20 January 2014| last updated at 10:38PM

MERSING: ISLANDS around here are set to be major crowd-pullers among locals and foreign tourists during the Visit Malaysia Year 2014 (VMY2014).

Mersing District Council (MDM) president Zainal Eran said among the favourite tourist destinations of island getaways are Pulau Rawa, Pulau Besar, Pulau Pemanggil, Pulau Aur, Pulau Tengah and Pulau Sibu which are accessible via the Sungai Mersing jetty.

"We are expecting an increase in the number of visitors compared with the 200,000 people recorded last year," he said.

"Throughout last year, there were 68,788 overseas visitors including those from Europe, Japan, Korea and China. The rest were local visitors," he said.

"We will woo the tourists with various promotions as carried out by the government in conjunction with VMY2014," he said.

"MDM has also beautified several places in the district including having a beach cleanup. We believe a pristine, litter-free beach will make tourists feel more welcome," he said.

Zainal said he hoped the locals will play their part in ensuring the cleanliness of tourist spots.

He said MDM has also placed several centralised waste containers for residents living in rural areas outside its jurisdiction.

"With the facilities, it is hoped that the locals will enjoy a better garbage disposal system. Previously, the locals will dispose of garbage by the roadside for the garbage collectors," he said.

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Islands to draw more tourists