Tuesday 30 March 2021

#JOM! SHOP: Tourism industry showing signs of recovery

 


The country's tourism players may see light at the end of the tunnel as the industry appears to be on its way to recovery, according to Shopee's data.


Last December, Shopee teamed up with Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (Motac) through Tourism Malaysia on the Jom Cuti-Cuti Malaysia! Experience Malaysia Like Never Before campaign. Exclusively for Malaysians, the campaign was recently relaunched following a two-month long hiatus.


Besides hotel deals by members of the Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH), the campaign expands to include tour packages under the Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA), Malaysia Inbound Chinese Association (MICA), Malaysian Indian Tour & Travel Association (MITTA), Bumiputera Tourism Operators Association of Malaysia (BUMITRA) and Malaysian Inbound Tourism Association (MITA).


The campaign has seen an uptake of 22,000 transactions since the announcement on Mar 2 to lift inter-district travel ban, and when Selangor, Johor, Penang and Kuala Lumpur were downgraded to CMCO. This is encouraging as compared to the cumulative 500 transactions made between Jan 11 (when MCO 2.0 was announced) and Mar 1.


With inter-state travel still prohibited, residents in Klang Valley, Penang, Sabah and Johor took the opportunity to go on staycations.


They contributed an average of 75% of overall demand for the deals within their respective states.


Optimistic about the eventual reopening of state borders, those especially from Sarawak, Terengganu and Melaka are also choosing to "Buy Now, Travel Later".


Popular destinations include Aquaria KLCC in Kuala Lumpur, Sunway Lagoon and Zoo Negara in Selangor, Rainbow Skywalk at The Top Penang and Wonderfood Museum in Penang, Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan and Langkawi, Kedah.


Shopee regional managing director, Ian Ho says that the robust demand shows that Malaysians want and need a break after prolonged stay-at-home measures.


Although currently bolstered by the aid and incentives from the Government, this is a positive sign of recovery for the tourism industry.


"We will continue to play our part in connecting Malaysians with hoteliers and tour operators by using technology to contribute to the sustainability of the industry," he adds.


Apart from staycations, Malaysians have been thronging malls ever since CMCO.


As such, Mid Valley Megamall KL and The Mall, Mid Valley Southkey Johor Bahru are offering a slew of exciting e-voucher packs on Shopee from participating tenants that will go at up to 50% off this Shopee 4.4 Mega Shopping Day.


The region's first mega shopping festival of 2021, Shopee's 4.4 Mega Shopping Day till Apr 4 features free shipping with a minimum spend of RM4, daily 95% off deals and vouchers and a new RM10,000 Shopee Money Wheel game show where participants get to spin the wheel and win moolah if they successfully guess the word on the board.


The shopping festival also offers exclusive collaborations between fashion labels and celebrities namely Pestle & Mortar x Jameson, Roscani x Fatin Afeefa, Tomorrow Showtime x Amelia Henderson, and Hype x Kide on Mar 30.


Another highlight is the Shopee 4.4 Mega Show that will be aired on Shopee Live, Astro Ria and Astro Gempak at 9PM on Apr 3.


The show will feature performances by A-listers such as Dayang Nurfaizah, Hael Husaini, Zizi Kirana, Hazama, Elizabeth Tan and Naim Daniel as well as the legendary Datuk M. Nasir.


The shopping festival will culminate on Apr 4 from midnight to 2am, featuring Midnight Madness with exclusive 4.4 Only Deals and Vouchers, Super Brands Spotlight, Shopee Live marathon streams from 9am and more.


Shopee's regional 4.4 Mega Celebrity, globally-acclaimed K-Pop girl group Mamamoo will also be presenting their top hits exclusively on Shopee Live from 9pm - 11pm.


Visit https://shopee.com.my/m/4-4 to know more about the 4.4 Mega Shopping Day.

-nst online.

Saturday 27 March 2021

International Tourism Virtual Networking: Range Over Perak 2021 ( 7 April 2021 )

 

PATA Malaysia Chapter (PMC) dengan sokongan Tourism Malaysia akan menganjurkan Program International Tourism Virtual Networking : Range Over, Perak 2021, pada 7 April 2021. Daftar sekarang.

-Tourism Malaysia.

Friday 26 March 2021

Catch the chefs from Masters of Malaysian Cuisine cooking up Malaysian heritage cuisine dishes at this virtual event

Chefs from all over the world will be cooking via virtual demonstrations.
– Picture courtesy of MOMC's Facebook
 

KUALA LUMPUR, March 25 — Hungry for kerutuk itik salai or some Peranakan keluak chicken curry? Or if you're on a plant-based diet, how about some Chettinad varuval mushrooms?


You can catch popular chefs Bob Adnin, Dave Murugaya, Debbie Teoh and Johari Edrus cooking up a storm in Kuala Lumpur on March 29 and 30... from the comfort and safety of your home.


The virtual cooking sessions are part of an event organised by the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industries of Malaysia (MAFI) together with the Masters of Malaysian Cuisine (MOMC). It is also happening globally with virtual cooking demonstrations in Sydney, Dubai, the United Kingdom and South Africa. The event kicks off in Sydney on March 27.


With a Malaysian heritage cuisine theme, the event highlights the availability of Malaysian ingredients globally.


