Museum a treasure trove of information

Mersing Museum built in the 1920s is one of the oldest buildings in the district.

MERSING: Local and foreign holidaymakers en route to the nearby islands off South China Sea, should spend some time visiting Mersing Museum.

They can do this while waiting for the ferries to their destinations.

The museum located a short walking distance from the Mersing Ferry Terminal and Mersing Harbour Centre, houses artefacts and items related to the district.

Among the artefacts on display are fishing tools, wooden boats and equipment used by local fishermen, and armaments during the Second World War.

“Mersing was one of the important holding forts for the Japanese army from 1940 to 1943 due to its strategic location by the South China Sea,’’ said Mersing Museum caretaker Ahmad Izham Ahmad Kamal.

The single-storey museum built in the 1920s is one of the oldest buildings in the Mersing district. It was once used as the district office and also housed the Agriculture Department.

Ahmad Izham said the museum was opened by Johor Ruler Sultan Ibrahim Ibni Almarhum Sultan Iskandar on May 15, 2016, in conjunction with Kembara Mahkota Johor, which is an annual royal motorcycle tour programme held to enable Sultan Ibrahim to meet the people throughout Johor.

Most of the olden-day items are related to the daily life of local fishermen as fishing was one of the main economic activities in the district,’’ he added.

Ahmad Izham said Mersing used to be the main trading sea route and stopover for Chinese traders travelling from Kelantan, Terengganu and Pahang to other parts of Johor.

The district located on the north-east of Johor, about 150km from Johor Baru, has 40 unspoilt islands in South China Sea and the

Endau-Rompin National Park which is a protected tropical rainforest.

Mersing is one of the two towns on the eastern part of Johor and lies on the main trunk road connecting southern and eastern Johor to the east coast of Pahang including Kuantan. The other town is Kota Tinggi.

Johor Women Development and Tourism Committee chairman Liow Cai Tung said the state was banking on its attractions, namely sandy beaches, delicious food and unique local culture to attract tourists from European countries.

“We have so much to offer and most would find Johor a perfect holiday destination.

Mersing is the main departure point for ferries to nearby islands such as Pulau Tioman in Pahang and more than 40 islands on the Seribuat Archipelago in South China Sea.

-thestar online.

Shell Malaysia Motorcycle Grand Prix 2019 ( 1 ~ 3 November 2019 )

The Shell Malaysia Motorcycle Grand Prix 2019 returns on 1 to 3 November 2019, again as the penultimate race in the MotoGP calendar.

Race weekend will be bigger and better with more exciting action and activities to attract fans this year. Fans will witness history as the first Malaysian team debuts in all 3 categories of MotoGP this season with PETRONAS Yamaha Sepang Racing Team in MotoGP and Petronas Sprinta racing Team in both Moto2 and Moto3. South East Asian rider Hafizh Syahrin will continue racing in the MotoGP category while Khairul Idham Pawi moves to the new Moto2 team under PETRONAS Sprinta Racing Team. 

With the event’s continuous sell out in recent years and crowd numbers breaking records year after year with the highest of 169,827 people attending in 2018, the Malaysia MotoGP looks set to be another hit this 2019.

-TicketCharge.

https://premier.ticketcharge.com.my/shows/show.aspx?sh=SHELL19

MATTA to promote Malaysian tourism in Asian countries via 'travel mart'

Zainuddin hitting the gong to launch the MTEX as Travel Agents Federation of India acting president Pradip Lulla (left), Federation of Asean Travel Associations president Mingkwan Metmowlee (second from left) and Tan look on.

PUTRAJAYA: The Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) is promoting Malaysian tourism products to other countries in Asia by means of a ‘travel mart’. 

The MATTA Travel Exchange Mart (MTEX), organised in partnership with Tourism Malaysia, is an event aimed at connecting Malaysian tourism players with tour operators from countries such as India, Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines. 

MATTA president Datuk Tan Kok Liang said the Business-to-Business programme would connect 82 Malaysian companies consisting of tour operators, hoteliers, transport operators with over 150 buyers from India and Asean countries. 

