SplashMania Waterpark has 24 waterslides and 15 other attractions.
THE latest theme park in Selangor is expected to play a vital role in cementing it as the most visited state by Malaysians, said Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari.
The caretaker Mentri Besar said this at the grand launch of SplashMania Waterpark, located in the Gamuda Cove township in Banting.
The 7.28ha waterpark features 24 waterslides and 15 other attractions.
Amirudin said Selangor had 22 million local tourists and 3.2 million foreign visitors last year.
“I am confident that we can breach the 25 million mark by the end of this calendar year and become the most visited state by Malaysians,” he said.
He said the Statistics Department recently showed that Selangor in 2022 increased its share of Malaysia’s gross domestic product (GDP) to 25.5%, the highest ever, an increase of 0.7% over the previous figure of 24.8% in 2021.
“I am confident we can hit the 30% mark by 2026 or 2027,” he said.
Amirudin signing a plaque at the launch of SplashMania Waterpark.
Amirudin said Selangor’s competition in tourism was not purely local.
“We are up against the region’s top cities like Jakarta, Manila, Bangkok, Singapore and even Hanoi.
“Interesting tourism destinations like Gamuda Cove’s SplashMania will increase the capacity of the retail sector and uplift Selangor as a lifestyle destination.
“As such, we welcome the addition of SplashMania Waterpark and Gamuda’s initiative as well as their investments in the rejuvenation of Paya Indah Discovery Wetlands, along with the creation of Discovery Park at Gamuda Cove,” he said.
Gamuda Bhd chairman Tan Sri Ambrin Buang said the waterpark recorded over 75,000 visitors monthly since its soft launch in February.
With the official launch, Ambrin said all attractions would be open to the public, including the country’s first virtual reality waterslide — Atlantis VR — as well as the Monsta and Twista waterslides with their high-speed twists and turns.
“SplashMania’s success contributes to the success of other ecotourism products within Gamuda Cove, namely the Paya Indah Discovery Wetlands and Discovery Park, which we are confident will continue to attract local and regional visitors,” he said.
Also present were Gamuda Bhd group managing director Datuk Lin Yun Ling and caretaker Selangor tourism, environment, green technology and Orang Asli affairs committee chairman Hee Loy Sian.
A press statement from Gamuda said 70% of SplashMania Waterpark was dedicated to green spaces and that the initial phase of opening was driven by the domestic market, mainly Greater Klang Valley and neighbouring states, while primary foreign tourists were from Vietnam, Singapore and Australia.
Besides Atlantis VR, Monsta and Twista, other notable waterslides include The Shaka Waka (one-of-a-kind enclosed tube slide with audio and light effects), The Plunge (a high-speed flume angled at 78°, which plummets visitors from the top of the six-storey high Amazonia Ship) and The Wild Rush, where visitors blast through narrow looping and twisting tunnels with back-to-back curves and tight 360° loops.