The MOMC champions Malaysia's rich food heritage via a collective of chefs scattered all around the world. They reach a global audience through virtual and on-site cooking demonstrations.


Since it started, MOMC has also partnered with Tourism Malaysia, various Facebook cooking groups, cookbook author Lara Lee and YouTubers Mark O'Dea and JetLag Warriors.


Our Raja Permaisuri Agong Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah has also shared her cookbook recipes which the MOMC cooked during their demonstrations.


The initiative was started last year by Sydney-based Jackie M who grew up in Malaysia. She is well known in Australia as a former television presenter and restaurateur.


Currently, the chefs on board MOMC include Bob Adnin who is the president of the Malaysian Professional Culinaire Association, YouTube vegan chef Dave Murugaya, cookbook author and authority on Peranakan cuisine Debbie Teoh and MasterChef Malaysia judge Johari Edrus.


You also have MasterChef UK participant Zaleha Olpin who has become popular for her "crispy rendang." Then there is Terengganu-born Rene Juefri who is presently the executive chef at DoubleTree by Hilton Business Bay in Dubai. MOMC founder Jackie M is also one of the chefs.


For the event, South Africa-based Liam Ghani will also be joining the demonstrations.


Join the event that kicks off on March 27 in Sydney, by subscribing to the link https://malaysianchefs.com/mafi/ You will be notified when the chefs go 'live' with their demonstrations. You can also get an e-compilation of recipes from the MOMC chefs.

-themalaymail online.

Thursday 25 March 2021

Shop & Be Rewarded ( 26-28 March 2021 )

 


Tourism Malaysia is working together with Malaysia Shopping Malls Association (Persatuan Pengurusan Kompleks Malaysia or PPK Malaysia)  to offer shoppers a wonderful shopping spree worth a total of RM900,000 !

The 3-day national promotion will offer shoppers e-cash vouchers to incentivize and encourage shopping at retail shops, F&B outlet at 31 shopping malls from the Central, Northern & Southern Regions and the East Coast.

Click here to see how to redeem your voucher (Shopper Flow), terms & conditions apply. Please visit here for Terms and conditions.

See you at our participating malls —


Central Region

1.         1 Utama Shopping Centre

2.         3 Damansara

3.         fahrenheit 88

4.         IOI City Mall

5.         IOI Mall Puchong

6.         IPC Shopping Centre

7.         Mid Valley Megamall

8.         Pavilion Kuala Lumpur

9.         Plaza Low Yat

10.       Subang Parade

11.       Sungei Wang Plaza

12.       Sunway Giza Mall

13.       Sunway Putra Mall

14.       Sunway Pyramid Shopping Mall

15.       Sunway Velocity Mall

16.       The Mines Shopping Mall

17.       Wangsa Walk Mall

 

Northern Region

1.         1st Avenue Penang

2.         Central Square, Sungei Petani

3.         Gurney Plaza

4.         Kompleks Bukit Jambul

5.         Kulim Central

6.         Prangin Mall

7.         Queensbay Mall

8.         Sunway Carnival Mall

 Southern Region

1.         Mahkota Parade, Melaka

2.         Segamat Central

3.         The Mall, Mid Valley Southkey

4.         Sunway Big Box

5.         Wetex Parade, Muar

 East Coast

1.    East Coast Mall

-PPK Malaysia.

 


Malaysian agents urged to craft new tourism products for domestic crowd

 

Malaysia Tourism Council keen to market Lenggong Valley to domestic travellers 

Malaysia Tourism Council (MTC) is taking the lead to encourage all tourism associations to develop new products and promote off-the-beaten-path destinations in Malaysia, in order to appeal to the domestic crowd.


It recently trained the local community at Lenggong Valley, a UNESCO certified site in Perak, to become product operators and tailor their services for the domestic market, while international borders remain closed.


MTC president, Uzaidi Udanis, shared: “It is important for the local community to benefit from tourism. Lenggong Valley has received UNESCO status since 2012, but not many Malaysians have been there as it is not well-promoted.”


Since the government allowed domestic tours to resume earlier this month – with travel limited to between recovery movement control order (RMCO) states, and via government-registered tour agencies – Uzaidi said MTC’s first project is to organise a technical visit for travel agents to Lenggong Valley early next month.


The purpose of the two-day, one-night visit is to connect travel agents with local operators and community leaders so they can network and explore business opportunities.


Uzaidi said: “In the pre-Covid period, many small operators in Malaysia did not develop their own tour products, but instead relied on selling tours developed by big wholesalers in Malaysia (that were designed) for the foreign inbound market.


“We are encouraging these smaller players to develop their own tourism products for the domestic market, (which can be marketed to) international inbound tourists when the border reopens.”


MTC also plans to host technical visits for agents to Pulau Tuba in Langkawi and the islands off Johor in June; as well as promote eco-tourism and community-based tourism in these destinations, in line with the National Tourism Masterplan.


Said Uzaidi: “In these challenging times, agents can no longer survive by selling dry rooms only as they will be competing directly with hotels.”

-TTG Asia.

Tuesday 23 March 2021

Spend And Save With SHOP AND BE REWARDED Campaign

 

photo: Tourism Malaysia/Fairul

MELAKA, 23 March 2021 – The Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MOTAC) through its agency Tourism Malaysia is working together with Malaysia Shopping Malls Association (Persatuan Pengurusan Kompleks Malaysia or PPK Malaysia) to launch a three-day Shop and Be Rewarded campaign. The campaign is in line with the ministry’s Stimulus Recovery Plan (PRE), aimed at encouraging domestic spending.


