Najib launches AirAsia's Langkawi-Shenzhen flight

Fernandes (second from left) presenting a souvenir to Najib in Langkawi

LANGKAWI: Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak launched AirAsia's direct flight from here to Shenzhen, China.

The new route is expected to further develop Langkawi as a world-class tourist destination.

AirAsia Group chief executive officer Tan Sri Tony Fernandes thanked Najib for officiating the direct flight on Saturday.

"Last year, the Prime Minister launched our direct flight from Guangzhou to Langkawi.

"Leadership takes courage and it is courageous leadership shown by the Prime Minister to support AirAsia in reducing the airport tax which for years Malaysia Airports had resisted.

"Today, we see that value of his brave leadership. Direct international tourists have increased from 83,754 in 2015 to 187,433 in 2016 – an increase of 120 per cent.

"This represents a contribution of RM300mil to GDP, based on the 12 times multiplier effect," Fernandes said in his speech.

He said 2016 was the first time when international tourists outnumbered domestic tourists.

"We are driven by this and already this year we have flown over a million tourists to Langkawi with our 238 weekly flights from Langkawi.

"But we want to get to the three million mark and contribute a large part to the Langkawi Development Authority’s (LADA) target of RM9bil revenue.

"Our vision is that we will make Langkawi as connected as Phuket, if not greater."

-thestar online.

KL International Jazz Festival 2017 @ Kuala Lumpur ( 14 ~ 17 September 2017 )

Now into its 6^th year, the KL International Jazz & Arts Festival 2017, will showcase a stellar line up of international and local artists performing a wide genre of Jazz from 14th -17th September at multiple venues.

Beginning on 14th September at the French restaurant, at Rendez-Vous, Bangsar, main festival with 10 performances will be held at the Experimental Theatre, University Malaya on 15^th & 16^th September. The closing day on 17^th September features 2 performances at the newly opened Commune, Sunway Velocity Mall.

The KL International Jazz & Festival is The BrandLaureate Country Branding Award winner 2011-2012 and over the years, it has built a good standing among the jazz fraternity, for providing top notch international acts from all over the world. It is the only Jazz Festival where music surrounds art and art surrounds music.

Having presented the likes of NEA Jazz Master, Ahmad Jamal, David Sanborn, incognito, Lee Ritenour, John Beasley, Hiromi, Ernie Watts, Lao Tizer, Chieli Minucci and numerous others from New York, USA, South Africa, Europe, UK, Japan, Australia and ASEAN, this year promises another a line up of stellar artists.

Head lining the festival this year is Tenor Man, Eric Watt from Brooklyn, New York. Eric is the God son of the legendary Sonny Rollins and is expected to carry Sonny's legacy to the next generation of Jazz Lovers.

He has been recording and traveling the world as both leader and sideman and continues to build an impressive, solid resume. Having released a number of albums, Eric has a unique sound that while it straddles the sounds of Coltrane, Johnny Griffin, Frank Foster and Sonny Rollins overall, it transcends beyond into a high energy and heavy driven sounds for a jazz quartet.

Supported by Benito Gonzales on piano, Christy Smith on Acoustic Bass and up coming youngster David Hodek on Drums. Eric is scheduled to perform 2 shows at the festival. On Friday he will play songs from his latest album and on Saturday, he pays attribute to the music of Sonny Rollins.

Please log on to our website at www.klinternationaljazz.com for a full list of the artist line up, details of the program and for ticketing or email to ian@asiaworldevents.com for further information.

-www.ticketpro.com.my

MATTA Fair Melaka 2017 sasar kehadiran 30,000 pengunjung

Datuk Seri Idris Haron memalu gong ketika merasmikan MATTA Fair Melaka 2017 yang berlangsung selama tiga hari di Pusat Dagangan Antarabangsa Melaka (MITC) Ayer Keroh mulai hari ini. Turut kelihatan, Datuk Tan Kok Liang (kiri); Timbalan Pengerusi Jawatankuasa Pelancongan, Pembangunan Sungai, Pantai dan Pulau-Pulau negeri, Datuk Ghazale Muhamad (kanan) dan Pegawai Kewangan Negeri, Datuk Roslan Ibrahim (dua dari kanan).

