ASK any local and they will tell you that Ipoh is awash with visitors, both locals and foreigners, especially during the weekends. All the popular tourist spots and eateries are jam-packed, and it is not uncommon to hear people speaking in various languages congregating at heritage sites or tucking into bowls of steaming kai see hor fan (chicken kuey teow soup). And this is borne out by the data, as 3,611,385 people visited the Silver State between January and June.
The state has targeted eight million visitors as part of the Visit Perak Year 2024 campaign. This represents a significant 72% increase compared to the same period last year, according to Perak tourism committee chairman Loh Sze Yee. “We had 2,099,335 visitors during the same period in 2023,” said Loh, adding that the figures, compiled by Tourism Perak and local authorities, did not include data from hotel stays, indicating a broader scope of tourism interest.
However, the influx of both foreign and domestic tourists has given rise to several initial challenges. Foreign visitors have reported issues with communication, navigating the city, and understanding information that is predominantly available only in Bahasa Malaysia (BM) or, in some cases Chinese. These teething problems highlight areas that need improvement to make Perak more tourist-friendly.
Public parks in Ipoh, which are popular with tourists looking for rest and recreation, have signboards only in BM. Foreign visitors who spoke to StarMetro said .