LANGKAWI: Concerted efforts will be made to push this island in the sun into the top 10 list of best islands in the world.

Packaging the island as an eco-tourism spot that is not to be missed, the tourist-luring branding will be named “Naturally Langkawi”.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, when announcing the new branding, expressed hope that Langkawi's strength in eco-tourism would boost tourist arrivals to three million by 2015 as projected under the Langkawi Tourism Blueprint from 2011-2015.

“However, we believe we can achieve the three million arrivals this year as I was told we are close to the number.

“We also hope to reach RM3.8bil in tourist receipts by 2015,” he said at the island yesterday.

In realising the tourism poten-

tial of the island, Najib said the Government had decided to fur- ther strengthen this by adopting 14 new “aggressive but realistic” initiatives.

“After the launch of the blueprint last year, we noticed an 11.9% increase in arrivals, the highest recorded since 2000. This has brought the occupancy rate of hotels up by 8.7%.

“Other projects suggested by the private sector are estimated to be at RM7.6bil,” he said.

He added that the island was a familiar destination for local and foreign tourists, with its 550 million-year-old old rock formations and 99 islands forming the Asean region's first Geo-park.

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