George Town Festival - Play @ Dewan Sri Pinang, Penang ( 14 & 15 August 2014 )

Play pivots on two intertwined conceits: the idea of playacting, the role-playing required in theatre, and the games people play. Games of chess, games of seduction, games of masquerades. But in the process of evading the self, sometimes more is revealed than concealed. 

In Play, Shantala Shivalingappa weaves in vocabulary of kuchipudi, both rhythmic patterns and gestural codes, quietly and naturally, into a piece that constructs itself around tales of love and separation. Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui revels in the expressive canvas this provides where a minute inflection of the hand can transform the narrative, taking him into a world that he does not often get the chance to explore. Their voices dance, lending credence to Sidi Larbi's conviction that singing is internal, unseen choreography.

Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui is a Flemish-Moroccan choreographer with a fast-growing list of accolades to his name. From winning awards such as Choreographer of the Year (Tanz Magazine), to choreographing masterpieces like the 2012 film Anna Karenenina, he has built a reputation as one of the trailblazers of contemporary dance. Cherkaoui is also an associate artist at Sadler's Wells, London, and dance director of Festival Equilibrio in Rome.

Born in Madras, India, brought up in Paris, Shantala Shivalingappa is the child of east and west. Driven by a deep desire to bring Kuchipudi to the western audience, she has had the privilege of working with some of the greatest artists of our times, including Maurice Béjart, Peter Brook, Pina Bausch, and Ushio Amagatsu.

"The unforced virtuosity of the dancers is never less than fascinating"
The Guardian, UK, 2009
Play is one of the main highlights at the fifth annual George Town Festival (GTF) in Penang, Malaysia. George Town Festival is a month-long celebration of art, music, theatre, dance, opera, film, and more. Find out more at:www.georgetownfestival.com

Watch the trailer for Play here 

Get your tickets from:

1. Online at www.AirAsiaRedtix.com
2. Rock Corner outlets:	The Gardens (TEL: 03 - 2201 4893)
	Mid Valley (TEL: 03 - 2201 1423)
	KLCC (TEL: 03 - 2181 5560)
	Subang Parade (TEL: 03 - 5613 1139)
	The Curve (TEL: 03 - 7733 1139)
3. Victoria Music outlets:	Sg Wang(TEL: 03 - 2148 7208)
	Amcorp (TEL: 03 - 7956 0592)
	Tropicana (TEL: 03 - 7722 2955)
4. Artist Gallery:	Gurney Plaza, Penang
	Queensbay Mall, Penang
5. KL Life Centre	TEL: 03 - 2162 2570
6. Tune Store	Low Yat Plaza

-RedTixAirAsia.

Lost World Of Tambun - School Holidays Activities ( 28 May ~ 15 June 2014 )

-http://www.sunwaylostworldoftambun.com/

High marks for Penang park

Popular destination: Visitors taking a stroll at the Penang National Park.

GEORGE TOWN: The Penang National Park has been listed among Agoda.com’s highest rated parks and green spaces in Asia.

Tourism Malaysia Penang senior tourism officer Logi Dhasan descri­bed the listing by the online hotel booking site as positive news for the island. “The listing is also timely as Tourism Malaysia Penang is trying to focus more on eco-tourism packages in the state.

“We wanted to add more interesting tour packages for Penang aside from heritage experiences and food. “Tourists do not realise that Penang has a lot of interesting green spaces which is great for eco-tourism,” he said yesterday.

Agoda.com revealed the list of eight of the best parks in the region, as ranked by international travellers who have booked accommodation on its website. The Penang National Park was ranked seventh with a score of 4 out 5.

The full lists of the highest rated parks in Asia included Hallasan National Park, Jeju-do, South Korea (4.39), Taroko National Park, Taiwan (4.38), Osaka Castle Park, Osaka, Japan (4.29), Halong Bay, Vietnam (4.23), Ang Thong National Marine Park, Koh Samui, Thailand (4.17), Khao Yai National Park, Thailand (4.12) and Rizal Park, Manila (3.88)

The Penang National Park in Teluk Bahang is the world’s smallest national park, measuring only 29.6sq km. It is a very popular destination for tourists and locals, many of whom go there to hike to Monkey Beach and Pantai Kerachut.

