VANCOUVER, Oct 13 (Bernama) -- Malaysia welcomed 86,931 tourists from Canada last year, an increase of 1.1 per cent from 2011, and registered 46,543 tourists arrivals in the first half of this year, its Tourism and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz said here.
He said Malaysia Airlines (MAS) was in discussion with Air Canada to partner in carrying travellers to Los Angeles where MAS operated a direct flight to Kuala Lumpur, and called on partners from Canada's tour operators to introduce more tour itineraries and capture the interest of Canadians to experience the 'unique holiday' found only in Malaysia.
Nazri said Canadian travellers to Malaysia, however, would have to fly on board other partner airlines that also offered direct connection to the capital city's KL International Airport (KLIA), such as the OneWorld Alliance of which MAS is a member.
Speaking to his dinner guests at one of Vancouver's leading hotels on Saturday, Nazri said Malaysia had received 25 million tourists last year and would be expecting some 28 million in 2014.
He was treating them to a taste of Malaysian authentic cuisines while being entertained with a series of spectacular cultural dances by troupes from Malaysia.
Nazri informed the guests, among whom was British Columbia Minister of State for Tourism and Small Business Naomi Yamamoto, of the various wonderful attractions in Malaysia which comprised some 1,007 islands and the three Unesco world natural heritage sites of Kinabalu Park in Sabah, the Mulu Caves in Sarawak and the Lenggong Valley in Perak.
Other attractions also include the iconic Petronas Twin Towers, among the highest in the world; the multi cultures and festivals; the delectable variety of Malaysian food and the shopping haven ranked fourth in the world by CNN global news network - after New York, Tokyo and London, said Nazri.
"Malaysia is a diver's paradise," Nazri said, adding that the incredible diversity of marine life, beautiful islands with white sandy beaches and clear warm waters keep divers coming back to this year-round tropical holiday destination.
He said several award-winning resorts offered unique spa treatments. Some of the more prestigious hotels offered private villas with pools and butlers. For avid golfers, Malaysia has over 200 world-class golf courses countrywide with challenging fairways amidst a warm weather with intermittent wind and rain.
Nazri said that with a favourable exchange rate, Malaysia was a value-for-money holiday destination as it cost less to have a luxurious lifestyle. More high-end international hotels including St. Regis, The Regent, Four Seasons Place KL and Harrods were expected to open their doors to guests in 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2018, respectively, he said.
"Malaysia is third in the World's Top Retirement Haven in the international.com annual global retirement index 2013," he said, encouraging Canadians to make Malaysia their second home under the Malaysia, My Second Home programme.
Nazri said a 'Know Your Malaysia' Facebook contest connecting Canadians to insights of Malaysia in a social media platform was another great way to reach Canadians, coupled with trade incentives for trade members to move forward in their efforts to get more Canadians to Malaysia during VMY2014 and beyond.
The contest was launched during a press conference earlier witnessed by a room full of members of the press from Canada. Nazri also said that Malaysia was a safe country to visit and that visitors' safety was always Malaysia's top priority.
He was referring to a question on concerns expressed by Canadian tourists about Malaysia being a majority Muslim country and that their safety might be affected.
Naomi, in a speech, said, "Malaysia and British Columbia have a lot in common in terms of tourism and Malaysia is world famous for its warm hospitality. British Columbia is working with the Canadian government and the international airlines; the airports and businesses from across Canada and around the world to promote greater air access to British Columbia and Asian nations".
She said they were continuing a pursuit for more direct flights, suggesting that she might be welcoming Nazri on a first direct flight from Kuala Lumpur to Vancouver in the near future.
-bernama.
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