It will be held from April 27 to 28 at the Everly Hotel here. 

He said the first MTEX was organised 12 years ago in Melaka, but it was recently revived given its potential to boost tourist arrivals from Asean countries and India. 

“Based on this (edition’s) number of participants and initial feedback, it’s going to be successful and we hope to have it annually and get it to grow bigger,” he said in a press conference at the event’s opening ceremony on Saturday (April 27). 

Tan added that MTEX would be in line with the Visit Malaysia 2020 campaign, which aims to attract 30 million tourists and RM100bil in tourist receipts. 

Also present was Tourism Malaysia strategic planning senior director Datuk Zainuddin Abdul Wahab who noted that despite a decline in tourist arrivals from Asean countries in 2018, they still contribute about 70% of  overall tourist arrivals.

The number of Asean visitors dropped to 18.1mil tourist arrivals in 2018 compared to the 19.4mil tourist arrivals in 2017. 

The number of Indian tourists on the other hand has increased by 8.6% to 600,311 in 2018. 

The government, he said, intends to increase the number of Indian tourist arrivals to 683,000 this year. 

Meanwhile, Tan announced a joint venture with Grabini Malaysia Sdn Bhd to create an online platform for MATTA members to buy and sell their travel products. 

The platform will be first targeted to travel agents before being opened up to consumers, and it is expected to be launched by the fourth quarter of the year.

-thestar online.

Tourism, Arts And Culture Minister Leads Delegation To Promote VM2020 In West Asia

image: PelanconganKini

PUTRAJAYA, 26 APRIL 2019: The Honourable Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Datuk Mohamaddin Ketapi is leading a delegation of 87 Malaysian participants from 61 organisations to participate in the Arabian Travel Market in Dubai from 28 April to 1 May 2019. The Director General of Tourism Malaysia, Datuk Musa Yusof, will also be there. 

The participation in ATM 2019 is in line with Tourism Malaysia’s continuous effort to publicise the Visit Malaysia (VM) 2020 campaign to the travel and tourism industry players in the Middle East.

This year marks Malaysia’s 26^th year of participation in ATM, which is a testament of its commitment to make the country a premier destination for travellers from the West Asian market.

Datuk Mohamaddin will launch the Malaysia Pavilion located at Sheikh Said Hall 3, (Booth No. AS1920) on 28 April and will meet the media later at a press conference. On the same day, the Minister is expected to launch the Arabic version of the Tourism Selangor Facebook, tour packages by HolidayMe, a Dubai-based online travel platform, and a Tourist Handbook 2019 on Malaysia in Arabic language by Aswaq Magazine and Media Hub Connection.

On 29 April, Tourism Malaysia will host a ‘Malaysia Networking Dinner’ at Grand Hyatt Dubai to show its appreciation to the tourism fraternity in Dubai and also members of the media.

He is also scheduled to meet the Chairmen/CEOs of top airlines in the Middle East. Besides that, meetings with top travel agencies in the Middle East and media interviews will also be held.

The Minister will also witness the announcement of Air Arabia inaugural flight to Kuala Lumpur, which will be held at Malaysia Pavilion on 30 April.

The Malaysian delegation is comprised of a good mix of hotels and resorts, travel agents, tourism product owners, airlines and representatives from tourism authorities as well as state tourism boards. During the 4-day event, they will be highlighting their respective tourism products and services that cater specially for the Middle Eastern market.

The Sunway Group and Desaru Coast are sparing no effort to promote their latest products to their would-be buyers at the Arabian Travel Market. Representatives from Selangor and Langkawi Development Authority (LADA) will also take the stage to promote the many tourist offerings in these states.

Malaysia is certainly stepping up its promotion this year in preparation of Visit Malaysia 2020, during which the target is to welcome 30 million tourists from around the world and RM100 billion tourist receipts.

Through its participation in ATM, Tourism Malaysia seeks to attract more West Asian tourists to its shores to achieve its tourism target for 2019. The tourist arrivals from West Asia have rebounded to Malaysia by 25.3% in 2018 from 251,937 to 315,937 led by the growth of Oman (+36.9%), KSA (11.6%) and UAE (9.7%). Last year, Malaysia recorded RM3.1 billion of tourist receipts from West Asia, a growth of 32.9% as compared to the previous year.

