KUANTAN (Sept 11): Pahang recorded 5.9 million tourist arrivals, spending RM5.3 billion in the first six months of this year.

Pahang Unity, Tourism and Culture Committee chairman Leong Yu Man said the figure showed an increase of 15.74% in arrivals compared with the same period last year when 5.1 million tourists visited the state and spent RM4.5 billion.

She added that Pahang also recorded the highest average occupancy rates of hotels in Malaysia, with a 75% rate, an increase of 2.5% compared with the same period last year.

"The average occupancy rate is estimated to be more than 36,000 total registered rooms in Pahang, sourced from the Strategic Planning Division of Tourism Malaysia," she said in a statement Wednesday.

Leong said that according to Tourism Malaysia data, in the first six months of this year, Pahang recorded the highest number of hotel guests among local tourists, at 5.92 million, followed by Kuala Lumpur (4.4 million), Johor (3.7 million), Selangor (2.8 million) and Penang (2.3 million).

She said five districts in the state showed a very positive number of tourist arrivals: Bentong, Kuantan, Cameron Highlands, Temerloh and Rompin.

"Tourism destinations such as Genting Highlands, Pulau Tioman, Cameron Highlands, Kuantan remain popular and are the focus with the number of tourist arrivals that are constantly increasing from year to year," she said.

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