It has a unique meromictic lake in which there is a distinct separation between the salt water and fresh water, creating vastly different environments in the various layers. This lake is one of only three meromictic lakes in Asia.

On a sunny day, visitors to the park can see the difference in colour between the salt water and fresh water parts of the lake.

-thestar online.

Tourists Spend RM19.8 Billion On Shopping In Malaysia - Muhyiddin

PETALING JAYA, May 28 (Bernama) -- Foreign tourists spent RM19.8 billion on shopping in the country last year, a 6.3 per cent increase from RM18.6 billion in 2012, said Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.

He said the retail sector constituted 30.2 per cent of the total tourist expenditure in 2013 against 30.7 per cent in 2012.

The retail sector is indeed a lucrative component of the country's tourism industry, registering the second biggest share of tourist expenditure after the accommodation sector, he said when launching Encorp Strand Mall in Kota Damansara here Wednesday night. A sprawling mixed development in Kota Damansara, the three-storey shopping mall, which has a 435,000 sq ft floor area and a multi-storey parking for 2,500 cars, is the flagship of Encorp Strand.

Muhyiddin said the year 2013 registered RM65.4 billion in tourist receipts, an increase of eight per cent against RM60.6 billion in 2012. Muhyiddin said through close cooperation between the government and the tourism industry players in developing the country's retail sector, Malaysia had garnered various international recognitions.

"For two consecutive years, 2012 and 2013, Kuala Lumpur was ranked by CNN Travel as the world's fourth best shopping city after New York, Tokyo and London," he said.

He said Encorp Strand, which boasted an innovative plan and conducive infrastructure, could help stimulate the economic growth of the Kota Damansara satellite town.

The development will also indirectly support the Greater KL/Klang Valley Masterplan to become be one of the 20 world's metropolis that would be conducive for economic growth and living experience, he added.

"I am confident that spurred by a leading brand and exciting activities for the whole family and visitors, Encorp Strand Mall will be a preferred shopping centre in Kota Damansara and the Klang Valley," he said.

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Idris Jala and Encorp Berhad chairman Datuk Dr Md Hamzah Md Kassim were present.
-bernama.

Penang convention bureau to get off the ground by end 2014

Penang is likely to set up a state convention bureau by the end of 2014, but this is subject to the hiring of a consultant to start work in August on its structure and funding.

If all goes well, this will be almost two years since the Penang chief minister, Lim Guan Eng, mooted the idea in January 2013. The convention bureau is to be known as Penang International Convention & Exhibition Bureau (PICEB).

Plans now hinge on getting the approval of the chief minister and the board of directors of Penang Global Tourism to hire a consultant who will be tasked with drawing up a structure and a sustainable funding model for the bureau to fund its team as well as marketing and promotions, and to support the travel trade in bidding for business events to Penang.

The state government will not provide financial assistance to the bureau but will support it by other means.

Ooi Geok Ling, managing director of Penang Global Tourism, said the delay in setting up the bureau was because the pro-tem committee, comprising local private players in the MICE industry, and the government could not agree on a sustainable funding model for PICEB.

“The hotel room levy in Penang will be taken under consideration for the funding structure of PICEB,” said Ooi. The state government will be collecting RM2 (US$0.62) levy per room, per night on three star hotels and below, while a RM3 levy is charged on four-and five-star hotels.
-TTG Asia.

Japan’s Taxi Association Members Visit Malaysia

The Minister of Tourism and Culture Malaysia Dato’ Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz (2nd from right) at Tourism Malaysia’s taxi advertising campaign in Osaka, Japan, accompanied by the Director of Tourism Malaysia Tokyo office Noor Azlan Abu Bakar, the Director of Tourism Malaysia Osaka office Suhaimi Shaharuddin.

KUALA LUMPUR, 29 May 2014: A total of 46 members of the Sango Taxi Association from Osaka, one of the largest taxi associations in Japan, arrived in Malaysia today for a four-day familiarisation tour. Organised by Tourism Malaysia, it marks an effort to enlist their help to promote Malaysia as a top-of-mind holiday destination for Japanese tourists.  

The participants are divided into groups to visit some of the most popular tourist destinations in the country including Genting Highlands, Kuala Lumpur, Melaka, and Selangor, as well as to enjoy a batik or a golf tour.