- UTUSAN ONLINE/MOHD. AZIM ABD. RAHMAN

MELAKA 18 Ogos - Persatuan Ejen-Ejen Pelancongan dan Pengembaraan Malaysia (MATTA) menyasarkan kehadiran sejumlah 30,000 pengunjung sepanjang MATTA Fair Melaka 2017 yang berlangsung selama tiga hari mulai hari ini sehingga Ahad ini.

Presiden MATTA, Datuk Tan Kok Liang berkata, jumlah kehadiran pengunjung itu dijangka meningkat berbanding 27,000 pengunjung yang datang ke MATTA Melaka dianjurkan dua tahun lalu dan berjaya mencatatkan nilai jualan sebanyak RM18 juta.

“Melaka mempunyai produk-produk pelancongan yang menarik serta terurus dengan baik malah MATTA juga sedang mengkaji kemungkinan untuk mengadakan rundingan untuk menambah jumlah penerbangan terus ke Lapangan Terbang Antarabangsa Melaka (LTAM) di Batu Berendam bagi menarik lebih ramai pelancong.

“Sekiranya mendapat sambutan yang baik pihak kami juga tidak mempunyai masalah untuk mengadakan acara MATTA Fair ini dua kali setahun, tahun lalu kita tidak dapat mengadakannya di Melaka kerana kekurangan tenaga dan berharap sambutan lebih baik tahun ini,” katanya selepas majlis pelancaran MATTA Fair Melaka 2017 oleh Ketua Menteri, Datuk Seri Idris Haron di Pusat Dagangan Antarabangsa Melaka (MITC) Ayer Keroh.

Menurut Kok Liang, pihaknya turut menyasarkan jumlah kutipan jualan sebanyak RM20 juta menerusi pameran kali ini dengan penyertaan sejumlah 104 pempamer termasuk satu agensi pelancongan antarabangsa dari Taiwan dan tiga agensi pelancongan negeri iaitu Melaka, Johor dan Kelantan. 

-utusan online.

Promoting rural tourism in Sabah

Sabah Tourism Board (STB) Chairman, Datuk Joniston Bangkuai (three from left)

showed mulberry leaves based tea products produced by Enactus UMS team

at a media conference in Kota Kinabalu. (Pix By NAZLLIE ZAINUL)

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah is optimistic that rural tourism will gain popularity and benefit locals in the long run.

Sabah Tourism Board chairman Datuk Joniston Bangkuai said the recent Rural Tourism roadshow held at a shopping mall was a success.

"The two-day inaugural roadshow attracted 10,000 visitors and the number of people visting the four promoted places-Tambunan, Kiulu, Ranau, Kadamaian-is also increasing.

"Most districts in the state have also activated their committees to develop rural tourism at their places," he said during a press conference on Universiti Malaysia Sabah's (UMS) Mulberry project with the people of Kampung Tudan.

Joniston added rural tourism products would not only benefit the industry but also help to generate income among villagers.

On the mulberry project at Kampung Tudan, which is about 50 kilometers from here, he said the villagers should consider setting up homestays.

"Now that the village has become UMS' pilot project on mulberry cultivation with its leaves processed into tea, lotion and other items, it can be developed in eco and agrotourism," he said, adding the village is also producing stingless bee honey.

Joniston, who is also Kiulu state assemblyman, added the road infrastructure to the village would soon be upgraded.

The mulberry products, branded as Tudan Mulberry, will be marketed and sold via the board's subsidiary company Sri Pelancongan Sabah Sdn Bhd.

-nst online.

http://www.sabahtourism.com/

Malaysia to launch three-day festival in China promoting durians

PUTRAJAYA: A three-day festival promoting Malaysian durians will be held in China from Oct 19 to 21 in Nanning, said Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek.

The Agriculture and Agro-Industries Minister said on Wednesday that the event is aimed to give mainland Chinese a taste of fresh durians.

Ahmad Shabery added that 250 distinct, durian-derived products would be on display at the festival, with 50 booths for durian product manufacturers.

"If Thailand is known for its tom yam, the Koreans have their kimchi, and the Japanese with sushi, I hope that through events like this, Malaysia will one day be recognised for its durians," said Ahmad Shabery.

Ahmad Shabery said this when speaking to the media after a Road to Nanning meeting with durian industry players on Wednesday afternoon.

He said that he hopes the festival will speed up the approval process for Malaysia to export fresh durians to China.

For durian product sellers such as Aesos Lai who owns Sunshine Kingdom Sdn Bhd, the festival is a welcome chance to network with Chinese distributors.

