NEW DELHI, Feb 10 (Bernama) -- Indian tourists visiting Malaysia grew by an impressive 20.7 percent growth in the first 10 months last year, unmoved by the national airline tragedies or kidnappings in Sabah.
According to Tourism Malaysia, between January and October last year (2014), 643,335 Indian tourists visited Malaysia, compared with 532,964 during same period in 2013.
Deputy director-general of Tourism Malaysia Datuk Azizan Noordin said some 1.04 million visitors from the Indian sub-continent, India, Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh, visited Malaysia during the same period.
The two incidents involving MAS flights and kidnapping incidents in the waters off the coast of Sabah did not have any impact on visitors from the sub-continent, Azizan told Bernama in Delhi on Monday.
He said Tourism Malaysia's offices in Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai, rolled out attractive travel packages and marketing strategies to tap the South Asian market, home to over one billion people.
The number of visitors from India to Malaysia continued to grow due to improved connectivity, close proximity, long-standing trade and social ties and affordable hotels, added Azizan. Indians other than heading here for shopping and breaks at our resorts, are also much in love with our food.
"They feel comfortable with the hospitality showered on them, and it's money worth spent here, and they feel at home whenever they are in Malaysia," said Azizan, who was beaming with pride.
Azizan was in the capital to promote Malaysia Year of Festivals (Myfest) 2015 with some 50 Malaysian tour companies and hoteliers with next stops in Kolkata, Mumbai and Chennai.
Latest statistics showed tourists from Sri Lanka fell from 50,963 to 52,125 (-2.2 per cent), Nepal rose to 120,822 from 107,254 (+12.4 per cent), Pakistan up to 77,444 from 65,235 (+18.7 per cent) and Bangladesh 155,607 from 100,997 (+22.1 per cent).
When asked to explain Malaysia's success formula in wooing tourists from the region, Azizan said Tourism Malaysia worked closely with all major airlines, mainly Malaysia Airlines, AirAsia, Malindo and Air India.
"We carried out joint promotions with these airlines and local tour operators and there is a total of 159 flights weekly which connect major cities of both countries. "Other than cities like New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Cochin, Trichy, we will also connect cities like Vizag (Visakhapatnam) in Andra Pradesh," he said.
Later speaking to local journalists in the capital, Azizan said one of the main mantra of Tourism Malaysia was always to fulfil whatever the tourists wanted, without compromising quality of services while they were in Malaysia.
He said other than luxury resorts and theme parks that are popular destinations, Malaysia is also offering wedding packages.
He cited an example where a Taiwanese couple wanted an underwater wedding last year and the arrangement was made in Tioman waters, where some 200 guests from that country witnessed the ceremony with assistances of scuba divers.
"Even a couple from India booked an entire resort for a week and had their wedding extravaganza with some 1,000 guests," explained Azizan.
On China, Azizan said 1.38 million Chinese visitors arrived in Malaysia between January and October last year, compared with 1.7 million in 2013, a slight reduction.
"The trend was expected due to two incidents involving MAS aircraft, but the last two months of 2014 recorded better arrivals," said Azizan, who is optimistic the trend would return to normal this year.
Overall, Malaysia recorded 28 million tourists arrivals last year with a revenue of RM75 billion and this year it is estimated to rise to 29.4 million with an estimated revenue of RM80 billion.
-bernama.
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