The Minister of Tourism and Culture Malaysia Dato’ Seri Mohammad Nazri Abdul Aziz will be hosting a dinner on 1 June to express his appreciation to the members of Sango Taxi Association for their assistance in promoting Malaysia to their passengers and clients once they return to Japan.

The fam tour is a part of Tourism Malaysia’s continuous efforts to promote the wide variety of attractive tourism offerings in the country to Japanese tourists. In fact, since 1 October 2013, Tourism Malaysia has been collaborating with seven taxi associations in Japan from its seven major cities namely Osaka, Tokyo, Kobe, Yokohama, Fukuoka, Nagoya and Sapporo, in an advertising campaign called Taxi Wrapping. It involved a total of 840 taxis with 120 taxis in each city.

The advertising campaign is in line with the celebration of Visit Malaysia Year (VMY) 2014 to raise the awareness of this national tourism campaign among Japanese tourists, as well as to strengthen bilateral relations between Malaysia and Japan. Tourism Malaysia is the first national-level tourism organisation that initiated a taxi wrapping campaign overseas.

Japan is one of Malaysia’s top ten tourist generating markets. The first three months of 2014 already registered 149,859 Japanese tourists to Malaysia, signifying an increase of 7.9% compared to the same period in 2013. This year, Malaysia aims to attract 600,000 Japanese tourists to the country in conjunction with VMY 2014.

With better connectivity between Malaysia and Japan through direct flights by Malaysia Airlines, AirAsia X and Japan Airlines from Tokyo (28 flights per week), Osaka (14 flights per week) and Nagoya (4 flights per week), Tourism Malaysia foresees higher passenger traffic between the two countries in the future.
-Tourism Malaysia.

Bigger space for domestic showcase at MATTA fair

The Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) will provide a larger space dedicated for domestic tour products at the upcoming MATTA consumer fair, to be held from September 5 to 7 at Putra World Trade Centre.

The reason for assigning a larger space was due to increased demand from members over the last few fairs. According to MATTA president Hamzah Rahmat, the committee had to turn down requests for booths from many members who made last-minute bookings due to the lack of exhibition space.

“It is also in line with MATTA’s objective to grow domestic tourism and support Visit Malaysia Year,” said Hamzah.

Previously, just over 100 exhibitors of domestic tours and products shared Hall 3 with exhibitors of regional tours. He said this time Hall 4 will be dedicated to domestic tours and products, which can accommodate a total of 200 booths. Hamzah said in the event not all the domestic exhibitors could fit into Hall 4, the spillover would go to Hall 3, which will showcase the regional tours.

MATTA Fair in Kuala Lumpur is held twice yearly, every March and September. In the last fair, there were a total of 1,269 booths spread across five halls.

-TTG Asia.

Conservation strong part of Sarawak’s tourism industry — STB

Rashid speaks to the press. Also seen is Normasila.

KUCHING: Conservation of Sarawak’s rich biodiversity and culture is a strong part of the state’s tourism industry.

Sarawak Tourism Board (STB) chief executive officer Datuk Rashid Khan said the state is blessed with a heritage of nature, with many unique places still inaccessible.

“This is the state’s niche tourism and we hope to maintain some of these elements for future generations of tourists, so at the moment, we are not rushing to capitalise on tourism in a mass market way,” he told a press conference after launching the second segment of Aeromeet 2014 yesterday.

He pointed out that programmes such as the Rainforest World Music Festival are part of the state’s efforts to preserve traditional music, especially the Orang Ulu sape.

“We also have the orang-utan conservation programme and turtle conservation programme. For the turtle conservation programme, the release of turtles is an experience and definitely has to be for high-end tourists due to its limited accessibility.

“Sarawak is where adventure becomes a position with the elements of culture and nature so we do not want to claim to be the best shopping paradise but tourists can shop for native handicrafts, which is something a little bit different,” he said.

On Scandinavian tourist arrivals, Rashid said the number has been growing over the last three years by around 25 per cent annually.

“I believe Scandinavian visitors look for something that we have to offer given the growth. We offer nature for those who love the greenery and active outdoor activities.

“I also believe that most Scandinavians, Australians and Americans like active outdoor activities like canoeing in rivers and family activities where their children will learn about nature,” he said.

