China, India, Middle East, Oceania tourists want upscale packages

KUALA LUMPUR: Tourism industry players have been urged to create more up-scale high quality travel packages for visitors from China, India, Middle East and Oceania. Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board chairman Datuk Dr Victor Wee said the tourism laboratory of the National Key Economic Area (NKEA) forecast that tourists from these countries would increase to 25% from the current 15% in the next 10 years. “Visitors from these countries, especially those from China, are becoming more interested in sophisticated products that include high quality of accommodation and food in their tour packages.

“Instead of travelling to three countries within a week, they are now looking at packages that allow them to stay at a beach resort for a week to enjoy the ambience,” he told reporters after attending the opening of the Malaysia Airlines-MITM Travel Fair 2010 here on Friday. Deputy Tourism Minister Datuk James Dawos Mamit said this year, the ministry was hoping to accumulate RM3bil of tourism revenue from Chinese tourists. Last year, he said Chinese tourists contributed RM2.7bil of the total RM53bil in tourism revenue. “On average, Chinese tourists spend RM2,000 each within three days just for hotel accommodation, transport (not inclusive of airfares) and food,” he said. Malaysian Chinese Tourism Association president Paul Paw, who organised the fair, said the association would propose to the ministry to organise roadshows in China to promote the tourism industry in Malaysia.

“We will present the proposal to the ministry at a meeting on Monday,” he said. On the fair, he said travel agents from countries like China and Korea were invited to check out the travel packages available at the fair. MAS senior general manager sales and marketing Datuk Bernard Francis said the airlines was offering many seats with up to 70% discounts off normal fares to international destinations including China, North Asia and Europe at the fair. “Those who prefer to have logistics taken care of can also opt for packages from MASholidays which are inclusive of return ticket, airport transfers, hotel accommodation and breakfast. “MASholidays will be offering travel deals from RM599 per person for three days two nights to Kota Kinabalu and RM973 for four days three nights to Bali. “Other packages on offer are to Bandung, Saigon, Beijing and many more,” he said. The travel fair is held at the Mid Valley Exhibition Centre until Sunday from 10am to 9pm daily. Entrance fee is RM3 each. Entrance for those above 58 years old and children below 12 is free.