Die-hard fans of the king of fruits at the launch at Dking SS2 Wonderland in Petaling Jaya.
HOT on the trail of the mighty durian, fans can now set their sights on the upcoming fest dedicated solely to the celebrated king of fruits.
The third edition of Malaysia International Durian and Cultural Fest 2023 will take place from Sept 8 to 10 at Pavilion Bukit Jalil in Kuala Lumpur.
The event was originally scheduled to take place July 14 to 16, but was postponed due to unforeseen reasons.
Dking founder Leron Yee said the festival was aimed at promoting Malaysia’s durian internationally.
“Our dream is to create a month-long fest dedicated to this beloved fruit. People from around the world can explore the Malaysian durian.
“Similar to the renowned annual Oktoberfest celebrated in the west, we envision a durian fest in July in Malaysia,” he said.
This festival could be included in the country’s tourism calendar and entice travellers to visit, said Yee at the launch of the event at Dking SS2 Wonderland in SS2, Petaling Jaya.
LKE Musang Queen Sdn Bhd co-founder and managing director Jeremy Chin said its fruits, under the umbrella of LKE Group, had a good reputation in the agricultural sector and it was committed to the sector’s growth.
The company is well-known for its upstream durian plantation in Manchis, Bentong in Pahang, which spreads across 80.9ha of freehold land divided into 20 phases.
“The first Durian Fun Run was introduced at our farm in Manchis. This year, we are doing things differently as we want to build a stronger bond with our strategic partner DKing by organising the third Malaysia International Durian and Cultural Fest,” he said.
(From left) Yee, Musa, Chin and LKE Group Sdn Bhd director and founder Datuk Jackky Lim at the launch of the Malaysia International Durian and Cultural Fest 2023.
He added that the brand ambassadors for the upcoming fest were Malaysian model Amber Chia, 988 radio deejay Chan Fong and actor Aaron Aziz.
Also at the event was Tourism Malaysia deputy director-general Datuk Musa Yusof who said Malaysia accounted for just 5% of the global durian export by volume.
He said Malaysia had steadily expanded its durian industry to be one of the top durian producing countries in the world, with a 107% increase in the country’s durian export value worth US$34.7mil (RM161.3mil).
“This year Tourism Malaysia is working to receive five million Chinese tourists, a 60% increase over 2019.
“In total, we target 15.6 million international tourist arrivals and RM47.6bil in tourism receipts.
“This influx of visitors will not only contribute to our tourism industry but also boost Malaysia’s gross domestic product (GDP) through accommodation, food and overall spending,” said Musa.
He said durian was a symbol of Malaysia’s cultural diversity and heritage.
“Tourism Malaysia has launched various campaigns and initiatives to attract more tourists to try our durians.
“We just launched a durian tourism package campaign in collaboration with Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (Mardi) and local tour operators to promote the durian season throughout the country.
“The packages encompass a comprehensive range of offerings, comprising accommodations, transportation, guided tours and durian tasting sessions.
“Durian tourism can also enhance Malaysia’s image and reputation as a country that offers diverse and unique experiences for travellers.
“This event is in partnership with the Malaysia Inbound Chinese Association (Mica), which aims to attract over 1,000 Chinese tourists, along with visitors from various countries,” Musa said.
“As we move forward, our goal is to make everyone fall in love with durian.
“We believe that the third Malaysia International Durian and Cultural Fest will serve as a significant milestone in achieving this vision,” he added.