On Australian tourist arrivals, Rashid said it was “not big in number” at an average of around 5,000, but growing at an average of 5 per cent per annum.

“I think one of the challenges of marketing Sarawak is also about air accessibility. So they can go through two airport hubs to arrive in Sarawak, either through Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) or Changi Airport.

“These are the two airport hubs that can connect Sarawak to the world. So we have no direct operation of aircraft from Australia to Sarawak,” he said.

Meanwhile, Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board International Promotion Division (Americas/Europe/Oceania) director Datin Normasila Musa said Malaysia received more than 500,000 Australian visitors annually.

“Malaysia Airlines and AirAsia fly regular frequencies (from Australian cities) to Kuala Lumpur and also to Kota Kinabalu from Perth.”

She said with the increase of flight frequencies from Brisbane, Gold Coast, Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and Darwin by Malaysia Airlines, the number of Australian visitors had grown positively.

Meanwhile, 55 outbound travel agents and media representatives from the Americas, Europe and Oceania attended Aeromeet 2014.

They were from Canada, Germany, Switzerland, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Sweden, Norway, Latvia, Denmark, Netherlands, Belgium, the United States, Italy, France, Spain, Russia, Australia, New Zealand, Turkey, Romania, Mexico and the United Kingdom.

Participants attended a mini-travel mart and seminar with 30 local travel trade members to discuss the latest tourism products and services.

Last year, Malaysia recorded 377,214 tourists from the Americas, which was an increase of 4.4 per cent compared to 2012.

Tourist arrivals from Europe stood at around 1.2 million last year, which was an increase of 5.6 per cent, while Oceania arrivals rose by 2.9 per cent to 539,607.

-The Borneo Post.

Teater Muzikal SudirMania @ Istana Budaya Kuala Lumpur ( 28 Mei ~ 1 Jun 2014 )

-Istana Budaya.

New CHM hotels take shape in Penang's George Town

Cititel Hotel Management (CHM) is expected to open two new properties in Penang’s George Town by 4Q2014.

The Wembley - A St Giles Premier Hotel, Penang, a four-star property with 415 rooms, will house a grand ballroom with a seating capacity of 1,200 pax, several meeting rooms, a café, a swimming pool, a gymnasium, a health centre, an executive lounge and a helipad that will mark the first for a Penang hotel as well as in the northern region of Malaysia. 

Adjacent to the hotel will be the 234-room Cititel Express Penang, the third Cititel Express after Kuala Lumpur and Kota Kinabalu.

Located on Magazine Road in the heart of the city’s commercial and government district, the development will also include retail shops, restaurants, a food court and car park bays for more than 500 vehicles.

Both hotels boast easy access to shopping complexes and UNESCO-listed cultural and historical sites in the vicinity. 

-TTG Asia.

MAS rolls out more generous checked baggage policy

Malaysia Airlines (MAS) will allow passengers to check in a maximum of two pieces of baggage within the 30-, 40- and 50kg free baggage allowance for travel on economy, business and first class respectively, effective May 28.

Guests travelling economy class are limited to one piece of cabin baggage up to a maximum of 7kg, while first and business class passengers are allowed two pieces of cabin baggage with a maximum weight of 7kg each.

As of tomorrow too, new rates will apply for excess baggage charges: RM45 (US$14) per 5kg block of excess weight for flights within Peninsula Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak, and RM55 for flights crossing between the peninsula and Sabah or Sarawak.

For international flights, fees for excess baggage vary from RM70 within ASEAN; RM100 for South Asia and Greater China; RM115 for North Asia, Australia, New Zealand and the Middle East; and RM170 for Europe.

These revisions will apply to all tickets on both domestic and international MAS flights, including MASwings, irrespective of issuance dates for travel from May 28 onwards, according to the national carrier in its media release yesterday. It, however, does not cover codeshare flights operated by other airlines. Meanwhile, infant baggage allowance of one piece at 10kg remains unchanged across all cabin classes.

Passengers performing the Umrah and Hajj will have a special allowance of 10kg for bottles of Zam-Zam water on flights from Jeddah to Kuala Lumpur and onward connecting destinations.

Enrich and Oneworld members are entitled to the additional baggage allowance according to their membership status.