YB Dato' Sri Hajah Nancy Shukri, Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture who launched the campaign at the Mahkota Parade Shopping Centre, Melaka stated that this campaign is one of the government's initiatives to revive the Malaysian shopping industry which has been badly affected by the pandemic Covid-19.


The campaign will be held from 26 to 28 March 2021, involving over 30 participating malls. This promotional campaign offers e-cash vouchers, whereby each minimum purchase of RM50.00 will entitled them to receive a discount of RM10.00 at the participating shopping malls and retailers.


As an association representing shopping malls throughout Malaysia, PPK Malaysia continues its efforts to enhance malls’ performance during the current challenging times. This collaboration with Tourism Malaysia is hoped to lead the shopping and retail industry to a speedier recovery from the severe impact caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.


Tourism Malaysia is giving away an estimated RM450,000 worth of e-cash vouchers which will be matched or even increased, by more than 30 participating shopping malls from the Central, Northern and Southern Regions so that a total of at least RM900,000 will be given away to all Malaysians.


YB Dato’ Sri Hajah Nancy urged the public to take this opportunity to shop, but to continue adhering to the standard operating procedures (SOPs) set by the Government in line with the new norms.


For more information on participating malls and the campaign’s terms and conditions, visit http://ppkm.org.my/ or https://www.malaysia.travel/.

-Tourism Malaysia.

KLIA Crazy Sale ( 25 ~ 28 March 2021 )

 


We are just a few days away from the upcoming KLIA Crazy Sale! With more than 70% discounts on various luxury brands, there is definitely something for everyone.


Time: 10am – 8pm (25 & 28 March) / 10am – 6pm (26 – 27 March)


Venue: Stage Area, Level 5, Departure Hall, KLIA.


Save the date! We can't wait to see you there!

-Malaysia Airports.

Monday 22 March 2021

Malaysia Airlines’ Signature Satay Now Available for Home Delivery via Temptations

 


KLIA, 22 March 2021: Malaysia Airlines’ famous onboard signature Satay is now available for purchase online, starting from 22 March 2021, exclusively via the airline’s flagship e-retail store, Temptations. 

 

Fans of the juicy chicken and beef satay, which was only served onboard to Business Class and Business Suite passengers, can now enjoy the delicacy at the comfort of their homes. 

 

Each hygienically packed Satay consists of six sticks of frozen, pre-cooked and ready-to-eat chargrilled Chicken or Beef Satay plus one individually packed authentic peanut sauce. Priced at RM26 for Chicken Satay and RM36 for Beef Satay, excluding delivery charges, consumers will receive their orders within five working days. SMS/WhatsApp/Email notifications will be sent before delivery to ensure the quality and the freshness of the Satay stays. 

 

Currently, the Satay will be available to customers residing in the *Klang Valley area. The Satay can also be a perfect gift for friends and family who miss flying with Malaysia Airlines and wish to reminisce their Malaysian Hospitality travelling experience or even a festive treat ready in time for the coming fasting month and Hari Raya Aidilfitri. This favourite dish comes with simple, easy-to-follow heating instructions, making it highly convenient as a quick snack for customers to break their fast with and to be enjoyed with close family. 

 

Group Chief Marketing and Customer Experience Officer of Malaysia Airlines Berhad, Lau Yin May said, “Our Satay has been served onboard since we first took to the skies in 1973 and we are delighted to share it with customers with the rollout of the home delivery service of Malaysia Airlines Signature Satay today. During normal times, we uplift 17,000 sticks of satay on our 300 flights daily, today we are happy to share our Malaysian Hospitality with customers, many of whom have not had the opportunity to travel with us for over a year, via Temptations. 

 

To make this a reality, the chefs worked hard to ensure they could devise a delicious meal that matches, meets and exceeds the highest food hygiene and safety standards! With some key attributes to the finest Satay maintained – from high-quality cuts of meat and ingredients used, to the process of chargrilling it over traditional wood charcoal along with the secret ingredient in the peanut sauce, we hope to bring happiness to our customers when they enjoy the Satay at the comfort of their home. We look forward to and prepare to welcome our passengers on their next Fly Malaysia experience soon.”

 

A Malaysia Airlines cabin crew member turned entrepreneur named Michael Carlos manages the Malaysia Airlines Signature Satay home delivery through Carlos Space, a newly set up enterprise. Carlos Space is a food and product delivery business that offers bespoke services to meet individuals and companies' various delivery needs. Deliveries will be made promptly and with care to ensure the products arrive at customers as close to onboard service as possible. Log on to temptations.malaysiaairlines.com now to order. 

 

Malaysia Airlines also recently launched MHartisans, an avenue for its employees to create, produce and sell their range of handcrafted items via the Temptations platform. Be the first to know of latest news and promotions by downloading the Malaysia Airlines app today!

 

*Currently Malaysia Airlines Signature Satay is available via Temptations for customers in Selangor, WP Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya only.

-Malaysia Arlines.