-Tourism Malaysia.

http://www.malaysia.travel

Malaysia projects RM1.8 bln hospital revenue from healthcare travellers in 2019

image: MHTC facebook

KUALA LUMPUR, April 25 (Bernama) -- Malaysia will cash in on the healthy growth of medical tourism this year, with projected hospital revenue of RM1.8 billion from healthcare travellers generating an economic impact worth RM6 billion, said Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad.

Dr Dzulkefly said this target is based on the RM1.5 billion in revenue receipts in 2018 from more than 1.2 million traveller arrivals.

“Healthcare travel is one of the fastest growing industries, recording double-digit growth compared with the 0.1 per cent growth recorded by the tourism industry alone in 2017,” he told reporters after delivering the keynote address at the Asia Pacific Healthcare and Medical Tourism Summit 2019 here.

Dr Dzulkefly said the local medical tourism industry has been flourishing, from just 643,000 health travellers in 2011 to a high of more than 1.2 million in 2018.

This growth contributed almost RM3 billion to RM4 billion to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), he said.

This calculation is based on a multiplier effect of 2.24 times of the hospital receipts, which factors in out-of-hospital spending such as wellness, transportation, accommodation and tourism activities, he noted.

Commenting further, Dr Dzulkefly said Indonesia, Vietnam, Myanmar and India have been identified as the core markets based on the volume of healthcare travellers, as well as the growth potential of the respective markets.

Earlier in his speech, Dr Dzulkefly said Malaysia is a healthcare destination for all as it was recognised by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) for having a successful healthcare model for developing nations. 

In addition, Malaysia’s healthcare system is a dichotomous and effective foundation of the public and private sectors complementing each other in providing high-quality medical services to Malaysians. 

“Within this dual system we have found that Malaysia’s private healthcare sector has both service capacity and medical expertise to serve beyond the Malaysian demand, hence this is where healthcare travel comes into play and is now being pursued within our healthcare landscape,” he said.

According to Dr Dzulkefly, Malaysia’s healthcare services have been presented as a comprehensive and affordable package over the years, with all the right ingredients for healthcare travellers, including world-class quality and easy accessibility.

Thus, the ministry stands as a gatekeeper for safety, regulation and enhancement of quality service offerings in the industry, including regulating the medical services with ceiling rates, for the safety and protection of healthcare travellers.

The summit was organised by Global Health and Travel to promote cross-border knowledge exchange on all things relating to healthcare travel, perfecting best practices and bringing positive collaboration for the future of healthcare globally.

-bernama.

Tourism Malaysia Organises Engagement Session With Sabah Tourism Industry Players

KOTA KINABALU, SABAH, 24 APRIL 2019 – Tourism Malaysia has organised an Engagement Session with Sabah Tourism Industry Players today to share its goals and objectives for the tourism industry of Sabah.

The networking programme, attended by about 300 industry players from all over Sabah, is a platform to bring together tourism operators with product operators and hoteliers as well as Tourism Malaysia under one roof to get the feedback and suggestions from everyone to enhance and improve the tourism industry of the state.

Datuk Ahmad Shah Hussein Tambakau, Chairman of Tourism Malaysia, said, “I am confident that this engagement session organised by Tourism Malaysia will help strengthen the networking and relationship among participants, besides conveying to them about the critical role they play in the development of domestic tourism.”

According to Datuk Ahmad Shah, the engagement session also aims to provide updated information to tourism industry players of Sabah regarding Visit Malaysia 2020 (VM2020) with its target of bringing in 30 million international tourists and RM100 billion tourist receipts.

At the same time, Tourism Malaysia is also organizing a Media Product Update Programme to Sabah which involves multi-talented Malaysian celebrity Alif Satar and several media representatives as well as bloggers. The participants of this programme will explore exciting tourist attractions in Lahad Datu, Semporna and Tawau in efforts to help promote Sabah as a tourist destination to their respective fans/audience/readers. The initiative is one of Tourism Malaysia’s efforts to strengthen the domestic tourism industry and promote the VM 2020 campaign.

