Special MATTA packages coming

Solid collaboration: Wong (left) and Liow holding up promotional posters on MATTA Fair after their press conference to announce SOTA’s participation as MATTA’s technology partner.

KUALA LUMPUR: More unique packages will be offered on the matta.travel website, including those organised by various national tourism organisations.

Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) secreta­­ry-general Nigel Wong said it had been approached by a number of such organisations, which were beginning to spend more on digital marketing.

“For them, this and the success of MATTA Fairs have made the website – matta.travel – an attractive proposition.

“Consumers can look forward to very specialised arrangements and deals to different countries for various activities in the next couple of months.

“We are going to keep things fresh and exciting so that consumers can get specialised deals and (tour) themes over the next few months,” he told reporters here yesterday.

Wong was speaking at a press conference to announce digital platform Smart Online Travel Assistant (SOTA) as the coming MATTA Fair’s official technology partner.

He said there would also be packages at both the fair and on matta.travel to cater to the growing number of free independent travellers, which meant solo or small tour groups.

In conjunction with the fair, Wong said the public had a chance of winning a total of RM15,000 in travel vouchers by joining a slogan contest on the matta.travel website.

The contest ends on March 12.

SOTA chief marketing officer Joanna Liao said the matta.travel website would help more tour and travel agents reach out to the online audience.

“Less than 5% of Malaysian tour and travel agents are e-enabled – meaning the ability to sell online – so the website helps them in that. It also benefits consumers,” she said.

She said the website had an average of 300 to 500 visitors daily, 75% of whom were new to the site.

“Every time new visitors come to the site, it helps matta.travel become more known,” she said.

The MATTA Fair, to be held from March 17-19, at the Putra World Trade Centre, is open from 10am to 9pm daily. The entrance ticket is priced at RM4 daily.

-thestar online.