Saturday 20 March 2021

Cruises set to resume in Penang

 

The Star Pisces will become the first ship to resume sailings in Malaysia, and one of the few in the world, contributing to the growth of tourism in Penang and Pulau Langkawi. - Photo credit Genting Cruise Lines.


GEORGE TOWN: Genting Cruise Lines and Penang Port Sdn Bhd (PPSB) today announced plans to restart cruises in Penang, with Star Cruises offering Langkawi itineraries beginning May 13, at the start of the Hari Raya Aidilfitri holidays.


The cruise will be on Star Cruises' 40,053 tonnage Star Pisces cruise ship, which can accommodate up to 1,600 passengers. Star Pisces will become the first ship to resume sailings in Malaysia, and one of the few in the world, contributing to the growth of tourism in Penang and Pulau Langkawi.


The proposed Langkawi cruises will comprise of a two-night "Langkawi Escape" and a series of one-night "Straits of Malacca" cruises.


The resumption of cruises will revitalise the ailing travel agent sector, which has been adversely affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, and provides employment opportunities for more citizens.


Cruise resumption will benefit the whole value chain related to goods, services and materials associated with cruise operations, which Genting Cruise Lines has been advocating as part of its guiding principle in rebuilding the cruise economy for each of the homeports where cruise operations can re-start.


Vice-president of Genting Cruise Lines in Malaysia, Cynthia Lee, said the new Langkawi itineraries would provide Malaysians the opportunity to enjoy the pleasures of cruising again.

"This will also bring the much-needed benefits to the local workforce, airlines, restaurants, retailers and hotels for pre- and post-cruise stays in Penang and Langkawi.


"Like all Malaysians, we have been eagerly looking forward to another vacation alternative during this period when overseas travel is not permitted," Lee said.


PPSB chief executive officer Datuk Sasedharan Vasudevan said the cruise services had always been the cornerstone in Penang, and what gave Penang its distinctiveness.


"With the persistent issue of the Covid-19 pandemic that has curbed domestic tourism, supporting the Genting Cruise Lines on ensuring safe and comfortable cruise trips is important to jumpstart the local cruise sector.


"As such, we will work closely with Genting Cruise Lines to relaunch the cruise trips with safety in mind and without sacrificing safety and quality.


"We hope with this synergy we can witness higher standards of quality for the cruise services sector and revitalise the domestic tourism industry," he added.


Malaysian guests will now be able to enjoy a brand-new vacation option that will take the regular "stay-cation" concept and turn it into a "Super Seacation" experience to take advantage of the invigorating sea air and sunshine.


Initially operating at a reduced capacity, all activities on board will be organised in accordance with permitted group sizes – specific to each activity – in line with the prevailing national policy, and measures will be in place to discourage close contact between groups.


Star Pisces' new itineraries will highlight the breathtaking beauty of Langkawi. Known as the Jewel of Kedah, Langkawi is famed for its alluring and idyllic natural beauty and its majestic and spectacular cultural heritage.


The two-night "Langkawi Escape Cruise" departs Penang every Friday and Sunday and passengers can have 10 hours of port time to explore Langkawi.


The one-night "Straits of Malacca Cruise" will depart every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday and passengers will be able to see all types of marine vessels in Straits of Malacca, which is the busiest straits in the world.


Genting Cruise Lines is the first cruise line to resume service in Asia. It will continue to work with all relevant local authorities in Malaysia in making further adjustments to its comprehensive set of protocols to accommodate local guidelines and ensure the safest environment for everyone upon resumption of cruises.

-nst online.

Kerjasama MOTAC-GMBB Tawar Peluang Pemasaran Produk Kraf



Penyusutan kadar jangkitan COVID-19 di Malaysia memberi sinar harapan baharu kepada industri pelancongan, seni dan budaya, yang hampir dua tahun terjejas berikutan penularan pandemik kesihatan. Bagi menjamin kelangsungan dan kebangkitan semula industri yang disifatkan antara paling teruk terjejas ini, penerapan jalinan kerjasama serta perpaduan pelbagai pihak ialah ‘nadi' utama ke arah usaha pemulihan ekonomi, secara amnya.

Faktor yang sering membelenggu industri seni dan budaya ketika ini untuk merintis kebangkitan semula ialah kekurangan platform atau wadah untuk penggerak industri menyajikan kandungan kreatif mereka. Sehubungan itu, inisiatif diterajui pihak swasta, tanpa semata-mata mengutamakan kepentingan menjana pendapatan, sebaliknya untuk mengetengahkan bakat dan kreativiti penggerak industri ini amat dihargai Kementerian Pelancongan, Seni dan Budaya (MOTAC).

Lawatan hari ini ke GMBB, iaitu sebuah pusat beli belah yang terletak di tengah-tengah Kuala Lumpur bersama-sama Ketua Setiausaha MOTAC, Dato' Dr Noor Zari Hamat dan pengurusan tertinggi kementerian ialah contoh terbaik suatu kerjasama antara sektor swasta dan kerajaan, menerusi MOTAC. Pusat beli belah dengan kapasiti 465 unit kedai dan setinggi sembilan tingkat ini menyajikan peluang kepada penggerak industri untuk mempamerkan kreativiti, kraf, seni fotografi, lukisan, seni visual, batik, kompilasi buku rakyat dan pelbagai lagi khazanah yang dapat diterokai pengunjung.