The programme will take place from 25 to 28 April and participants will get the chance to visit beautiful Sabah attractions such as Menara Kayangan, Bum-Bum Island, Bohey Dulang Island, and attend the Regatta Lepa-Lepa event, as well as taste the many delicious and unique traditional cuisines of Tawau.

-Tourism Malaysia.

Quieter summer for Malaysia tourism as Indians stay home till election results

Indian family posing for a photo in front of temple in Batu Caves, Selangor

Indian summer holidays usually mark the peak inbound period for Malaysia’s tourism, but with the 2019 Indian general election currently being held in seven phases from April 11 to May 19, travel trade players in the destination are expecting a dip in business.

Adam Kamal, general manager, Tour East Malaysia, predicts the season will less busy than previous summers and expects the demand to pick up only after the election results have been announced on May 23.

He is counting on regional markets, such as Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore and Brunei, to make up for the expected drop in the Indian market. He said: “Regional markets are low-hanging fruits and year-round markets.”

Johnson Francis, executive director at Oscar Holidays, said: “We are not getting many enquiries and bookings for the Indian summer holidays. We expect a 30 per cent drop in business from India compared with last summer. Families (will probably only) start travelling only after the election.”

He added: “To make up for the shortfall, we hope to supplement the market with other markets from the Indian sub-continent such as Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. We have not had any cancellations after the bombings in Sri Lanka. People are still travelling.”

Meanwhile, Pradeep Kumar, COO, Asian Famous Tours and Travel, is banking on the Middle East market to make up for the shortfall. This, however, also comes with its challenges, as the Balkans are now also competing for Middle Eastern travellers and offering lower airfares and easy air accessibility, he explained.

-TTG Asia.

SkyScape @ Menara JLand - The Fun Begins On May 1st 2019

Johor Land Berhad (A Member of The Johor Corporation Group of Companies) is proudly introducing SKYSCAPE @MENARA JLAND, the first aerial entertainment space in Johor Bahru, Malaysia which will be open on 1^st May 2019.

The main attraction of Sky Bridge’s glass with breathtaking view with a surprise element awaits and we are bringing the concept of "Where Fun Meets Technology" which promises diversity for your visit, where you can experience to explore Johor Bahru City from a height of 149 meters above the ground.

In addition, immerse yourself with a various of current technology-based activities such AR & VR games, Floor Interactive games and lots more.

More info at www.menarajland.com.my/skyscape

-Skyscape @Menara JLand.

Tourism Malaysia Surfcasting Tour 2019 - A Journey To VISIT MALAYSIA 2020 @ Pantai Remis, Kuala Selangor ( 28 April 2019 )

-Tourism Malaysia.

MyCity 1-Day, 3-Day Passes For Prasarana’s Rail, BRT Travels

Using the cashless system travel cards such as Touch ‘n Go, and designed for the convenience of travelers and non-regular passengers in the city, the 1-day pass is priced at RM15 while the 3-day pass is priced at RM45, Prasarana’s Group Chief Operating Officer, Encik Muhammad Nizam Alias said in a statement here today.

“Basically, if you don’t already have the cashless travel card, you would need to spare an additional RM10 in which RM5 is the cost of the card and RM5 is necessary as the minimum value in the purse. Therefore, you would need RM25 to purchase the 1-day pass and RM 55 to purchase the 3-day pass respectively. However, if you already have the cashless travel card, you would only need to pay RM15 for the 1-day pass and RM45 for 3-day pass,” he added. 

Encik Muhammad Nizam said Prasarana has decided to introduce the special 1-day and 3-day passes in response to requests from the customers especially from international travelers and customers outside Kuala Lumpur and Selangor.

“Our regular customers have the privilege of unlimited travel with the use of the My100 pass for 30-day unlimited travels on our rail and BRT networks. On the other hand, these new passes provide immense convenience to non-Malaysians and non-regular users to travel unlimitedly within a short period of time.

