RAUB: The popularity of orchard-grown Musang King durians here and in neighbouring Bentong has taken the local tourism industry by storm following the influx of visitors in both districts during the weekends.
Thanks to the highly sought-after delicacy, the districts have seen a spike in the number foreign visitors from China and Hong Kong, and a 75 per cent increase in the number of local tourists compared to several years ago.
Gone are the days when local durian orchard owners struggled to market the odorous and thorny fruit.
Today, tour operators would make arrangements to ferry thousands of tourists to these durian orchards, and the bookings have been pouring in.
Raub Durian Orchard owner Eddie Yong said the demand for his fruits increased dramatically over the past few years.
He also said his Musang King durians were very well received by visitors.
Yong, who has planted durians for over 32 years, said hundreds of tourists would visit his orchard during the weekends.
He also said his orchard has transformed into a new tourist attraction in Raub.
“Durians have emerged as an attraction for people to come and taste the fruits.
“Musang King has been around for some time, but its popularity only grew over the past two years and this year, it has become the talk of the town.
“The Musang King species has created a large fan base and people do not mind travelling from afar as long as they can taste quality fruits,” he said today.
Meanwhile, Lau Hong Seng, 37, who owns an orchard in Sungai Ruan here, said there was a sharp increase in the number of tour buses entering the town over the past few months.
He said the “Musang King fever” has created great excitement among durian orchard operators, who receive busloads of visitors every week.
Meanwhile, Ee Chin Loon, 52, said many tourists from China have made Raub one of their vacation spots after the Malaysian government introduced the Musang King to the republic.
He said in the past, Musang King was the less popular breed and sold for only RM1 per kilogramme.
Today, he said, the Musang King could fetch up to RM140 a kilogramme.
Pahang Tourism and Culture Ministry director Datuk Idros Yahya said the term 'durian season' is no longer relevant as operators now try to ensure the fruit could be enjoyed all year long via freezing and other methods.