Malaysia Targetting 300,000 Arab Tourists By This Year-end

DUBAI: Malaysia hopes to lure 300,000 Arab visitors by year-end. Tourism Malaysia deputy director-general for planning Azizan Noordin said the target was an increase from 284,890 Arab visitors recorded in 2009. The tourism promotion agency is eyeing 85,000 visitors from Saudi Arabia and 30,000 from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as well as 115,000 from Iran this year, among others. The target audience for the West Asian market included families, young adults, members of royal families and high-end market, special interest groups, honeymooners, corporate groups, business travellers and students, he said ahead of the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2010.

Leading the charge at Malaysia’s 17th participation in the ATM from tomorrow until Friday at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre is Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen. Azizan reckoned that Arab visitors would continue to be attracted by shopping and scenes of urban life in Malaysia. Family-oriented activities like those at theme parks such as Genting Highlands, Sunway Lagoon and A’Famosa Resort also generate interest among tourists from this region. “This is because the Arabs are more likely to go on vacation with their families rather than taking a group tour (involving strangers),” he said. Azizan said Malaysia’s numerous islands and beaches, including Penang and Langkawi, would continue to be high on the list of things to do among Arab travellers. Malaysia would also be reinforcing its niche products such as ecotourism, homestay programmes, wedding and honeymoon packages, health tourism, wellness and spa, yachting, horse-riding and education tourism, at ATM 2010, Azizan said.
— thestar.