-TTG Asia.

Malaysia’s Tourism Highlights – JUNE 2014

PUTRAJAYA, 26 May 2014 – The first half of the year will end with various exciting cultural, sports and musical events. Some of the major tourism highlights in June include:

The Voice of Nature “Bird and Bush Cricket Festival”!

This promotional showcase is held to revive and reintroduce the state of Kedah’s past recreational cultures namely the bird singing and cricket chirping competitions. 

The event is expected to attract hundreds of enthusiasts from Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and Singapore with 500 Murai Batu and Merbah Jambul birds. Join us and have a look at how some of our ancestors passed their time!

Organiser: Kedah State Economic Planning Unit & Kedah Bird-Singing Club and State Arts and Culture Council

Date: 6 – 7 June 2014

Venue: Taman CHOGM, Langkawi, Kedah

Contact: +6 04 730 1957

“Magic of the night” - 1Malaysia Internatioanl Tourism Night Floral Parade

Enjoy a dazzling evening with glittering lights at the Putrajaya Lake from the decorated boats procession brought in from every state in Malaysia.

In conjunction with the Putrajaya Flower and Garden Festival 2014, the “Magic of the Night” – 1Malaysia International Tourism Night Floral Parade 2014 is being organised to highlight the country’s unique flora and fauna, as well as the tourist attractions found in the different states in Malaysia.

Organiser: Ministry of Tourism Malaysia

Date: 14 – 22 June 2014

Venue: Putrajaya Lake, Precint 2, Putrajaya, Kuala Lumpur

Contact: +6 03 8891 7000

Sunset Music Festival 2014

Held at the northen most tip of Borneo – Tanjung Simpang Mengayau, the annual Sunset Music Festival offers a one-of-its-kind musical journey with a panoramic view of the sunset, white sandy beaches and the brilliant azure colour of the ocean.

Be serenaded with classical favourites and contemporary tunes performed by local and international artistes that will get the crowd to their feet. Don’t miss this wonderful experience at one of Sabah’s most breath taking locations!

Organiser: Sabah Tourism Board and Sri Pelancongan Sabah

Date: 20 – 21 June 2014

Venue: Tanjung Simpang Mengayau, Kudat, Sabah

Website: http://www.sunsetmusicfest.my/ 

Only fine feathers make fine birds

Don’t worry, this is definitely not a relay race among birds! Fraser’s International Bird Race 2014 is a fun and educational event where bird watching enthusiasts from all over the world will outdo each other to sight, identify and record the most number of bird species in this paradise, which has more than 250 rare and endangered species of wild birds.

This bird race tradition has flocked in birdwatchers from as far as the United Kingdom, China, and South Africa to Pahang annually. Participants can also enjoy seminars, workshops and exhibitions on nature, wildlife, and photography.

Organiser: Fraser’s Hill Development Corporation

Date: 21 – 22 June 2014

Venue: Fraser’s Hill, Raub, Pahang

Contact; +6 09 5171 1623/1624

Website: www.pkbf.org.my 

Ready, get set, run! 

Grab your running shoes for the world-class marathon – Ipoh International Run (IIR) 2014! This year, the race targets over 17,000 participants from all over the globe including runners from Thailand, Singapore and the Philippines.

Divided into 12 categories, choose the one that you want to challenge, from the 26km run for veterans to the 5km run for beginners. After the run, remember to stop by Ipoh and try some of its famous food such as the Ipoh’s bean sprout chicken (nga choi gai)!

Organiser: Ipoh City Council

Date: 22 June 2014

Venue: Stadium Indera Mulia, Ipoh, Perak

Contact: +6 05 242 2743

Website: www.ipohrun.com

It’s a smashing time in the heart of the Borneo Jungle!

 

The annual Rainforest World Music Festival (RWMF) is back! The unique event has been voted as one of the top 25 best International Music Festivals by renowned world music magazine, Songlines, for the 5th consecutive year in 2014.

The event includes afternoon informative workshops, ethno-musical lectures, jamming sessions and mini concerts, followed by evening performances on the main stage. With a line-up of 18 international bands from as far as Cuba, England, Japan and Tanzania, the festival will feature six different acts on three stages per night.

