Have MATTA fair deals will travel

A group of exhibitors showing their booth selections at the booth balloting for MATTA Fair March 2014, which is chaired by Cheah.

KUALA LUMPUR: Despite pressure from the rising cost of living, the Malaysian Association of Tour & Travel Agents (MATTA) is confident of attracting 100,000 visitors and achieving RM170mil in sales at its coming fair in March. 

MATTA Fair March 2014 chairman Judy Cheah said that at the end of the day, people still needed to travel. “There’s more need to go for a holiday now in order for people to cope with pressure. The fair is the perfect time and place to get good value for your money,” Cheah said during the booth balloting session at Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC) here yesterday.

The fair, which will take place from March 14 to 16, will see a total of 1,033 booths taking up Halls 1, 1M, 2, 3 and Linkway at PWTC. MATTA attracted 100,188 visitors to its fair in March last year and 86,867 visitors to the fair in September.

Cheah, who is also Kuala Lumpur MATTA chapter chairman, said that this year’s tagline would be “about quality and not quantity.” “Although the packages are discounted, this doesn’t mean poor quality. Everything is subsidised, thanks to the joint efforts of everyone such as airlines and the national tourist offices.

“Last year, it was a matter of size as it was the biggest travel fair in Malaysia.
“This year, we are not competing for numbers. We are emphasising the quality of the packages and aim to enhance the experience of the fair, making it more comfortable for visitors,” she said. Cheah added that exhibitors were also coming up with innovative packages to attract visitors.

“For example, some homestay operators are opting for a different, more hands-on concept like river fishing, plucking coconuts and more. It will be a real Malaysian village adventure,” she said. “There will also be giveaways, lucky draws and contests throughout the fair,” said Cheah. 

She added that the association had spent nearly RM1mil in order to promote the event. “There will also be a grand prize of two business class flight tickets to London worth RM53,000, including fuel surcharge and airport tax. “One only needs to spend RM500 during the fair to be entitled to an entry,” she said. Cheah added that the flight tickets were courtesy of Singapore Airlines, its official airline.

“The entrance fee is priced at RM4 and tickets can also be pre-purchased at www.mattafair.org.my. “Special entrance tickets priced at RM1 each will also be available for exhibitors as a way to reward loyal customers,” she said.

In view of Visit Malaysia Year, Cheah said she expected domestic tourism to take up 60% of total sales. She added that MATTA was collaborating with Tourism Malaysia and state tourism organisations in order to stimulate domestic tourism. “Johor is one of the most popular spots due to the Legoland and Hello Kitty theme parks.

“Meanwhile, Japan remains the most popu­lar international destination as shown durin­g the fair last September,” she said.
-thestar online.