Sebagai mekanisme timbal balik dan menggalakkan usaha sedemikian, kerajaan turut menawarkan potongan cukai di bawah Subseksyen 34(6)(k), Akta Cukai Pendapatan 1967 Bagi Penajaan Aktiviti Kesenian, Kebudayaan dan Warisan. Bantuan pentadbiran dan kegiatan persatuan-persatuan serta badan-badan bukan kerajaan berkaitan kebudayaan juga disediakan, bagi memperkukuh segenap usaha yang ingin dirintis sektor swasta.

Sekiranya diselami selok-belok Kuala Lumpur, beberapa tempat dan lokasi di ibu kota menyajikan peluang sedemikian, antaranya Pasar Seni, Jalan Bukit Bintang, Muzium Negara dan Kraftangan Malaysia. Namun, satu kelebihan yang ditawarkan hab seni dan budaya sekiranya ia ditempatkan di pusat beli belah, ialah ia mampu menawarkan aneka kepentingan, tarikan dan hiburan, selain pada masa sama memberi peluang seisi keluarga untuk bersiar-siar.

Berteraskan kerjasama strategik ini, MOTAC menaruh keyakinan industri seni dan budaya khususnya berupaya bangkit semula, selari pengumuman kerajaan dalam mengklasifikan Kuala Lumpur dan Selangor sebagai negeri yang dikenakan Perintah Kawalan Pergerakan Bersyarat (PKPB), berkuat kuasa dari 18 Mac hingga 31 Mac ini. Siri kelonggaran yang memberi ruang kepada industri pelancongan tempatan, seni dan budaya untuk kembali bernafas ini mampu merancakkan semula ekonomi Malaysia, sekali gus menjadi pemangkin semangat kepada penggiat industri.

Meskipun berdepan pelbagai rintangan dan sekatan, bagi membendung penularan COVID-19 di Malaysia, beberapa aspek industri kraftangan mula mencatatkan bibit pemulihan. Ia diterjemahkan menerusi inisiatif E-Kraf Bazar (EKB) yang mempunyai jumlah ahli berdaftar seramai 14,347 orang, dengan penyertaan usahawan kraf seramai 1,510 orang. Perangkaan bagi penjanaan nilai jualan EKB, bagi tempoh April 2020 hingga 31 Januari 2021 pula ialah RM13,406,718.39.

Sejak kebelakangan ini, ramai yang mula menunjukkan minat terhadap seni dan budaya, khususnya ketika Perintah Kawalan Pergerakan (PKP) berkuat kuasa dan pandemik COVID-19, berkemungkinan kerana selama ini orang ramai yang berkemampuan sering berkunjung ke luar negara. Justeru, mereka tidak mempunyai kesempatan untuk menerokai segenap keunikan yang mampu disajikan oleh tanah air tercinta. Hikmah di sebalik COVID-19 ini menyediakan peluang untuk kita menstrukturkan semula corak bagaimana kita tampilkan bakat, kreativiti, produk tempatan yang sering dipromosikan di Malaysia.

Secara tidak langsung, kita menjadi lebih patriotik dengan membeli lebih banyak produk tempatan, sekali gus menyumbang dan menyokong penggiat industri. MOTAC sentiasa cuba untuk mengetengahkan pelbagai keunikan kraf dan produk tempatan, justeru kerjasama daripada sektor swasta seperti ini amat dialu-alukan bagi mencapai matlamat yang digariskan kementerian.

Menerusi ruang yang disediakan di pusat beli belah seperti ini, MOTAC berharap lebih banyak persembahan kebudayaan dan kesenian dapat dianjurkan, untuk tontonan umum. Pendekatan seperti ini berupaya menarik kedatangan pelancongan tempatan dan warga asing yang sudah lama tinggal di Malaysia. Memandangkan cuti penggal persekolahan yang akan datang pada penghujung bulan ini, seisi keluarga boleh merancang untuk mengunjungi tempat-tempat sebegini yang menawarkan segenap keunikan Malaysia, hasil air tangan warga tempatan.

Semoga kelonggaran yang diberikan untuk melancong di pelbagai destinasi tempatan dimanfaatkan sebaiknya, tetapi pematuhan kepada prosedur operasi standard (SOP) perlu sentiasa dijadikan sandaran bagi membendung penularan COVID-19. Melanconglah dengan bertanggungjawab, sambil melestarikan industri yang kini dahagakan kunjungan, perhatian dan sokongan dalam kalangan rakyat di Malaysia.

-MOTAC.

Friday 19 March 2021

Tourism Malaysia Dan Majalah Backpackerz Anjur “PERTANDINGAN CUTI-CUTI MALAYSIA TRAVEL WISHLIST 2021”

 


PUTRAJYA, 17 Mac 2021 – Kementerian Pelancongan, Seni dan Budaya Malaysia (MOTAC) menerusi Tourism Malaysia buat julung-julung kalinya menjalinkan kerjasama dengan majalah digital pelancongan, Backpackerz untuk mempergiat promosi digitalisasi pelancongan melalui Pertandingan “Cuti-Cuti Malaysia Travel Wishlist 2021” dalam usaha menyemarakkan kembali pelancongan domestik.


