LADA, Langkawi Development Authority, which is tasked with promoting tourism to Langkawi, has announced various initiatives to increase tourism to the island. The duty-free island should be overflowing with tourists, but they seem to have had some trouble attracting large numbers of visitors despite hosting several international events. The number of visitors runs considerably less than half the number visiting nearby Penang Island.
Over the years, we have had several discussions with LADA about promoting the island to resident expats and the other people we reach. So far they have expressed little interest and it is not clear how they spend their marketing funds. We know of one expat who has faced enormous problems in trying to get his business established there.
Certainly, being a tax-free island makes Langkawi attractive, but their rather tight controls over liquor licenses means there is not a big choice of entertainment options, and the plans to become a shopping paradise, going back to the 1980s, also did not take off.
Nevertheless, it’s certainly worth a visit. Apart from the laid-back nature of the island, and the well-regarded beaches, if you are looking to do something different, friends of The Expat Group, David and Gudrun Bradley, own a 50-foot catamaran in Langkawi and do excellent charters. Contact Anne Perera at anne@ theexpatgroup.com or call her at 03.2093 9539 for more information.
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