Kuala Lumpur - Tourism Malaysia hopes the year 2010 will bring more shine to the country's tourism sector as the Tourism Ministry is eyeing new tourism products after the higher than the expected number of foreign tourists arrived in the country last year.
As for the domestic tourism sector, it also exceeded the target expected for last year.
Towards this end, the tourism authorities will focus on unveiling the 'colours of Malaysia' in various promotion events such as the Floral Fest and International Shoes Festival which will be making its debut in Malaysia this year.
In 2009, 23.65 million foreign tourists arrived in Malaysia, an increase of 7.2 per cent as compared to 22.05 million in 2008.
This indicated that the number of foreign tourists who visited Malaysia had exceeded the target figure of 19 million in the forecast given by tourism authorities early last year.
In December 2009, there was an increase of 4.0 per cent in the arrival of foreign visitors at 2,141,071 as against the 2,058,684 recorded for the same month in 2008.
TOURISTS FROM 10 NATIONS
Throughout 2009, the most number of foreign tourists in Malaysia were from Singapore followed by Indonesia, Thailand, Brunei, China (including Hong Kong and Macau), India, Australia, Philippines, United Kingdom and Japan.
Iran recorded the highest increase in the number of these arrivals, at 60.9 per cent.
Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Ng Yen Yen said the higher number of foreign tourists arriving in Malaysia in 2009 was due to the aggressive measures by the ministry in promoting Malaysia as the favourite holiday destination in he region.
"This achievement is very significant for the ministry as there were many challenges and crisis last year including the global economic depression and spread of H1N1 virus," she said at the meeting with 14 state Tourism Malaysia directors held here recently.
The meeting was held to evaluate the success of programmes held for 2009 apart from charting out the direction, marketing strategies and activities of the state Tourism Malaysia offices for this year.
BETTER DOMESTIC TOURISM SECTOR
Efforts by the ministry and Tourism Malaysia in promoting the "Cuti-cuti 1Malaysia" (1Malaysia Holidays) were rewarded as the statistics showed a marked increase in the domestic tourism sector.
This campaign made its debut a decade ago with the name "Cuti-cuti Malaysia" and had taken a new image of 'ZOOM! Malaysia' in 2008 and was renamed "Cuti-cuti 1Malaysia" last year.
It is part of the government's move to stimulate the country's domestic tourism and inculcate holidaying culture among Malaysians.
The move is clearly a success.
Based on the statistics on hotel guests, the number of domestic tourists within the first nine months of 2009 were 24,875,992.
For this period, Kuala Lumpur recorded the highest number of hotel guests at 5,669,545 followed by Pahang (3,336,496), Pulau Pinang (2,444,416) and Sabah (2,387,055).
NEW TOURISM PRODUCTS
Apart from focussing on new tourism products, the state Tourism Malaysia will continue to develop existing tourist draws and establishing collaboration with the other ministries and government agencies.
"As the party with the responsibility in promoting and marketing the country, Tourism Malaysia hopes the cooperation from the relevant ministries will help in organising programmes that are able to attract the tourists," she said.
For example the Culture Month held by the Information Communication and Culture Ministry in July, Malaysian International Halal Showcase (MIHAS) by the Ministry of International Trade and Industry, Malaysian Agriculture, Horticulture and Agrotourism Show (MAHA) by the Agriculture and Agro-based Industries Ministry as well as the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace (LIMA) exhibition, Ng said, naming a few of the international events staged by Malaysia.
She said despite the budget allocated to the Tourism Ministry for 2010 is reduced by almost half the amount given in 2009, the ministry viewed it positively despite having to reduce the funding for several tourism promotions programme.
HOTELS AND TAXIS
Ng also called on the hospitality industry including the hotels and taxis to improve their services to help draw new tourists as well as making those who have visited Malaysia to return.
This was so as many complaints received from foreign tourists were that on the taxi service, state tourism products and cleanliness.
Ng also asked the hotel operators to consider revising their accommodation rates to reflect the standard and quality of services offered as tourists tend to make comparisons with the other countries that they had frequented.
In another move to boost the nation's tourism industry, Tourism Malaysia has abolished the National Tourism Action Council, planned since last June, effective Jan 1 this year.