Program di bawah Pelan Pemulihan Pelancongan itu telah dilancarkan oleh YB Dato’ Sri Hajah Nancy Shukri, Menteri Pelancongan, Seni dan Budaya Malaysia secara langsung di laman sosial rasmi Facebook Backpackerz. Pertandingan ini diadakan selama 17 hari bermula hari ini, 17 Mac 2021 sehingga 2 April 2021 dan layak disertai oleh semua warganegara Malaysia berumur 18 tahun ke atas.


Pemenang tempat pertama akan menerima hadiah geran melancong berupa wang tunai sebanyak RM4,000 dan telefon bimbit berjenama Apple iPhone 12. Naib johan akan membawa pulang wang tunai RM3,000 berserta konsol permainan video jenama Sony Playstation 5, manakala pemenang tempat ketiga akan menerima wang tunai RM1,500 berserta fon telinga jenama Apple Airpods. Lima penyertaan terbaik pertandingan pula akan menerima hadiah sagu hati berupa wang tunai RM300.


Pertandingan ini merupakan sebahagian daripada inisiatif Tourism Malaysia melalui kempen Cuti-Cuti Malaysia bagi memberi peluang kepada rakyat Malaysia untuk menzahirkan destinasi percutian impian masing-masing melalui paparan foto destinasi pelancongan menarik serta penulisan kreatif cerita pendek di platform media sosial.


Tiga pemenang utama pertandingan ini akan berpeluang menggunakan hadiah geran melancong untuk bercuti di dalam negara serta menulis pengalaman percutian mereka di Facebook Tourism Malaysia dan Backpackerz dalam masa tiga bulan selepas aktiviti rentas negeri kembali dibenarkan kelak.


Dalam pada itu, Dato’ Sri Hajah Nancy dalam ucapannya mengajak rakyat Malaysia sentiasa mematuhi prosedur operasi standard (SOP) yang ditetapkan oleh kerajaan termasuk pengamalan norma baharu.


Untuk maklumat lanjut tentang “Pertandingan Cuti-Cuti Malaysia Travel Wishlist 2021”, orang ramai boleh layari https://verst.com.my/backpackerz/ atau https://www.facebook.com/backpackerzmag.

-Tourism Malaysia.

Thursday 18 March 2021

'This Is Pahang' set to revive state's tourism industry

 


KUANTAN: The Pahang government has embarked on a new initiative to attract local holidaymakers in a bid to revive the state's tourism industry which experienced a gloomy year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.


Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail expressed confidence that its tourism rebranding exercise themed "This Is Pahang" would position the state as a top destination in the post-pandemic era.


He said the move to pick "This Is Pahang" to replace the previous theme "Pahang Simply Awesome" which was used since 2019, would be a breath of fresh air for the industry players to step up their campaigns and promotional activities under the new normal.


"Since the pandemic hit the country last year, the tourism sector has been badly hit and as a responsible state government, we need to look into suitable measures to assist tourism operators who lost their source of income and help boost the state's economy.


"Last year, we (Pahang) only recorded 7.43 million in tourist arrival compared to 13.99 million in 2019. The major drop in visitors is not only in Pahang but in Malaysia.


"There is a need for a strategic direction in reviving the tourism industry and the rebranding move is a 'wake up call' for everyone to get the industry in Pahang back on track," he told reporters after launching the state tourism industry's new theme at University College of Yayasan Pahang (UCYP) here today.


Wan Rosdy also described the new theme as the first step towards more ambitious tourism plans that would be carried out in stages once the pandemic is brought under control.


"Pahang offers a lot of new tourism products including the recently launched Menara Kuantan 188 which is the country's second tallest tower and Kuantan Art Street which has interesting mural paintings.


"We have highlands, eco-tourism destinations, national parks and beaches which are popular among domestic and foreign visitors.


"Our rebranding move to promote Pahang as a tourism destination is certainly timely as the National Immunisation Programme (NIP) is already being carried out nationwide and this will soon allow more people to travel."


Also present was State Tourism and Culture Committee chairman Datuk Seri Mohd Sharkar Shamsudin and Tourism Pahang general manager Datuk Ishak Mokhtar.

-nst online.

Monday 15 March 2021

Rebuilding tourism in Malaysia: A lesson from the past


 

MARCH 15 — In the last article, The Way Forward for Tourism in Malaysia, I made reference to two important factors. 


Firstly, the fact that we have all it takes to be the world’s greatest tourist destination. In terms of physical infrastructure, natural attractions, friendly people, cultural heritage and most importantly, the skills and expertise to organise and manage it, we have proven to be exceptional. 


Secondly, we have done the job of rebuilding the tourism industry from a similar situation before, and therefore, we can always do it again.


1998 was a disastrous year for tourism in Malaysia. The completion of mega projects and a string of premier international events organised to boost tourism growth did not help much and the year ended with a major decline in tourist arrivals and worse industry performance. 


Some of these mega projects included the development of the MSC, KLIA, Bukit Jalil Sports Complex, Putrajaya, KLCC and others in the capital. 


Mega events included the 16th Commonwealth Games, Apec Summit, first F1 Malaysia GP, World Cup Golf and more. 


While these developments became the foundation for the future growth of tourism, their massive construction in the years before affected tourists’ convenience and on many occasions disrupted its smooth flow.


The obvious things overlooked then were dwindling visitor demand caused by negative visitor experience and absence of an effective PR and marketing programme leading to that special Year of Sports and Recreation. 


