Dubai - The Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board (MTPB) in Dubai has announced that Malaysia is on course to attract over 20.1 million tourists from across the globe in 2007, which is a clear reflection of the success of the ‘Visit Malaysia Year (VMY) 2007‘ campaign.
In line with the Malaysian Government‘s decision to host more than 200 local events as part of VMY 2007, the ‘Malaysia Year-End Sale Carnival (M-YESC) 2007‘ is set to draw visitors from the GCC by featuring marked down prices on exquisite local and designer items. According to the half-yearly statistics, Malaysia attracted over 12.4 million visitors in the first half of 2007, an increase of 23.9% compared to the previous year.
‘M-YESC 2007‘ is the country‘s annual premier shopping extravaganza, which is being held from December 01, 2007 to January 01, 2008, and will showcase of a variety of products and services on reduced tags, exciting programs and activities, promotions, exhibitions and roadshows in shopping malls all over the country. The event will be launched by the Honourable Deputy Minister of Tourism, YB Dato‘ Donald Lim, in a ceremony to be held at the Bintang Circle, Pavilion Kuala Lumpur. In addition, the late night sale, visitor incentives, and the M-YESC Fringe Festival are some of the highlights, which will take place within the month-long celebration.
Tuan Razali, Regional Director, MTPB, said, “Malaysia‘s rich cultural heritage and natural wonders combined with its wide selection of outstanding entertainment and world-class facilities, has increased its appeal to regional and international tourists. Catering to the needs of people from all across the world, Malaysia continues to remain an attractive destination throughout the year. Our ongoing endeavours to attract residents from the Middle East to Malaysia, including our partnerships with Singapore Airlines and Gulf Air and our efforts to host internationally-renowned events such as the Malaysia Year-End Sale Carnival, have aided in the success of VMY 2007 and we look towards further expanding our relationships with new partners to further the success achieved till date.”
Malaysia has always been a premier destination for travellers from the Middle East and the country is expecting a total of 300,000 tourists from the region in 2007. Recent statistics have also revealed that arrivals in Malaysia by visitors from the GCC countries have experienced an increase ranging from 6% to 23% in the first quarter of 2007 compared to the previous year. In a bid to entice more tourists to visit one of Asia‘s most flourishing cultural and adventure hubs, the MTPB in partnership with Singapore Airlines and Gulf Air is currently offering special holiday packages to residents from across the region.
‘Following the success of the Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix, a World Championship event that featured world-renowned bikers held last month, and the Malaysian International Gourmet Festival, the country‘s annual premier fine dining event currently being held in Malaysia, we are positive that the Malaysia Year-End Sale 2007 will elicit the same response and further contribute to the success of VMY 2007. Offering a variety of events covering major interests such as sports, food and shopping, Malaysia is truly a one-of-a-kind melting pot of various cultures and diversities, and we are confident of exceeding the expectations set by the government,‘ concluded Razali.
The MTPB had recently partnered with Singapore Airlines and Gulf Air to complement the ever-increasing appeal of Malaysia as a vacation destination for tourists from the GCC. As part of MTPB‘s expressed goal of increasing the number of Middle East tourists, Singapore Airlines has drafted a specially designed and competitively priced three days / two nights holiday package to three prime destinations, including Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Langkawi. Malaysia is one of SIA‘s top-selling destinations and the airline expects to sell as much as 200 to 300 packages during October and November 2007.
Source: www.ameinfo.com (12 Desember 2007)
