PETALING JAYA: Divers gave the thumbs-down to the move to make Pulau Redang an exclusive getaway, saying that for half the RM1,599 a night accommodation proposed by the Terengganu government, a diver can now get a four-day trip including accommodation, food and diving activities.
They said budget travellers and divers would not be able go to the diving haven if it was made a high-end destination.
Diver Angeline Goh, 29, believed that the plan would not only turn divers away but also cause chalet operators to go bust.
“Diving operators look for cheap packages to take their clients. If it is expensive, they will move to other places like Tioman,” she said yesterday.
Another diver, Sean Phoon, 30, agreed that there was a need for conservation efforts but noted that hiking prices and making it an exclusive getaway was not the solution.
“The corals have deteriorated and there is a need to preserve the environment.
“You can preserve the environment by following Pulau Sipadan’s measures – limiting the number of people on the island. You cannot force existing chalets to hike up their prices and kill off these chalets by insisting on a ridiculous price tag,” he said.
