In fact, a survey by Tourism Malaysia in 2015 showed that Bukit Bintang was the top shopping area for foreign tourists. Today, it has become a shopping magnet especially for tourists from the Middle East and China.
In 2016, about 2.12 million Chinese tourists and almost 300,000 tourists from the Middle East visited Malaysia. Many of them visited Bukit Bintang, too.
The attractions at Bukit Bintang are believed to have contributed to making Kuala Lumpur the 10th most visited city in the world last year, in rankings by Euromonitor International.
The tourism and culture ministry, in a statement last month, said this was due to the success of its continuous efforts to promote Malaysia and Kuala Lumpur as the world’s top tourist destinations.
The ministry said the decision to make Jalan Bukit Bintang and its surrounding areas a modern shopping centre on par with other world famous shopping areas such as Oxford Street in London, Shinjuku,Tokyo and Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong, had resulted in a dramatic increase in the number of tourist arrivals.
Foot traffic in the Bukiit Bintang area alone easily hits 2.5 million visitors each month, according to a report in the Straits Times (ST).
The shops in the Bukit Bintang area boast big luxury brands, and a cup of coffee at one of the sidewalk cafes can cost RM15.
The ST report said Bukit Bintang had nine malls, dozens of hotels and guest houses, and plenty of eateries and bars to cater to various types of visitors. Old office buildings have been turned into trendy boutique hotels and stores are required to be refurbished every few years.
The opening of an Arab Street by the government in 2005, added to the attraction for Middle Eastern tourists. There are more than a dozen Arabic eateries here.
Time magazine, in writing about Kuala Lumpur, described Bukit Bintang as “KL’s civic strolling grounds, vast foot-reflexology parlour, Champs-Elysées and Times Square combined”.
It added: “This is where Lebanese kebab touts compete with discreet pimps, and venues for people-watching run the gamut from the cut-rate Sungei Wang Plaza to the upscale marble halls, trendy bars and lapping fountains of the Pavilion, KL’s latest temple of consumerism.”