Tourism Selangor, the official Selangor State tourism promotion agency, has once again held the 47th Bon Odori Festival at the Shah Alam National Sports Complex Panasonic on the 22nd of July 2023, organised by the Japan Club of Kuala Lumpur (JCKL), the Japanese School of Kuala Lumpur and the Embassy of Japan. The festival marks the long-term relationship between Japan and the state of Selangor by co-organising the event with Tourism Selangor for 15th consecutive years.
The 47th Bon Odori Festival this year has showcased various cultural performances from Japan and Selangor, such as Tarian Soblang Sari from Selangor, Nihon Buyou-Bu Dance, Bon Odori Dance, Wadaiko Dance, drum performances, lantern ornaments, traditional Japanese attire, food and local products. The auspicious event managed to attract over 30,000 visitors to the State of Selangor, with a focus on the cultural exchange between Japan and the State of Selangor to exhibit the uniqueness of Selangor to tourists domestically and internationally.
The Chief Executive Officer of Tourism Selangor, Azrul Shah Mohamad in a statement said, in records an additional 39.2% of tourists from Japan have visited Selangor, amounting to 73,822 tourists in 2022. With positive development in the tourism sector of Selangor, we are assured this Festival will kickstart our mission to further penetrate the Japanese market through our international tourism campaign, “Splendid Selangor, Take Me Anywhere!”.
The “Splendid Selangor, Take Me Anywhere!” campaign is a significant effort and a turning point to increase cooperation between the interested nations. The campaign potentially establishes Selangor as a prominent travel destination in Asia and globally. Tourism Selangor is ready to tap into extensive partnerships with tourism operators and industry players while gearing up its awareness to elevate the mission to be an ideal travel destination.