Organiser: Sarawak Tourism Board (STB)

Date: 20-22 June 2014

Venue: Sarawak Cultural Village, Kuching, Sarawak

Website: http://rwmf.net/ 

The mega sale is back!

 

It’s shopping season of the year again! The 1Malaysia Mega Sale Carnival 2014, deemed as the Mother of all sales, returns with a string of irresistible offers, special promotions and crazy discounts.

With two months of shopping frenzy, shoppers get to enjoy mega shopping excitement, dining options, endless entertainment and fun-filled activities put together by malls and retail stores throughout Malaysia! Experience a wholesome shopping spree!

Organiser: Tourism Malaysia

Date: 28 June – 1 Sept 2014

Venue: Nationwide

Contact: 03 – 2614 8691

-Tourism Malaysia.

Shipwreck site as diving spot

Abang Johari (second right) gestures when watching live footage of divers in the wreckage site. Seen (from right) are Rashid and Ik Pahon. – Photo by Muhammad Rais Sanusi

KUCHING: Sarawak’s Tourism Ministry will carry out initiatives to promote the World War II shipwreck site located some 28 km from the shores of Santubong as a diving spot.

The site, which houses the remnants of Japanese World War II ships Katori Maru, Hiyoshi/Hie Maru and IJN Sagiri, has become quite popular with divers and has since been regarded as the best wreck diving site in the country with a true history of Borneo during the World War II.

“This is a new diving site that has the wreckage of historical ships Katori Maru, Hiyoshi/Hie Maru and IJN Sagiri. Divers who come here will not only be able to learn about history, but it will also be an adventure and good experience for middle-level divers.

“I was told by the divers that this is one of the best diving sites in Malaysia. It is not that deep and will enable the middle-level divers to dive about 20 metres into the sea to see the beauty down there,” Tourism Minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg told reporters after launching the Shipwreck Adventure Dive Package Kuching at the shipwreck site near here yesterday.

This four-day-three-night package includes accommodation at Santubong Homestay, where one can experience living in a Malay cultural setting, two-day dive at the wreckage site and another night stay at a local bed and breakfast inn in the city.

The price is RM1,200 per pax with minimum of two pax. This package can be booked through Premier Marine and Scuba Centre.

Abang Johari said his ministry would be working together with the Museum Department, Malaysian Marine Department and Sarawak Rivers Board to develop the site as a landmark for divers, adding that the site would be developed similar to the Pearl Harbour wreckage site in Honolulu, Hawaii.

“Similar approach will be adopted here where we will let visitors to be ferried to this area (wreckage site) and they can visit the site and for professional divers, they can dive to see the wreckage for themselves.

“We are working with the Japanese Embassy to get the historical data of this particular site as well as to get clearance from their side and to promote this site to Japanese tourists.”

Abang Johari also said that Sarawak Tourism Board (STB) in collaboration with Premier Marine & Scuba Centre would also try to promote the site during an international diving conference to be held in Kuala Lumpur from June 4 to 6.

As a measure to prevent looting of the wreckage, he said his ministry, in cooperation with the state Museum Department, would also try to gazette the site as a marine heritage site.

“We have to work with the Japanese to see whether they have the technology to mark the historical wreckage site that can withstand big waves.”

Among those present at the launching were state Tourism Ministry permanent secretary Datu Ik Pahon Joyik, STB chief executive officer Datuk Rashid Khan and state Museum Department director Ipoi Datan.

-The Borneo Post.

D-G: We will draw China tourists after PM’s visit

PUTRAJAYA: Promotional activities in China for Visit Malaysia Year 2014 will resume after Datuk Seri Najib Razak returns from a visit to that country, says Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board director-general Datuk Mirza Mohammad Taiyab.

“After our Prime Minister’s trip, we want to do much more than was done previously,” he said after launching the Youth Tourism Carnival here yesterday.

Mirza said after the MH370 incident, VMY campaigns were slowed down in Beijing whereas in other parts of China, such as Guangzhou, promotional activities were ongoing albeit at a lower key.

On the recent kidnapping incidents in Sabah, Mirza said the number of tourists visiting Malaysia was still good. “There is still some caution, especially in the eastern coast of Sabah, but our figures are still good. We are working to ensure tourists that it is safe to visit the area,” Mirza added.