His company markets a variety of products ranging from freeze-dried durians, chocolates and coffee containing durian, with a turnover of RM5mil a year.

"It's a good opportunity, especially since some of the Chinese distributors have very large networks. This means strong prospects for us," said Lai.

Meanwhile, Subang Bestari-based Rohazawati Mamat said she was looking to expand overseas with her durian crepes.

"We've been running for four years now, and we usually churn out about 4,000 packets a week to supply 150 retailers around the Klang Valley. But it's also good to expand. Increasing our production is not a problem," said Rohazawati.

Malaysia's durian products first gained access to China's market back in 2011, and RM1.57mil in products - frozen durian, pulp and derived products - were exported in 2012.

Since then, this number has risen 1,047% to RM18.02mil in 2016, with a total of 26 distinct products, and the number of exporting companies has grown from nine companies to 67 over the last five years.

-thestar online.

Enhanced KL TravelPass unveiled; offers KLIA transfer, 2-days' unlimited Rapid KL rail rides

Similar to London’s Oyster Card and Hong Kong’s Octopus Card, the KL TravelPass offers airport transfer using the KLIA Ekspres and two days of unlimited rides on Rapid KL rail services, namely the Light Rail Transit (LRT), the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) and

the KL Monorail. Pix by Halim Salleh

KUALA LUMPUR: Prasarana Malaysia Bhd and Express Rail Link Sdn Bhd (ERL) today unveiled the enhanced KL TravelPass, an integrated transport pass that offers seamless travel on the Klang Valley’s rail network system.

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri said the card – which is a collaboration between ERL and Prasarana, through their subsidiaries Rapid Rail Sdn Bhd and Touch 'n Go Sdn Bhd – will increase public transport usage, particularly among tourists.

Similar to London’s Oyster Card and Hong Kong’s Octopus Card, the KL TravelPass offers airport transfer using the KLIA Ekspres and two days of unlimited rides on Rapid KL rail services, namely the Light Rail Transit (LRT), the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) and the KL Monorail.

"The KL TravelPass will further increase rail ridership as well as promote tourism via rail transport in the city and the greater Klang Valley.

"I believe this travel card will be a favourite among tourists, as they can enjoy unlimited rides on rail transport, without worrying about queuing or setting aside loose change to buy tokens for the train," Nancy told reporters after the launch of the card at KL Sentral here today.

She said the launch of the enhanced card is also timely, in view of the upcoming 2017 Kuala Lumpur Sea Games.

"It is in time for the athletes, officials and visitors flying here for the games," Nancy said.

The card is priced at RM70 (single trip on the KLIA Ekspres) and RM115 (return trips on the KLIA Ekspres).

It can be purchased at KLIA Ekspres ticket counters at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA), Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2 (klia2) and the Departure Hall of KL Sentral station.

Also present at the launch was ERL executive chairman Tan Sri Mohd Nadzmi Mohd Salleh, who said that the enhanced card will encourage cardholders to tour the city’s downtown and surrounding areas.

"Our existing (old) KL TravelPass allows cardholders to travel on the non-stop KLIA Ekspres service from KLIA and klia2 to the city, and continue their journey in the city on all trains and Rapid KL buses for up to RM10 in value.

"But the enhanced KL TravelPass upgrades this RM10 value to two days of unlimited rides on all Rapid KL LRT, MRT and monorail train lines," he said.

Mohd Nadzmi said the unlimited rides will also be extended to BRT and Rapid KL buses in the near future.

Others present at the launch included Rapid Rail Sdn Bhd chief executive officer Datuk Zohari Sulaiman and ERL chief executive officer Noormah Mohd Noor.

-nst online.
https://www.kliaekspres.com/kl-travelpass/

Pasar Seni — the pulse of the city

There is a 50 per cent fare discount on LRT, MRT, Monorail and Sunway BRT

 until Aug 31, announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak

during the Sungai Buloh Kajang MRT full launch. — Malay Mail pic

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 14 — Pasar Seni is undoubtedly one of the busiest LRT stations in Kuala Lumpur. 

Apart from being within walking distance to places of interest such as Central Market (Pasar Seni), Petaling Street (popularly known as Chinatown) and the Pos Malaysia headquarters, below the elevated station is a bustling bus terminal with services to many areas in the Klang Valley.

You can catch buses to areas as distant as Klang, Shah Alam, Subang Jaya, Subang Mewah, Taman Medan, PJ Old Town and more from the terminal.