“This initiative is also part of our contribution to Malaysia’s tourism industry as traveling on our integrated rail and BRT network will allow you to extensively cover Klang Valley and Selangor, which is blessed with plenty of places of interests, food paradise and shopping outlets,” Encik Muhammad Nizam added.

Available for purchases at all LRT, Monorail, MRT and BRT stations, customers must ensure that their cashless travel cards have a minimum RM5 purse value to facilitate their movements through the ticketing gates.

“At the moment, the package does not cover services on Rapid KL buses and the MRT feeder buses. Naturally, we will work on incorporating them as well in the future,” added Encik Muhammad Nizam.

-myrapid.com.my

Malaysia expects to ride high on new flights from Sharjah

Tourism Malaysia will bring its road show held in conjunction with the Arabia Travel Mart to Sharjah for the first time

Air Arabia’s upcoming launch of direct flights between Sharjah and Kuala Lumpur is spurring promotions in the UAE city by Malaysian tourism stakeholders, hopeful about the much-needed capacity boost during the Middle East summer season.

Air Arabia – the first LCC from the Middle East to fly direct to Malaysia –

will commence the new four-times-weekly service from July 1, 2019, in time for the high peak travel season for Middle Easterners from mid June to early September.

Ally Bhoonee, executive director, World Avenues Malaysia, shared: “There is always a shortage of seats from the UAE during the super peak period. In the past, some travellers used to take Emirates or other Middle Eastern airlines to travel to Malaysia.”

Saini Vermeulen, executive director, Within Earth Holidays, added: “With additional capacity, we hope airfares will be more competitive during the super peak summer period, when high volumes of travellers can be expected. So far, bookings for summer are slow, but we expect them to pick up from mid May. “

On its part, Tourism Malaysia has for the first time included Sharjah in a roadshow held in conjunction with the upcoming Arabian Travel Mart. The roadshow, which will include participation of 14 hotels, agents and product owners, will cover Kuwait, Oman and ends with Sharjah on April 24.

Uzaidi Udanis, president, Malaysian Inbound Tourism Association, shared that the association is also in talks with the airline to host joint fam trips and product briefings for travel agents from Sharjah. He disclosed: “We are in direct communications with the airline and hope to work closely with them on (these activities).”

The UAE is among the top five highest spending tourist markets in Malaysia, with an average per diem expenditure of RM839 (US$203) in 2017 and an average length of stay of 9.2 nights.

-TTG Asia.

‘Tourism can uplift orang asli’

PUTRAJAYA: Ecotourism and agro-tourism are the keys to a better economy for the orang asli community, says Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

The Prime Minister believes the two areas could help boost their livelihood through job opportunities and entrepreneurship.

He said better income could be generated for the orang asli if they venture into ecotourism and agro­tourism with handicraft and down-stream products and activities as income generator. 

“The government is committed to assisting the community to improve their livelihood and quality of life.

Dr Mahathir said with infrastructure being a catalyst to improve their socio-economy, the government would continue to emphasise physical development for them. 

To date, 84% of orang asli villages have roads, 80% are equipped with power supply and 79% have water running through the pipes. 

“We hope these facilities will be fully enjoyed by all orang asli. 

“They, too, should and must benefit from the perks of development,” he said. 

The Prime Minister said education for the orang asli children was also an important agenda the government was pursuing, through more educational infrastructure and campaigns to create higher awareness. 

However, Dr Mahathir pointed out that changes and encouragement for the younger generation to study must begin at home.

“I am made to understand that there are 1,090 orang asli students in public universities. 

“There are also those who are pursuing their education abroad right up to Master’s and PhD. 

“This is a sign that the community has begun to realise the importance of education,” he said. 

Dr Mahathir also called on the community to engage openly with the government so that good decisions could be made to help them.

-thestar online.