Mirza said although eastern Sabah’s tourist attractions, such as Sipadan island were world-famous, it had only limited facilities for tourists. “You can only have 120 divers a day.”

-thestar online.

Langkawi heats up with third laksa carnival

www.lada.gov.my

The Langkawi Development Authority (LADA) will hold the third Langkawi International Laksa Carnival (LILAC), which showcases the different takes on the popular dish across Malaysian states.

The carnival will be held at Laman Padi in Langkawi from May 30 to June 1, and will also feature rice noodles from around the region such as Philippines, Vietnam, Japan, Thailand and Indonesia. 

According to LADA’s CEO, Khalid Ramli, LADA is targeting 28,000 visitors, or a 12 per cent increase over 2013’s figures, during the three-day event.

At a press conference yesterday, Khalid said the carnival aims to promote the different types of laksa and to bring the noodle dish to a higher level by encouraging innovation through a laksa competition. 

Adam Kamal, deputy president 2 of the Malaysian Inbound Tourism Association, said: “LADA should have marketed this year’s event earlier so travel consultants could devise food trail packages. Running for the third consecutive year, it shows that this event is gaining popularity and the relevant authorities should consider incorporating it into Tourism Malaysia’s list of major events.”

-TTG Asia.

Citrawarna Kuala Lumpur 2014 @ Jalan P. Ramlee, Kuala Lumpur ( 24 May 2014 )

Event: Citrawarna Kuala Lumpur 2014 (Colours of Kuala Lumpur 2014)

Date: 24 May 2014 (Saturday)

Time: 7.30 pm

Venue: Jalan P. Ramlee, Kuala Lumpur

Tentative Programme:

7.30 pm - Arrival of guests
8.30 pm - Arrival of VIPs
8.40 pm - National Anthem
8.50 pm - Parade of KL City Hall Mounted Unit, Bicycles & Motorcycles, Brass Band & Tourist Police
9.00 pm - The Malays dances
9.05 pm - The Chinese dances
9.10 pm - The Indian dances
9.15 pm - The Sarawak dances
9.20 pm - The Sabah dances
9.25 pm - The Aborigines dances
9.30 pm - The Punjabi dances
9.35 pm - Martial Arts ~ Silat, Wushu & Silambam
9.40 pm - Fashion show ~ Traditional & modern
9.45 pm - Modern/hip-hop dances
9.50 pm - Buskers
10.00 pm - Finale ~ Joget Malaysia & Fireworks

-MOTAC KL.

Port Dickson Back To Nature Trail Run 2014 @ Hutan Simpan Sungai Menyala, Port Dickson ( 8 June 2014 )

-Tourism Malaysia Negeri Sembilan.

Penang implements a bed tax

All hotel guests in Penang can expect to pay a bed tax from June 1, the proceeds of which will be used for tourism development and promotion including, some believe, the funding of a new Penang convention and exhibition bureau.

Hotels were informed on March 5 that the tax, called Local Government Fee, will cost RM3 (US$0.93) per room per night for four- and five-star hotels, and RM2 per room per night for three-star hotels and below, including dormitories, budget hotels, hostels and guesthouses.

The fee will be imposed on guests staying in hotels from June 1 regardless of whether bookings and payments were made and received before the implementation date.

Hotel operators are to collect the fee and hand it over to the Municipal Council of Penang at the end of every two months. The fee will be channelled into a special trust account established by the state government under the control of the state finance department. A special committee chaired by Penang's chief minister and including hotel representatives will decide how the proceeds will be spent.

Andy Teh, group director of sales and marketing of Eastern & Oriental Hotel Penang, said: “This is good for the destination if the fund is wisely spent and if the tourism board is mature enough to understand the macro role it has to play.”

The tax comes as Penang undergoes a “reinvention” in the arts and heritage, and in the MICE sector where two new convention centres, the Subterranean Penang International Convention & Exhibition Centre and the Penang Waterfront Convention Centre will open in 2015 and 2017 respectively.

“With the new venues, it is the right time for Penang to have a convention bureau,” said Ho Yoke Ping, general manager-sales & marketing of Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau. The state's tourism bureau, Penang Global Tourism, is overseeing the setting up of the convention bureau.

-TTG Asia.