In the Kuala Lumpur area, the buses offer rides to Sentul, Jalan Raja Laut, Medan Mara, Jalan Duta, Kompleks Mahkamah, Publika, among others. 

Buses are available at 15-minute intervals at their designated platforms and tickets are priced according to the destination.

For a free ride in the city, hop on the Go KL City Bus which starts from the Pasar Seni hub with stops at Bangkok Bank, Muzium Telekom, Menara Olympia, KL Tower, The Weld, Wisma Lim Foo Yong, Wisma Cosway, Pavilion, Bukit Bintang, Wisma Boustead, Wisma MPL, Wisma Budiman, Menara Olympia and Kota Raya. The frequency of the Go KL City bus is between five and 10 minutes.

The concession card counter is located at the Pasar Seni Bus Hub just below the Pasar Seni LRT Station. The concession cards are for senior citizens, the disabled and students, each with a fare discount of 50 per cent.

The MyRapid Touch ‘n Go (TnG) cards, which can be used for LRT, MRT, Monorail, Sunway BRT and RapidKL bus services, can be purchased here as well.

Packages include the MyRapid Smart 7 Weekly and MyRapid Smart 30 Monthly, which sees a savings of between 18 per cent and 35 per cent respectively on cash fares when you travel by rail and the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT).

A nominal subscription fee of RM2.50 is charged for the former and RM10 for the latter. 

You may reload your TnG card with no reload fee charge at Touch N Go, MPH, Giant, and Watsons, among other merchants.

Additionally, there is a 50 per cent fare discount on LRT, MRT, Monorail and Sunway BRT until Aug 31, announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak during the Sungai Buloh Kajang MRT full launch. 

About 400m from the station is the Kuala Lumpur KTM Komuter station which is accessible via a pedestrian bridge over the Klang River. This is where you can hop on trains to Sungai Buloh, Kuala Kubu Baru, Rawang, Nilai, Seremban and Senawang, among others.

The most notable spot close to the LRT station is the historical Central Market. Constructed between 1888 and 1889, it was once a wet market which served the tin mining community in the area.

Currently a tourist hotspot, the building is home to stores selling arts and crafts as well as restaurants and cafes serving local and international delights.

Batik sarongs, wau (moon-kite) wooden flatware, bamboo mats, folding hand fans and wooden clogs are among the unique items you will find at Central Market. Prices start from as low as RM5.

For more bargains, head to Petaling Street. The shopping haven has been around since 1914 and is a great place to pick up quirky and colourful luggage tags at RM10 each, slogan T-shirts (also at RM10 each), coin purses (RM5 each), shoes (RM20 a pair) and more. Do remember that haggling is highly recommended.

Close by at 14A, Leboh Pudu is Sin Sze Si Ya, said to be the oldest Taoist temple in Kuala Lumpur. Founded in 1864 by Kapitan Yap Ah Loy, an important figure in the history of early Kuala Lumpur (he played a crucial role in developing the city as a business and mining hub in the 19th century), the temple is dedicated to the patron deities of Sin Sze Ya and Si Sze Ya. 

An inscription found on a golden plaque at the temple states that “the deities guided Kapitan Yap Ah Loy in defeating the enemies and defending Kuala Lumpur during the civil war (1870-1873)”.

Another important house of worship in the area is the Sri Mahamariamman Temple, the oldest Hindu temple in Kuala Lumpur. 

Founded in 1873 by K. Thamboosamy Pillai, it was originally used as a private shrine by the Pillai family. It opened its doors to the public in the late 1920s. 

With a South Indian design, the temple has a distinctive five-tiered gopuram, a pyramid-shaped gate tower that stands at a soaring 22.9m high. The tower features depictions of Hindu gods painstakingly sculpted and carved by artisans from 
southern India.

-malaymail online.

AirAsia X lancar peraduan untuk belia

KUALA LUMPUR 7 Ogos – AirAsia X melancarkan peraduan untuk belia bagi memperkenalkan New Zealand sebagai destinasi pelancongan pengembaraan.

Ketua Pegawai Komersial Kumpulan AirAsia, Siegtraund Teh berkata, peraduan itu yang dikenali sebagai Ultimate Xventure, menyasarkan peserta berumur antara 18 dan 32 tahun de­ngan menawarkan empat tiket penerbangan ke Auckland, New Zealand selama empat hari tiga malam selain aktiviti terpilih sebagai hadiah utama.