Travel trade relieved as East Coast Rail Link deal back on track

Rail expected to open up new tourism areas such as Kuala Klawang;

Jeram Toi Waterfall in Kuala Klawang, Negeri Sembilan

Malaysia’s travel trade has welcomed the government’s move to resume the stalled East Coast Rail Link (ECRL), a multibillion-dollar project expected to boost the country’s economy and tourism sector.

Uzaidi Udanis, president, Malaysian Inbound Tourism Association, remarked that improved rail connectivity will make travel within the country’s eastern seaboard more convenient for locals and foreign tourists, while boosting rural and community-based tourism. Small towns are expected to benefit, such as Jelebu, where ecotourism potentials are yet to be tapped, as well as Kuala Klawang, with fruit farms offering agrotourism opportunities.

He said: “Most tourists now go to the islands off Terengganu for snorkelling and water-based activities but Terengganu also offers plenty of land-based attractions which are now known mainly to locals. The ECRL will make it more convenient to travel there and in turn will create more job opportunities and economic benefits for Malaysians.”

Tourism Malaysia’s director-general, Musa Yusof said the revived ECRL project will “renew” interest in the country with several more cities made accessible.

He also told The Malaysian Reserve that state governments will have more reason to upgrade their public facilities, which will benefit both locals and tourists.

Malaysia’s prime minister Mahathir Mohamad recently announced the outcome of renegotiations with China after the project was postponedlast year due to its high cost. After nine months of renegotiations, the government had successfully reduced the cost to RM44 billion (US$10.7 billion) from RM65 billion.

The new rail alignment, shortened by 40km to 648km, will see the number of stations reduced from 26 to 20. The 640km alignment will cut through five states, instead of four states which previously did not include Negri Sembilan. 

The five states are Selangor, Negri Sembilan, Pahang, Terengganu and Kelantan.

Arokia Das, director, Luxury Tours Malaysia, expressed relief that the new alignment will spare The Klang Gates Quartz Ridge, which is the longest pure quartz dyke in the world. He shared: “The area is also well for its soft and hard adventure products which includes jungle trekking and rock climbing.”

The ECRL project could resume as early as next month provided approvals from the relevant authorities are obtained. The completion date is December 31, 2026, two years later than the original plan.

-TTG Asia.

Orang Asli reps to be included in Tourism Malaysia, Kraftangan Malaysia BOD

The Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry will appoint Orang Asli representatives

to be part of the board of directors (BOD) in Tourism Malaysia and Kraftangan Malaysia. (NSTP/LUQMAN HAKIM ZUBIR)

PUTRAJAYA: The Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry will appoint Orang Asli representatives to be part of the board of directors (BOD) in Tourism Malaysia and Kraftangan Malaysia.

Its minister Datuk Mohamaddin Ketapi said this was done by taking into account eco-tourism products and quality crafts produced by the Orang Asli community.

He said the move was in line with Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad's call, wanting more Orang Asli craft products to be promoted and sold at tourist areas.

"This is what the prime minister raised in his speech during the 2019 Orang Asli National Convention today," said Mohamaddin in a statement.

In this respect, the minister said, the inclusion of Orang Asli representatives in the board of directors would be done as soon as possible.

"Further discussions will be held among relevant agencies to identify the board of director posts that can be filled by the Orang Asli.

"Having them to be part of the promotion drive and in development planning with these agencies will secure the Orang Asli's economy as what the prime minister wanted.

"We need to have Orang Asli representatives with us so that we can exchange ideas and market their craft products in a holistic manner."

Mohammaddin added the ministry focused on eco-tourism and craft products because they were sought after by tourists.

"The tourists are not here to see the `concrete jungle' because they have abundant of such attractions in their own countries especially in Europe.

"They are here to admire and enjoy our tropical forests and the Orang Asli are the experts of such surroundings and their settlements are located at hilly areas, which will make it the best eco-tourism product," he said.

-nst online.

https://www.tourism.gov.my/about-us/board-of-directors

21 Asian Media And Bloggers On Food-Hunting Trip To Promote Malaysia As Gastronomy Haven

photo: Tourism Malaysia

KUALA LUMPUR, 19 APRIL 2019: A total of 21 media representatives and bloggers from Asia recently had a chance to taste some of Malaysians unique cuisines such as otak-otak, onde-onde and oysters. 