This situation was a result of limited funds for promotion work. Making matters worse was the Asian currency crisis leading to the devaluation of the Malaysian ringgit and the political upheaval that ensued with street protests.


Nature added another test with the worst haze enveloping most parts of the country, bringing it to the level of Emergency in some areas of Sarawak. Reports of a deadly virus epidemic, the JE or Japanese Encephalitis, only worsened the situation.


As the popular saying goes, “Thinking starts when one is in trouble.” Malaysia had to put its thinking cap on. 


To address this major economic crisis, MTeN was activated. Of the many different sectoral initiatives introduced then, rebuilding tourism, as a priority export sector, proved to be most effective. 


It resulted in reversing the declining trend and setting global standards for growth in tourism performance and development of the industry. What was the magic and how did it work? 


It does not take rocket science to understand this. Two factors appear above others; bold decisions in funding, which enabled a massive global scale tourism marketing and promotions campaign, and the appointment of an able leader and an experienced team to manage it. 


And just what were some of these bold decisions? Revamping the Ministry of Culture, Arts and Tourism and Tourism Malaysia to start with. 


In one stroke, the minister, deputy minister, secretary general and director general of Tourism Malaysia were replaced with suitably trained industry orientated officers. 


This in turn triggered changes at the travel industry associations level and strengthened the network with regional and international tourism organisations. The strong bilateral and multilateral relations led to Malaysia taking centre stage in OIC Tourism and Commonwealth Tourism. Malaysia organised the first Commonwealth Tourism Ministers and the OIC Tourism Ministers Meeting and Travel Mart.


It all started with a clear assessment of the situation and a budget allocation doubling any amount provided before. It was this bold decision that set the pace for the speed and magnitude of industry actions, ranging from advertising and promotions to the hosting of events, hospitality programmes and the activation of competent tourism management teams at federal and state levels. 


An extensive promotion campaign was launched for domestic tourism under the slogan of “Cuti Cuti Malaysia.” For the global campaign, “Malaysia, Truly Asia” was introduced for the European and North American markets. 


A similar campaign was conducted for the regional market; China, the Middle East, South Asia and Asean. The theme then was “Find the World in Malaysia.” Specific tactical campaigns were also conducted for niche markets like MICE, MM2H, Golf and branding KL as a Shopping Haven. 


Recalling the working environment and peculiarities then, the Ministry of Culture Arts and Tourism and all its agencies were put in “war” mode. The chiefs and senior management teams of every organisation operated on a 24/7 work schedule and had regular meetings on weekends and brainstorm sessions stretching past midnight. 


The personalities that led the industry at all levels remain legendary. I recall with great fondness the names TS DS (Panglima) Abdul Kadir Sheikh Fadzir, DS Dr Leo Mohammad Toyad, DS Tg Adnan Mansor, Datuk Hj. Abdullah Jonid, Datuk Faridah Hussein, the late DS Iskandar Zulkarnain, DS Dr Victor Wee Eng Lai, TS Dr Ong Hong Peng, DS Tg Iskandar Abdullah, TS Bashir Ahmad, TS Dr Idris Jala and Datuk Peter Brokenshire among others. 


Their names are respected even more today for their outstanding contributions, and especially considering our acute situation now. They seem irreplaceable. Fortunately, they are still around, for some useful advice.


At the height of activities then, 600 different events were organised at various levels and a three-year advance calendar of all events was produced and distributed. 


Among the events organised to support the Visit Malaysia theme, the original Malaysia Fest was transformed into the “Colours of Malaysia’” Parade, featuring 3,000 performers and timed wisely to commemorate the Agong’s birthday, making it a symbolic cultural event of international appeal. 


Similarly, all the major religious and ethnic celebrations were upgraded to national scale and hosted by the respective heads of state if not the Agong himself. Thus adding more value and attention to the festivities.


For media coverage and an international hospitality programme befitting such grand events, a special unit within Tourism Malaysia called the Mega Fam Secretariat was set up and a national level committee formed with full industry participation. 


Airlines pledged their seats, hotels their rooms, tour operators their guides, vehicles and tour coaches and the tourist attractions their entrance fees and refreshments. 


The regular educational tours and hospitality programme which catered for 500 participants annually, soared to 6,000 a year for a few years. They comprised representatives from relevant media, both trade and consumer, opinion leaders, travel planners and tour operators and CEOs of travel related establishments. 


For the Colours of Malaysia Parade in 2002, 1,500 of such invitees attended with 75 television crews. The value of publicity received far surpassed the cost of organising the event many times over.


On the promotion front, the travel industry will recall the approach and intensity of the programmes on sales missions. The road shows to India, the Middle East and to many new markets. 


In a mission to West Asia in 2000, a 12-day trip took us to nine countries and 11 cities. At each city, the programme began with a breakfast meeting with all Malaysian representatives on the ground, followed by courtesy calls to the minister’s counterpart, quickly accompanied by TV/press interviews for news coverage, lunch meeting with the leaders of the local travel associations, a visit to the local airline chiefs and major tour operators, another press conference in the evening, seminar with local travel agents, a travel mart and ending the evening with a dinner and culture show, hosted for all local dignitaries, media chiefs and travel trade invitees.

The planning and administrative machinery of the Ministry of Culture, Arts and Tourism functioned at a heightened level then. 


