WELCOMING SPEECH

Welcome to all visitors of Langkawi Development Authority (LADA)’s official portal. On 15th March 2021, LADA had officially turned 31. Throughout this period, it has also been acting as the main pioneering agency for development and tourism in Langkawi.

The spread of COVID-19 pandemic has triggered the start of a massive challenging era in all living aspects of the entire world population. Langkawi too is not excluded, as it has been hugely affected with the increasingly plummeting number of domestic and international tourists visiting the legendary island.

Almost 70% of economic activities here heavily depend on tourism industry. The current situation faced is marking the Mahsuri island with a big dent in its economic state, therefore also negatively impacting the locals. This impact can be seen through the drastic decline in tourist arrival statistics, amounting to a mere 46% in the year 2020 with only 1.8 million total number of tourists recorded as compared to 3.92 million in the year before.

Based on this fact, a lot of initiatives must be arranged to ensure Langkawi is well-equipped with new alternatives to revitalise its economy. This is crucial to set the island back on its track with newly strengthened tourism sector once situation begins to improve. Hence, as a representative agency for the Federal Government in Langkawi, LADA has been committed in supporting and aiding the community gravely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Holistic approaches already commenced will be continued following the initiatives structured under Langkawi Economy Roadmap Plan (HELANG). These efforts aim to provide added values, hence prepping the local community towards new economic empowerment with the latest methods and opportunities. Diversified economic and new income sources – being among the foci of this plan – are deemed capable in offering good returns and outcomes to the locals.

In relation to that, LADA has been working on developing the five-year period 2021–2025 Strategic Plan as its continuous commitment in delivering the best service for Langkawi, hence prospering the island.

In conclusion, let us work together in breaking the chain of COVID-19 spread through sound apprehension and embracing of new norms. LADA will continuously support the noble efforts of all parties in restoring the heyday of Langkawi’s tourism sector for collective prosperity of the island and its dwellers.