They were invited by Tourism Malaysia under under the Malaysia Mega Familiarisation Programme, themed “Come Hungry Leave Satisfied”, to help promote Malaysia’s gastronomy tourism. The participants from Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Philippines, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam explored Melaka, Johor Bahru and Negeri Sembilan to sample the food and visit places of interest.

On the first day, they were brought to Baba Charlie Nyonya Cake in Melaka to sample many delicious types of nyonya kuih such as onde-onde. This was followed by a visit to Nyonya 63 restaurant, a place that serves various Nyonya cuisine. After having lunch, they took a city tour to Christ Church, Queen Victoria’s Fountain and Stadhuys. 

They proceeded to Muar, Johor, a city popular for its pre-war buildings, food and coffee, to sample “A-Class Otak-otak” followed by a cruise tour to Oyster Bay Muar for oyster tasting. At night, they departed for Homestay Parit Bugis to experience the uniqueness of the local heritage and culture in the form of traditional food and performances. 

The food hunting trip continued on the second day with satay for breakfast at R&H Café, Satay Maharani at Muar. The next stop was Johor Bahru, whereby there was a hunt for mee rebus at Restoran ZZ Sup Tulang. Later at noon, all participants managed to see local craft making exhibition at Johor Craft Complex. At night, they dined at Restaurant Spice Villa, a modernist Indian cuisine restaurant which is famous for fish head curry.

On 18 April morning, they visited the award-winning “Desaru Fruit Farm”. They were served with local and other tropical fruits as well as sample a few dishes cooked with fruits, namely asam pedas with passionfruit and masak lemak nangka. In the afternoon, they took a visit to Hard Rock Hotel Desaru Coast and had water sports activities at Desaru Coast Adventure Waterpark.At night, they checked in to Tunamaya Beach and Spa Resort and dined at Nelayan Seafood by The Coast. 

This morning, they returned to Negeri Sembilan and had lunch at Royale Chulan Seremban. The group ended their five-day, four-night trip with a farewell dinner at Restoran Rebung Dato’ Chef Ismail, which was founded by Malaysia Celebrity Chef Dato’ Chef Haji Ismail Ahmad and his friend, Malaysia’s 1^st cosmonaut, Datuk Dr. Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor. The restaurant, located at Taman Botani Perdana, specialises in traditional Malay cuisine. Here, the Mega Fam participants witnessed a cooking demonstration by Dato’ Chef Haji Ismail Ahmad and took part in a cooking competition. 

The Mega Familiarisation Programme is one of Tourism Malaysia’s signature programmes to assist in the promotions and branding of Malaysia as the preferred tourist destination in the world. This Mega Fam programme is partially sponsored by AirAsia Berhad (AirAsia), Malaysia Airlines Berhad (MAB) and Malindo Airways Sdn Bhd (Malindo).

-Tourism Malaysia.

http://www.malaysia.travel

Good move to boost tourism

Muhammad Bakhtiar is delighted to have a butterfly perch on his fingers at Entopia

in Teluk Bahang, Penang. With him are Goh (blue T-shirt) and

state Tourism and Culture Ministry director Jonathan Freddy Bagang.

TOURISM players have to adhere to strict criteria before they are awarded the Malaysia Tourism Quality Assurance 2019 (MyTQA) certificate which recognises the outstanding services to local and foreign tourists.

Deputy Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Muhammad Bakhtiar Wan Chik said the seven main criteria were information, initial impressions, attraction, facilities, staff, safety and sustainable practices.

“There are multiple steps, there will be a MyTQA team to audit the place and the panel will evaluate if the certificate should be awarded.

“The certificate is valid for three years and during that period, random checks will be conducted.

Muhammad Bakhtiar said the objective of the award was for tourism players to come up with at least some standard for their attraction.

“We have been getting a lot of complaints about our products, the lack of facilities or conditions of our toilets as well as safety problems.

“MyTQA is a form of recognition for tourism industry players who place importance on the quality of their services and put the needs of their visitors first.

