Malaysia’s Tourism Highlights – APRIL 2013

PUTRAJAYA, 15 Mar 2013: The month of April will be celebrated with a combination of water splashing, flashing jewellery and culture enrichment events. Highlights of the month include:

MALAYSIA WATER FESTIVAL PORT DICKSON 2013
It’s the month of water splashing again as the Malaysia Water Festival is back to Port Dickson as its first station! Activities like International Jet Ski Challenge and beach soccer competitions will be there to cool down the tropical heat!

As one of the most anticipated events in Port Dickson, it is expected to draw more than 130,000 tourists. So, get ready to join the party!

Organiser:    Ministry of Tourism, Malaysia
Date:           3 – 5 April 2013
Venue:         Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan
Contact:       +6 03 8891 7000

KELANTAN STATE’S CULTURAL CARNIVAL 2013
The annual 2013 Kelantan State’s Cultural Carnival is back to promote the uniqueness of Kelantanese culture that differs from most of the Malay cultures. It is initially an event to promote Kelantan as a tourist destination with rich culture, natural attractions and delicious food.

Highlights of the event include the cultural practices of dikir barat, mak yong, and wau bulan (kite-flying). Besides that, handicraft products such as songket, silverware and mengkuang will be introduced to the visitors as well.

Organiser:    Tourism Information Centre Kelantan
Date:           5 – 8 April 2013
Venue:        Compound of Sultan Muhammad IV Stadium, Kota Bharu, Kelantan
Website:      www.tic.kelantan.gov.my
Contact:      +6 09 748 6652

REGATTA LEPA 2013
Regatta Lepa, one of the most unique and colourful cultural events in Malaysia, is celebrated annually to honour the Bajau tradition of building beautiful ‘lepa’, a traditional single-mast sailing boat.

Highlights of the event include the grand regatta which features colourful ‘Lepas’ parade with dancing women in traditional costume, the ‘lepa’- tug of war, duck catching competition and other cultural performances.

Organiser:    Semporna District Office
Date:           26 – 28 April 2013
Venue:         Semporna, Sabah
Contact:       +6 089 781 (518) / (663)

ARCHIPELAGO DRUM FESTIVAL 2013
Prepare to get into the rhythm of percussion and drum music from all over the world! The Archipelago Drum Festival 2013 will be displaying a variety of percussion and drum music as one of the uniqueness of Malay Archipelago cultural traditions.

Performers from Malaysia, Indonesia, South Korea and other countries are invited to present their art. It is an event initially held to raise awareness among the younger generation to engage with their heritage.

Organiser:    Melaka Historical City Council
Date:           9 – 17 April 2013
Venue:         Dataran MBMB, Melaka
Contact:       +6 06 232 6411

20TH MALAYSIA INTERNATIONAL JEWELLERY FESTIVAL 2013 (SPRING EDITION)Malaysia largest international jewellery show is coming to town! The 20th Malaysia International Jewellery Festival 2013 (Spring Edition) invites quality international jewellers from Italy, India, Myanmar and other countries to present their latest collections.

Held twice annually, the four-day exhibition is expected to attract a large crowd as jewellery export-import trades in Malaysia are now tax free! Watches, as well as equipment for jewellery production will be on display too.

Organiser:    MIJ Exhibition Sdn. Bhd.
Date:           19 – 22 April 2013
Time:           11 am – 6 pm
Venue:         Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, Kuala Lumpur
Contact:       +6 03 2171 2564
Website:      www.mij.com.my

MALAYSIA WATER FESTIVAL LABUAN (LABUAN INTERNATIONAL SEA CHALLENGE) 2013
Miss the earlier Malaysia Water Festival in Port Dickson? Now it’s Labuan’s turn to have its very own water festival – the 2013 Labuan International Sea Challenge!

Highlights of the event include the exciting Cross Channel Swimming Challenge, Labuan International Fishing Tournament, and Kayak Sprint Challenge. The event promises all participants an enjoyable experience.

Organiser:    Ministry of Tourism, Labuan
Date:           26 – 28 April 2013
Venue:         Labuan International Sea Sport Complex
Contact:       +6 087 422 622
Website:      http://www.motourlabuan.com/

For more media releases, media info and media features on Malaysia’s tourism industry, kindly visit the Media Centre of Tourism Malaysia’s website athttp://www.tourismmalaysia.gov.my/

Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board or TOURISM MALAYSIA is an agency under the Ministry of Tourism, Malaysia. While the Ministry of Tourism implements tourism policies, conducts studies and offers incentives for industry players, Tourism Malaysia focuses on the specific task of promoting Malaysia at the domestic and international level. Driven by its aspiration to promote Malaysia as a destination of excellence in this region, Tourism Malaysia has grown by leaps and bounds since its inception and has emerged as a major player in the nation’s socio-economic landscape. In 2012, Malaysia registered 25 million tourist arrivals and RM60.6 billion in tourist receipts.

In 2014, Malaysia will celebrate its fourth VISIT MALAYSIA YEAR (VMY) with the theme “Celebrating 1Malaysia Truly Asia”. The VMY 2014 promotional campaign has started this year with a series of year-long special events and activities leading to VMY 2014. It will contribute to the Government’s target to receive 36 million tourist arrivals and RM168 billion in receipts by 2020, as outlined in the Malaysia Tourism Transformation Plan (MTTP) 2020.    

-Tourism Malaysia.