Chinese Hot on Durian Themed Tourism

Chinese travel agents are serving up durian tours to lure more Chinese tourists during the durian fruiting season of the king of fruits in Malaysia.

Steel Zhao, the Tourism Malaysia marketing manager in China, told the news agency that savouring the popular Musang King topped the tour itinerary for dedicated durian lovers.

Last weekend, Zhao accompanied a group of 60 Chinese tourists to visit Sg Ruan in Raub, Pahang, which is renowned for its Musang King durian.

“They were able to enjoy the freshest durians, from the Musang King to durian kampung at affordable prices as well as other local fruits.

This offered them a different durian-eating experience,” he said.

Zhao said the durian harvests tour would offer a unique experience to the Chinese tourists as they could tour the farm and eat fresh durians besides visiting other tourist destinations.

“To attract more Chinese durian tourists, the best way is to bring them here to enjoy the freshest durians.

“The travel agencies in China can also come up with attractive durian tour packages, including eco-tourism destinations, to woo the durian lovers.

“Durians are best eaten fresh, within the first few hours after they fall from the trees, to enjoy the flavour and texture of the fruit,” he added.

Meanwhile, a tour agency representative based in Beijing, Fan Xin Ping, told Bernama the durian tour was gaining popularity among Chinese tourists visiting Malaysia.

“We included the durian harvests tour in our package and the feedback is positive.

We hope to attract more tourists to experience the unique gateway to Malaysia,” she said.

Fan said the durian tour was an eye-opener for the tourists as they could learn how to plant a durian tree, eat a variety of durians as well as enjoy the other eco-tourism products.