KUANTAN: As part of the efforts to help Cherating beach regain its former popularity, the state government has drawn up a plan which will be implemented in stages.
The strategy includes improving public amenities, introducing new attractions and ensuring Cherating remains tidy to help attract more visitors and picnickers to the area.
State Culture and Tourism Committee chairman Datuk Mohd Sharkar Shamsuddin said the beach which once used to be a favourite destination among foreign tourists especially Europeans, has seen a sharp decline in visitors over the past few years.
He said poor cleanliness and a lack of public amenities had prompted visitors to shy away. They have instead chosen to frequent other tourist destinations in Pahang, including the Kuala Gandah Elephant Sanctuary, Merapoh caves and Taman Negara.
"In a bid to return Cherating to its glory days, the state government will install more streetlights and erect new signboards to guide visitors. Garbage and recycling bins will be put near the beach area and gotong royong programmes to clean up the area will be held regularly.
"Since backpackers often visit Cherating, the state government will look into introducing more budget accommodation in the area and maybe introduce special packages," he said after visiting Cherating recently.
Sharkar said the Kuantan Municipal Council and Solid Waste Management and Public Cleansing have been reminded to beef up their efforts to maintain the cleanliness near the chalets and beach area.
He said the state government is also in the midst of discussing with several financial institutions to install ATM machines in the area for the convenience of tourist as visitors now have to travel to the state capital or Kemaman, Tarengganu to withdraw cash.
Unlike Cenang beach in Pulau Langkawi, Sharkar said Cherating is dubbed a ‘dead town’ at night due to the lack of activities. The state government will hold dialogues from time to time with chalet operators to look into efforts to hold more programmes at night which will help to make the place alive and lure more people to spend the night.
Meanwhile Rapid Bus Sdn Bhd, the operator of the RapidKuantan bus services in Pahang, has agreed to expand its coverage by introducing a new route between Kuantan and Cherating, from next year.
Rapid Kuantan chief operating officer Zainurul Hakim Mohamad said the decision to venture into the new route was made due to overwhelming demand from residents, tourism operators as well as tourists.
"We have received requests to expand our operation into the areas as at present they only rely on taxis. We will finalise the plan on the routes before seeking approval from the Land Public Transport Commission soon," he said.
Situated about 47 kilometres from Kuantan, Cherating offers an array of attractions including traditional fishing village and a turtle sanctuary, which was once frequently visited by tourists worldwide.