ng Suee Lim said the Selangor government is aiming to draw eight million tourists this year, with a projected tourist receipt collection of RM11.2 billion, in line with efforts to strengthen the industry ahead of Visit Malaysia Year 2026.
He said more than 1.77 million visitors were recorded as of March, with 72 per cent made up of domestic tourists while the rest were from China, Singapore, Indonesia, Japan and India, among others.
“Statistics Department data also shows Selangor recorded the highest number of domestic visitors in Malaysia for four consecutive years, with 34.5 million visitors in the past year,” Ng added.
— Bernama
