Malaysians prefer China and South-East Asia

KUALA LUMPUR: South-East Asian countries and China continue to be the favourite holiday destinations for Malaysians. Close competition comes from European countries such as Spain and Italy with the strengthening of the ringgit, said Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) organising chairman John Tan. He urged consumers to come to the MATTA Fair 2011 from Aug 12-14 to grab good deals.

All set for fair: Tan (right) sharing a light moment with Mohd Noordin (left) and MATTA president Datuk Mohd Khalid Harun after the press conference in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.

“The prices set by tour operators are competitive, so consumers can choose the most affordable one,” he said during a press conference on the KTM Intercity Programme at KL Sentral here yesterday. Tan said interest in Japan had also returned as there were no new reports of earthquakes or a tsunami in the region and the fear of radiation had abated.

He added that the association was targeting more than 90,000 visitors to the fair at Putra World Trade Centre. Total sales of RM100mil are expected during the three-day event.

“We encourage visitors from outside Kuala Lumpur to travel with Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB) which is offering discounted fares,” said Tan. KTMB is offering a 25% discount to passengers from Aug 10-16 using its Intercity service to visit the fair. “We hope this discounted fare will also encourage Indonesian tourists to visit the fair and stay in Kuala Lumpur longer,” said KTM Intercity marketing manager Mohd Noordin Kimi.

He added that Batam was a transit hub for Indonesians to either choose Malaysia or Singapore as their holiday destination. “We have our tour operators in Batam to offer the discounted fare package,” he said. Mohd Noordin said discount coupons for KTM Intercity tickets would be available at the company's booth at the fair.

-thestar online.