QUOTE(MyRiz @ Jun 11 2015, 06:46 PM)
A new development project by DA Land Sdn Bhd is going to turn Rawang, Selangor, into a bustling town with a lot of tourist activities.
Dubbed the TWO, which is the acronym for Theme Park Resort, Wholesale City and Outlet Mall, the project will take eight to 10 years to complete.
It is an integrated commercial development sited on a 20.64 ha of land.
Tourism and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Aziz said the launch of the TWO today marked an important milestone in the development of Rawang and Greater Kuala Lumpur, in line with the objectives of Malaysia's Economic Transformation Programme.
"The TWO is designed to be a major tourism hub on the North-South Highway, and this sets a stage for greater economic and tourism opportunities in the region.
"At the same time, it will also serve the needs of the local community," he said at the launch.
He added that the Tourism National Key Economic Area is currently focused on high-yield tourism that will drive economic and employment growth in the county, and by endorsing key developments, the country will be able to move closer to achieving its vision to record 36 million international tourist arrivals and generate RM165 billion in tourism receipts by 2020.
"As one of the 12 high-impact Entry Point Projects in our strategy, 'Establishing Dedicated Entertainment Zones' is a key area to increase tourism. We expect these selected entertainment areas to stimulate RM1.8 billion by 2020. Today marks our continuous commitment to that vision," he said.
The pre-phase one of the project, which is expected to be completed by 2018, will see a multi-purpose variety hall, one of which is Arena of Fames with a seating capacity of 8,000 people.
The variety hall is expected to pull in the crowd for TWO before the first phase is ready in 2019.
Phase one of the project will be an integrated development of a wholesale city; importer, distributor and factory outlet mall; and Indoor and Covered Outdoor Theme Parks.
The Indoor Theme Park, once completed, is expected to be the largest in Southeast Asia, if not Asia. The first phase will see the indoor theme park covering an area of 300,000 sq ft and by end of the third phase, it is expected to cover an area of 600,000 sq ft.
The second and third phases of the project will be the extension of the outlet mall and the final phase will be the building of four blocks of hotels with more than 2,000 rooms.
DA Land chief executive officer Derek Chew said the project was created with a different segment of tourists in mind.
"We want to attract European, American, Japanese, Korean and Singaporean tourists, in addition to local tourists.
"The number of European, American and Japanese tourists in other malls are relatively low. The TWO was created with them in mind – sun and water, one-stop tourist shopping hub for local produce, delicacies, art and souvenir and a unique indoor and covered outdoor theme parks.
"They will be able to experience a fun and wholesome shopping experience, in addition to the nearby very rich eco-tourism resources," he said.
He added that the TWO will be recession-resistant as it is about discount shopping and a weather-proof theme park. – June 1, 2015.