From the weekly post-Cabinet meetings, quarterly Cabinet committee meetings, national tourism action council meetings every other month to various task forces and inter-ministerial meetings operated at optimal levels. 


Any issue related to the orderly growth and development of the industry at all levels of tourism campaigns were never left unattended. To facilitate state tourism bodies, an independant tourism action council, funded by the ministry was established in every state. 


The arts and culture side of the ministry also saw great improvement. At its height, every state, some major corporations and district councils had their own professional cultural troupes. 


Their repertoire was duly choreographed to perform along the theme of our national marketing campaign. By 2003, 22 different cultural troupes were formed worldwide in major markets for our diplomatic missions, local airlines and tour companies to capitalise on for their hospitality programmes.


At the interdepartmental level, active joint committees were formed between the Immigration Department to constantly review visa requirements and entry formalities; with the Ministry of Transport to improve accessibility and terminal facilities and various other agencies that could contribute to the growth of the tourism industry. 


On the visa and accessibility issue, huge progress was made for China and South Asian visitors. In a matter of 10 years, we could see how both markets had grown. 

India and the whole of South Asia grew; arrivals grew from 50 thousand tourists and 22 direct flights a week to about one million tourists annually and 200 flights a week. China was the same. All this progress was made with the active support and co-operation of the other relevant agencies.


With this solid foundation, a series of leadership changes followed, brilliantly capitalised on with the constant expansion and upgrading of its programmes. 

The new initiatives included the promotion of VMY 2007, which coincided with Malaysia’s 50th anniversary of Independence celebrations. The promotion theme “One Golden Celebration” and the blockbuster approach remain one of the best campaigns of all time. 


The achievement of Malaysia’s destination profiling, made possible with full encouragement by the government and all industry stakeholders, boosted our tourism industry performance and broke the 20 million tourist arrival threshold, a target set for 2020. 


The other period where major progress was achieved was under Pemandu’s Malaysia Tourism Transformation Programme. This time too, it was the carefully researched and bold steps taken in terms of funding and its execution. 


All efforts were carefully co-ordinated and tourism arrivals soared higher, setting a new record, every year.


From 1999 to 2014, tourist arrivals to Malaysia grew at a rate surpassing any other destination then. From a mere 5.5 million in 1998, we saw 28.7 million in 2014. 

In terms of income, from a paltry RM7 billion, our national coffers showed a corresponding growth trend and received RM86.7 billion. Except for a few exceptional years in between, when major setbacks in international travel were a global issue, like 9/11 and the Iraq War this growth trend continued. 

Arrivals and performance grew way above the world average. It made Malaysia the most popular destination in Asean, second only to China in Asia, and Turkey among all Muslim countries. 


Malaysia made it to the list of 10 most popular tourist destinations in the world by UNWTO. But the performance of Malaysia’s tourism took a major downturn after 2014. Despite repeated attempts at all levels to secure the resource to conduct a proper campaign to reverse this trend, somehow this has not materialised.

Our strategies for some niche market segments also showed similar results. Our Homestay initiative was awarded the UNISYS Award by UNWTO making it the best example for rural tourism development. 


For shopping, a few popular travel channels like CNN Traveller placed KL among the world’s best shopping destinations, listing it alongside New York, London and Tokyo. 

In featuring golf, our effort to promote and host top golf events like the Malaysia Open, PGA’s CIMB Classic, Sime Darby LPGA and Euro Asia Cup, led to Malaysia being listed as Asia’s top golf destination for a few years and some of our golf courses are still regarded as among the world’s best. 


We also made similar progress for the cruise and sailing segment. This period saw the growing popularity of our international sailing events and many new marinas came on-stream. The major seaports too were expanded and upgraded to satisfy the needs of major cruise liners. 


Malaysia’s profile then, as a result of all these achievements and recognition, not only benefited mainstream tourism, it actually contributed a great deal to support other sectors related to trade and investment. 


These included sub sectors like shopping, edu-tourism, health tourism, MM2H featuring Malaysia as a haven for retirees, MICE sector, triggering the development of convention centres, theme parks, duty free shopping complexes, factory outlets and integrated golf resorts. 


On the aviation front, KLIA experienced steady growth of its passenger traffic prompting the development of another terminal dedicated to budget airlines and turning itself into a major hub for airlines in the region, particularly the LCCs. 


In conclusion, may I suggest that the decision makers who appear to be standing in the way of the professionals, leave the ground for them. The experience of some senior administrators is working against the grain of the industry. 


Comparing the professional Tourism Malaysia officers with them is not wise. Their obsession to dig into the past is an effort in futility. 


They should instead focus all their attention to the other functions related to heritage, arts and culture. Tourism Malaysia’s network, management and staff today are better poised for growing the industry. 


They are qualified, better exposed and more knowledgeable about the industry than in 1998. The only difference is faith and support from the central authorities. 


Correct the representation at the board level, allocate the resources, leave them to their tasks and see the magic happen. And appreciate that tourism thrives on generosity and goodwill and not on doubts and suspicion, as seems to be the preoccupation of late.

* Datuk Seri Mirza Mohammad Taiyab Beg is the chairman of the Association of Ex-Staff of Tourism Malaysia (AESTOM).

** This is the personal opinion of the columnist.

-the malay mail.