Instead, the ministry established the State Tourism Department office in all states to help develop further their tourism industry. (Nurul Halawati Azhari)
Source: http://www.bernama.com
As for the domestic tourism sector, it also exceeded the target expected for last year.
Towards this end, the tourism authorities will focus on unveiling the 'colours of Malaysia' in various promotion events such as the Floral Fest and International Shoes Festival which will be making its debut in Malaysia this year.
In 2009, 23.65 million foreign tourists arrived in Malaysia, an increase of 7.2 per cent as compared to 22.05 million in 2008.
This indicated that the number of foreign tourists who visited Malaysia had exceeded the target figure of 19 million in the forecast given by tourism authorities early last year.
In December 2009, there was an increase of 4.0 per cent in the arrival of foreign visitors at 2,141,071 as against the 2,058,684 recorded for the same month in 2008.
TOURISTS FROM 10 NATIONS
Throughout 2009, the most number of foreign tourists in Malaysia were from Singapore followed by Indonesia, Thailand, Brunei, China (including Hong Kong and Macau), India, Australia, Philippines, United Kingdom and Japan.
Iran recorded the highest increase in the number of these arrivals, at 60.9 per cent.
Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Ng Yen Yen said the higher number of foreign tourists arriving in Malaysia in 2009 was due to the aggressive measures by the ministry in promoting Malaysia as the favourite holiday destination in he region.
"This achievement is very significant for the ministry as there were many challenges and crisis last year including the global economic depression and spread of H1N1 virus," she said at the meeting with 14 state Tourism Malaysia directors held here recently.
The meeting was held to evaluate the success of programmes held for 2009 apart from charting out the direction, marketing strategies and activities of the state Tourism Malaysia offices for this year.
BETTER DOMESTIC TOURISM SECTOR
Efforts by the ministry and Tourism Malaysia in promoting the "Cuti-cuti 1Malaysia" (1Malaysia Holidays) were rewarded as the statistics showed a marked increase in the domestic tourism sector.
This campaign made its debut a decade ago with the name "Cuti-cuti Malaysia" and had taken a new image of 'ZOOM! Malaysia' in 2008 and was renamed "Cuti-cuti 1Malaysia" last year.
It is part of the government's move to stimulate the country's domestic tourism and inculcate holidaying culture among Malaysians.
The move is clearly a success.
Based on the statistics on hotel guests, the number of domestic tourists within the first nine months of 2009 were 24,875,992.
For this period, Kuala Lumpur recorded the highest number of hotel guests at 5,669,545 followed by Pahang (3,336,496), Pulau Pinang (2,444,416) and Sabah (2,387,055).
NEW TOURISM PRODUCTS
Apart from focussing on new tourism products, the state Tourism Malaysia will continue to develop existing tourist draws and establishing collaboration with the other ministries and government agencies.
"As the party with the responsibility in promoting and marketing the country, Tourism Malaysia hopes the cooperation from the relevant ministries will help in organising programmes that are able to attract the tourists," she said.
For example the Culture Month held by the Information Communication and Culture Ministry in July, Malaysian International Halal Showcase (MIHAS) by the Ministry of International Trade and Industry, Malaysian Agriculture, Horticulture and Agrotourism Show (MAHA) by the Agriculture and Agro-based Industries Ministry as well as the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace (LIMA) exhibition, Ng said, naming a few of the international events staged by Malaysia.
She said despite the budget allocated to the Tourism Ministry for 2010 is reduced by almost half the amount given in 2009, the ministry viewed it positively despite having to reduce the funding for several tourism promotions programme.
HOTELS AND TAXIS
Ng also called on the hospitality industry including the hotels and taxis to improve their services to help draw new tourists as well as making those who have visited Malaysia to return.
This was so as many complaints received from foreign tourists were that on the taxi service, state tourism products and cleanliness.
Ng also asked the hotel operators to consider revising their accommodation rates to reflect the standard and quality of services offered as tourists tend to make comparisons with the other countries that they had frequented.
In another move to boost the nation's tourism industry, Tourism Malaysia has abolished the National Tourism Action Council, planned since last June, effective Jan 1 this year.
Instead, the ministry established the State Tourism Department office in all states to help develop further their tourism industry. (Nurul Halawati Azhari)
Source: http://www.bernama.com