KUALA LUMPUR, 11 Nov 2013 – A total of 92
celebrities, media and tour agents from ASEAN gathered in Malaysia to
participate in the week-long ASEAN Explore Quest Malaysia 2013, which
begins today until 17 November.
The programme,
specially organised by Tourism Malaysia for the first time, marks an
effort to ensure the continual growth of tourist arrivals from the ASEAN
market especially during the celebrations of Visit Malaysia Year (VMY)
2014.
The ASEAN Explore Quest Malaysia 2013 is
a combination of exploring, corporate social responsibility, homestay,
and photography competitions. The participants will be travelling from
Kuala Lumpur to Perak and Langkawi by train and bus, while engaging in
various activities along the way.
They will
get to enjoy city tours, visit KidZania and Kellie’s Castle, experience
rail tourism, witness a mock traditional Malay wedding ceremony, and
participate in community activities and traditional games.
In
conjunction with the event, a press conference chaired by the Director
General of Tourism Malaysia, Dato’ Mirza Mohammad Taiyab, was held today
at the Seri Pacific Hotel Kuala Lumpur. It was followed by a welcome
dinner to thank all the participants for their support to the
programme.
“As in previous years, the ASEAN
market was the largest contributor of tourist arrivals to Malaysia in
2012, recording 18.8 million visitors. It encompassed 75.1 percent of
the country’s total arrivals,” said Dato’ Mirza.
“As
such, Tourism Malaysia will continue to carry out promotions to
constantly excite the markets with new attractions and holiday ideas to
rejuvenate their interest in returning time and time again,” he
continued.
The programme offers the media and
travel agents first-hand information on the country’s tourism products,
which will enable them to promote and sell Malaysia better and with more
confidence. Other elements like culture, people, and nature will also
be given emphasis in all the activities especially for the photography
competition.
Through the tours, it is hoped
that travel agents can provide more exciting and attractive holiday
packages, while the media can share their first-hand experiences with
their readers.
The ASEAN Explore Quest Malaysia
2013 also involves the participation of ASEAN celebrities, who will
help to boost the promotion of the country’s tourist destinations and
raise the awareness of VMY 2014 through social media and their fan
clubs. They include supermodel and singer Phan Le Ai Phuong from
Vietnam, TV host and choreographer Sheenalyn Vera Cruz from the
Philippines, actress Chaw Chaw Yu Mon Kyaw Tint from Myanmar.
In
order to ensure the success of this programme, Tourism Malaysia has
forged a smart partnership with The Star and Star Radio Group which
comprises Suria FM, Capital FM, Red FM and 988 (the official media
partners), Malaysia Airlines (the official airline), and AirAsia (the
official low cost carrier).
In addition,
Tourism Malaysia also received support from various organisations, which
include the Perak State Government, the Langkawi Development Authority
(LADA), and Malayan Railways (KTM), as well as DiGi, KidZania Kuala
Lumpur, Munchy’s, Nippon Paint, Pensonic and Pepsico.
In
2012, a total of 18.8 million tourists from ASEAN countries visited
Malaysia. For this year, the country has set a target to attract 19.9
million tourists from this region. For the first half of 2013, Malaysia
has already received 9.2 million tourists from ASEAN countries.
-Tourism Malaysia.
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