West Coast Expressway Set To transform Tourism Landscape In Perak

IPOH, July 18 (Bernama) -- The West Coast Expressway (WCE) is expected to transform the tourism landscape in Perak and further make it accessible to domestic and international tourists in conjunction with Visit Perak Year 2024.

WCE chief executive officer Lyndon Alfred Felix said the completion of Section 11 from Beruas to South Taiping and the Selangor end barrier sections would ensure a smooth travel experience for travellers to explore the breathtaking destinations and unique attractions that Perak has to offer.

"We are also delighted to announce the completion of WCE's Selangor end barrier, including Section 1 (Banting-South Klang Valley Expressway (SKVE)) and Section 2 (SKVE-Shah Alam Expressway) as well as Section 6 (Kapar-Assam Jawa) later this year.

“The highway is poised to provide an anticipated 8 million local tourists and 350,000 international visitors with a scenic coastal journey into the major tourist spots along the Perak alignment, from Hutan Melintang to Teluk Intan, Sitiawan to Beruas, Trong and its end barrier, South Taiping,” he said in a statement today.

Felix said that as the Visit Perak Year 2024 approaches, the WCE is ready to play a crucial role in driving the economic growth of the state and creating new opportunities for the local communities.

“The highway's strategic alignment and efficient connectivity will undoubtedly establish Perak as a must-visit destination on every traveller’s list,” he said.

Earlier, while officiating the pre-launch of the Visit Perak Year 2024 in Kuala Lumpur recently, Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad was optimistic that the WCE project completion would be able to open up greater opportunities in driving the tourism sector in Perak.

"The WCE opening will be a major gateway for tourists entering Perak. Starting from Hutan Melintang, this highway route will take tourists through several exits in Perak, namely Teluk Intan which is famous for the Leaning Tower, as well as Lekir, Sitiawan, and North Sitiawan, the gateway to Pulau Pangkor.

“The Changkat Chermin and Beruas exits will lead tourists to explore the uniqueness of the Central Perak district while tracing the history of the old kingdom of Gangga Negara, as well as a major tourist attraction in Taiping Heritage Town via Trong and South Taiping (interchanges),” he said.

-- BERNAMA