Hongkong - The Malaysian Tourism Ministry has identified art as the new product to boost the country’s tourism sector, with events such as art auction among activities on the cards.
Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen said Malaysian art could be promoted to the global travel market.
"The art auction is a landmark event in the Malaysian art history and a first step towards establishing a strong secondary art market," she said after presenting certificates of appreciation to 20 tour agencies and seven local media organisations at the Friends of Malaysia Gala Night, here last night.
She said the ministry would also hold the 1Malaysia Contemporary Arts Tourism Festival, for three months from next month, covering Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Melaka and Johor.
Ng, who is on a four-day tourism promotion campaign to Hong Kong and Shenzhen, China, said she believed that Hong Kong would be among the strongest markets for the new product given the strength of the art community here.
The first art auction, which ended last weekend, involved 62 paintings worth over RM1 million. It was organised by Henry Butcher Art Auctioneers Sdn Bhd with the support of the National Arts Gallery and BrandLaureate.
Ng said Malaysia would also continue to promote other tourism products such as the Malaysia Mega Sale Carnival, Food festival, Shoe Festival and the F1 Petronas Malaysian Grand Prix.
Malaysia has set the target of reaching 36 million annual tourist arrivals and RM3 billion in weekly tourism receipts by 2020.
"We have drawn up strategies to build density, develop clusters and high-value sectors in the industry," she said.
She said the government was very committed in promoting the tourism sector because it contributed nine per cent to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and the industry was among 11 sectors that had been identified as priority areas in the National Key Economic Area (NKEA).
Meanwhile, she said the ministry encouraged more hotels in Malaysia to further venture into providing meeting infrastructure to tap into the MICE (meetings, incentives, conventions and expositions) market.
"The MICE industry is an important segment and the country has set up a Malaysia MICE bureau to attract foreign companies," she said.
Present at the event were Malaysian Consul-General in Hong Kong Cheong Loon Lai, Hong Kong Tourism Malaysia Director Zaliha Zainuddin and Tourism Malaysia International Division director Chong Yoke Har.
Source: http://www.bernama.com