“The benefits from the certification is that it will be listed in the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MOTAC) and Tourism Malaysia website.

“There will also be opportunities to participate in foreign trade missions organised by Tourism Malaysia, to participate in quality services training courses by MOTAC and weightage to the Tourism Fund,” he said.

Entopia chairman and founder David Goh said it was great to win the award as the standards were higher.

“This is a good start to upgrade the minimum quality and see better grades of tourist attractions.

“To us, we put importance towards education, in relation to conservation of nature.

“Our message is not only to the locals but also to visitors from all over the world, which is to care for nature,” he said.

The other four recipients of the certificate were The Top@Komtar, My Crystal Museum, Dark Mansion 3D Glow in the dark Museum and Queensbay Mall.

-thestar online.

http://www.motac.gov.my/perkhidmatan/daftar/mytqa

Tourism Malaysia Travel Mart @ Negeri Sembilan 2019

PORT DICKSON, 18 APRIL 2019 – The Deputy Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, YB Tuan Muhammad Bakhtiar Wan Chik has officiated the Tourism Malaysia Travel Mart @ Negeri Sembilan 2019 programme organised by Tourism Malaysia at Lexis Hibiscus Hotel here today.

The one-day programme is a platform for tour operators to meet with tourism product owners and hoteliers from Negeri Sembilan under one roof to develop various domestic tourism travel packages especially for Negeri Sembilan.

The Tourism Malaysia Travel Mart @ Negeri Sembilan 2019 programme, a Business-to-Business (B2B) format, involves the 2-way meeting between product owners and hoteliers from Negeri Sembilan and potential buyers who are the tour operators from Klang Valley, Melaka and Johor brought specifically for this event.

From January to November last year, Port Dickson alone recorded 4,498,083 local and international tourist arrivals.

Tuan Muhammad Bakhtiar, in his speech, said that the programme would enhance relations among those involved in the tourism industry and is a commendable business networking platform.

”In addition, the Tourism Malaysia Travel Mart programme will help to drive the growth of the domestic tourism sector, thus, creating revenue for the country’s tourism industry,” he added.

The Deputy Minister added, cooperation from the tourism industry players is much needed especially to develop tourism packages that are exciting and creative as this would help make Visit Malaysia 2020 a success.

A total of 120 buyers and 50 sellers took part in this programme.

-Tourism Malaysia.

Desaru Coast Gourmet Series - 2nd Edition @ The Westin Desaru Coast Resort ( 26 ~ 28 April 2019 )

The Desaru Coast Gourmet Series is back for it’s second installation! Desaru Coast is proud to present its very own signature dining programme – The Desaru Coast Gourmet Series Second Edition.

The new destination resort introduces and exclusively curated 6-series dining programme that offers a unique and holistic culinary experience for its prestige guests. Rediscover iconic flavours of Malaysian cuisines through new interpretations by award-winning chefs from around the world.

This year, the Desaru Coast Gourmet Series Second Edition proudly presents Chef Christopher James Millar – a Finalisft Chef of the Year for the World Gourmet Summit Awards of Excellence. 

Be the first to savour a one-of-a-kind mouth-watering fusion flavours at Desaru Coast!

Admission Rules:

·  No admission for child aged below 12 years old.

Note:

·  Dress code : Smart Casual. 

·  Cooking demonstration is only on 27 Apr – lunch session. 

·  Should you or your guest(s) not take red meat or have any dietary restrictions, please email the Organiser at nadhirah.razali@desarucoast.com.

Lunch and dinner session:

·  Restaurant : Prego, The Westin Desaru Coast Resort

·  Registration : Kindly present your tickets and NRIC/Passport at restaurant. 

·  Registration time :
Lunch : 11AM
Dinner : 7PM

Dining time :
Lunch starts at : 12PM
Dinner starts at : 8PM

Stay and dine packages/ Stay, play and dine packages:  
·  Check in hotel : 3PM 

·  Check out hotel : 12PM

-TicketCharge.

https://premier.ticketcharge.com.my/shows/show.aspx?sh=DCGS219