Kite Flyers From Nine Countries Showcase Their Expertise At Mersing International Fly Fest

MERSING, Aug 30 (Bernama) -- Thirty-five kite flyers from nine countries are enlivening the Mersing International Fly Fest held at Pantai Bandar Mersing in conjunction with the National Day celebrations, further cementing the district's position as a sustainable tourism destination in Johor.

The sixth edition of the festival, organised by the Mersing Kite Team in collaboration with the Mersing District Office and Mersing District Council, features the participation of local kite flyers as well as those from Vietnam, Switzerland, Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, the Philippines, and China.

Mersing Kite Team coordinator Mohd Husairy Ab Rahim said organising the event concurrently with the National Day celebrations brought a patriotic atmosphere to life, featuring giant kites in various animal and marine life designs, some of which were also adorned with the Jalur Gemilang.

He said the festival also serves as a platform to promote the district through dugong-shaped kites, a marine creature synonymous with the waters of the Mersing islands.

"These dugong kites showcase Mersing's identity and, in the future, will also be brought to overseas festivals as an attraction to encourage the international kite-flying community to visit here," he told Bernama when met at the festival here today.

According to him, the event - which began in 2016 - has received encouraging responses, recording its highest participation of 17 countries, including from Europe, in 2017.

He said the experiences felt by international kite flyers indirectly help promote Mersing on a global level, besides serving as an attraction for them to return for future editions.

The programme, organised through allocations from the Mersing District Office and the Mersing District Council, started yesterday and ends tomorrow.

Meanwhile, Mersing District Officer Jamil Hasni Abdullah said the festival not only invigorates the tourism sector but also highlights the district's uniqueness.

"In Johor, only Pasir Gudang and Mersing are capable of executing international kite festivals of this scale. This is an uniqueness not found anywhere else, paired with Mersing's sustainable tourism concept," he said.

He added that this year's staging is considered particularly special as it takes place during the National Day celebrations.

-- BERNAMA