Beliau berkata, tujuan peraduan itu adalah untuk memper­kenalkan New Zealand sebagai destinasi kembara dan menggalakkan generasi milenial untuk meneroka apa yang ditawarkan oleh negara kiwi tersebut.

Katanya, bagi bahagian pertama, peserta peraduan media sosial Ultimate Xventure perlu memuat naik gambar atau video kreatif aktiviti sukan kembara ke Instagram mereka dengan kete­rangan menarik dan hashtag rasmi #UltimateXventure dan #AirAsiaX.

Tambahnya, bahagian kedua atau kemuncak peraduan yang merupakan kolaborasi bersama Sunway akan diadakan di Sunway Lagoon Extreme Park pada 20 Ogos ini.

“Pemenang akan bersaing dalam barisan perlawanan peraduan Ultimate Xventure yang menggambarkan pengalaman ter­dapat di New Zealand bagi memenuhi kehendak anak muda yang mencari pengalaman kembara.

“Peraduan media sosial ini telah bermula pada 31 Julai 2017 dan akan berakhir pada 17 Ogos ini. Penyertaan akan diadili dari 14 hingga 17 Ogos ini di mana seorang pemenang akan dipilih pada setiap hari dan diumumkan melalui radio Fly FM,” katanya dalam kenyataan di sini hari ini.

Teh berkata, peraduan ini bukan sahaja membantu menye­marakkan minat anak muda dalam memilih New Zealand sebagai destinasi kembara, malahan untuk mewujudkan aktiviti interaktif yang dapat meningkatkan kesetiaan terhadap jenama AirAsia dalam kalangan generasi milenial.

“New Zealand menawarkan pilihan sukan kembara yang tiada tandingannya dan hanya AirAsia X menawarkan tambang rendah yang tiada tandingannya dari Kuala Lumpur ke New Zealand untuk pelancong muda yang inginkan pengalaman keseronokan seumur hidup,” katanya.

Untuk keterangan dan maklumat mengenai peraduan berkenaan, orang ramai boleh klik http://promotion.airasia.com/newzealand.

-utusan online.

Labuan's Tour Operator Pioneers Tourism Related Sea Activities

LABUAN, Aug 13 (Bernama) --SS Speed Boat Enterprise, a local boat operator and tour agent, is the pioneer in providing tourism related activities in the Malaysia's international financial centre of Labuan.

Equipped with four speed boats to run the sea transport sector, the company can now heaved a sigh of relief as more than 1,000 people have so far signed up as their regular customers and tourists.

Its director, Mohamad Rosli Ramani, 25, said his involvement in the tourism industry came about when he saw the potential of such tourism products found in Labuan.

"These people are not only locals but also from outside of the island who have been to at least four attractive islands for various water sports, recreational diving and snorkelling.

"We have Rusukan Kecil and Rusukan Besar Islands for recreational diving, snorkelling and witnessing the turtle hatching and being released, and we have Papan Island for various water sport activities,' he said during an exclusive 'Three Island Tour' with Bernama on Saturday.

He said the Rusukan Islands were very popular due to the existence of various ocean life, coupled with the still intact condition of coral reefs.

"We thanked the government for its attention to the island's tourism sector in view of the ongoing slowdown of the economy, and now we play our role as the local tour activity provider to the tourists and visitors," Rosli said.

His partner, Mohd Nur Faiz Anuar, also 25, said the hospitality and tourism was one of the industries that was most affected by digital development.



"Transportation and accommodation companies are among the first ones to utilise digital marketing techniques in their ventures to engage tourist and communities and make sure their customers have the best possible away-from-home experience," he said.

He said in order to perform well and gain competitive advantages, players in the travel industry were always looking for the newest and greatest ways to reach their buyer persona and tailor their offering to their target audience.

When planning travel, he said tourists tended to look for companies with a social media presence on established social media networks, and they are also interested in big brand names and prestige, alongside a online mobile-optimised booking experience.

He said 'staycations' had been a powerful trend in the last two three years, with many travellers having trended in the direction of sticking around locally to enjoy their vacation time.

"This has been great news for local tour and activity providers and their communities as more people are looking to boost their local economies with trips close to home," said Rosli and Faiz.

They were optimistic the island's tourism industry could be developed further with significant roles played by the tourism players.

-bernama.
http://www.labuantourism.my/