Malaysia Aims For Top Five In ICCA Within Asia Pacific By 2020

KUALA LUMPUR, May 4 (Bernama) -- The government aims to increase Malaysia's International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) country ranking within the Asia Pacific to a top five placing by the year 2020. Deputy Tourism Minister Datuk Dr James Dawos Mamit said the target was set in view of the country's priority of increasing its focus on high-yield travellers with a particular interest in the business tourism sector along with increasing its share of overall visitor arrivals.

He said that the government also seeks to grow business tourism arrivals from five per cent to eight per cent of overall tourist arrivals through the Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB). "This translates to an increase from 1.2 million in 2009 to 2.9 million visitors by the year 2020, as well as an increase in Kuala Lumpur's city ranking within the Asia Pacific to top four by 2015 and 2020," he said at the launch of The Malaysia Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions (MICE) Journalism Award (MMJA) 2011 and press conference in Kuala Lumpur Wednesday. In terms of economic value, Dawos said that business tourism visitors are estimated to spend at least three times more than an average leisure visitors.

"The international business tourism visitor expenditure for 2010 is estimated to be RM11 billion while the economic impact value of international business tourism visitors for 2010 is estimated to be RM 17.6 billion. "Dawos also pointed out that the average spending per trip for international business event visitors is estimated to be RM 7,418. "We are looking towards strengthening Malaysia's business tourism brand and positioning it as a preferred destination through media and communication programmes, the development of case studies and success stories and media briefings for the local and international market," he said.

Through the MMJA 2011, he believes that the country could raise awareness of the business tourism industry and use facilities available within it to emerge as a competitive MICE destination globally. The award, which will be held for the first time this year, is an initiative from the Sarawak Convention Bureau (SCB) and is jointly supported by the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK) with the Malaysian Press Institute (MPI). The award is meant to recognise excellence in business events journalism. Entries are open to all full-time print, online and broadcast journalists. The reports must be published or aired between Jan 1 and Aug 8 this year.Closing date for entries is on Aug 15 and the winners will be announced in September. Interested applicants can visit the official website of MMJA at http://www.mmjaward.com/ for contest forms and sample entries.
-Bernama.