Laksa love: Penang's assam laksa ranked world's 7th best dish by CNN

Penang's assam laksa has made it into the list of "The World's 50 Best Foods" by CNN Travel, earning a spot in the top10. - NSTP/LOONG WAI TING.

 

GEORGE TOWN: Penang's assam laksa has made it into the list of "The World's 50 Best Foods" by CNN Travel, earning a spot in the top10.

The spicy-sour fish broth with noodles came in seventh, ahead of Thailand's tom yum goong in eighth place, ice-cream (in ninth place) and Gabon's chicken muamba (in 10th place).

Thailand's massaman curry topped the list, followed by Italy's Neapolitan pizza and Mexico's chocolate.

In fourth spot is Japan's sushi, while China's Peking duck and Germany's hamburger came in fifth and sixth places, respectively.

Singapore's chili crab and chicken rice took the 35th and 45th spots, respectively.

A caption which accompanied an image of Penang's assam laksa in CNN Travel reads: "Poached, flaked mackerel, tamarind, chili, mint, lemongrass, onion, pineapple... one of Malaysia's most popular dishes is an addictive spicy-sour fish broth with noodles (especially great when fused with ginger), that'll have your nose running before the spoon even hits your lips.

CNN Travel said its staff members had scoured the planet to compile the list of 50 of the most delicious foods ever created. The article was updated on Sep 30.

Responding to the list, state Creative Economy and Tourism Committee chairman Yeoh Soon Hin posted on his Facebook page: "Maintaining our Top 10 rank on the list, Penang Assam Laksa is No.7 on CNN's list of World's Best 50 Foods".

Last year, CNN Travel, CNN International's travel website, named Penang as one of Asia's 17 best destinations to consider for one's next adventure, singling it out as a 'mecca' for food and architecture lovers.

On July 13, 2018, Bangkok-based CNN Travel senior producer Karla Cripps, in her article "George Town, Penang: Asia's greatest street food city?" wrote at length on Penang's street food culture and the state as an eater's paradise.

-nst online.

2021 ASEAN virtual travel festival reveals event format and exhibition participation scheme

 

Travel suppliers in the South-east Asia region can now register their interest to participate in The Great 2021 ASEAN Travel Fest, a year-long B2B and B2C virtual travel festival designed to help regional hospitality suppliers source new business opportunities.

Organised by TTG Asia Media, the festival will spotlight one or more of the ten South-east Asian countries each month, starting from February through November; alongside an All ASEAN showcase in the month of June.

Each monthly destination showcase will take place over three days, comprising of two components: B2B Tradeshow and B2C Live Selling.

During the two-day B2B Tradeshow, which will take place on Thursday and Friday, participating sellers will be able to engage with travel trade buyers from Asia-Pacific and international markets, through a 24/7 virtual exhibition, walk-in business meetings, as well as interactive giveaways and games.

This will be followed by the B2C Live Selling on Saturday, where suppliers can connect with local and regional consumers through a virtual broadcasting event capped at two hours, and sell attractive deals and offers direct to them.

Leveraging on the popularity of live broadcast shopping, production of this segment promises to be hassle-free, with suppliers having to provide only their product information and inventory. The rest will be managed by TTG Asia Media, which will handle aspects from programming and production, to event hosting, live-stream platforms, and an online transaction medium.

Suppliers can also tap into TTG Asia Media’s vast network of travel professionals and enthusiasts to market their event to a wider audience.

Companies can get two showcases for the price of one, with the ROI-driven packages starting at US$2,500, which includes B2B participation with virtual booth and business meeting tools at one destination showcase, plus one All ASEAN showcase.

Other benefits include eight pre-scheduled appointments during the All ASEAN showcase, unlimited walk-in meetings for both showcases, alongside the opportunity to sponsor prizes for interactive games and giveaways.

The price excludes an additional US$2,000 participation fee per B2C Live Selling event, and a 20 per cent commission for inventory sold.

Register your interest here.

-TTG Asia.

Good news! Taman Negara reopens tomorrow

 

KUANTAN: Tourism industry operators in Taman Negara can finally heave a sigh of relief.

After weeks of uncertainty, the national park in Jerantut, which was abruptly closed to curb the spread of Covid-19 on Oct 6, will reopen its doors to visitors tomorrow.

A tour operator who declined to be named said tourism industry operators at the national park have been informed about the much-awaited decision to revoke the closure notice and resume operations.

"The operators will have to comply with all the standard operating procedures. Visitors from areas placed under the Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO) are advised not to travel to the park.

"Both the Kuala Tahan and Merapoh entrances to Taman Negara will reopen to visitors. Hiking activities at Gunung Tahan has been also allowed to resume," he said.

It is learnt that the Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) will be issuing an official statement on the reopening of the park under the new normal later today.

The move to close the park on Oct 6 for the second time this year sparked backlash from tourism industry operators as they face losses amounting to an estimated RM2 million.

On Monday, they submitted a memorandum to the Energy and Natural Resources Ministry on the matter. State Tourism and Culture Committee chairman Datuk Seri Mohd Sharkar Shamsudin had also urged the government to revoke its order and reopen Taman Negara.

Sharkar said neither the national park nor Pahang was under the CMCO.

-nst online.

Skim Pembiayaan Pelancongan PENJANA

 

-MOTAC.

Malaysian agency’s outbound tour packages sold out amid Covid

 

Apple Vacations recently conducted a successful campaign offering outbound tour packages to 25 destinations including Slovenia; Lake Bled in Slovenia pictured

At a time when most international borders remain sealed, and Malaysians are banned from travelling abroad, outbound tour specialist Apple Vacations recently sold out its group tour packages to 25 destinations, under its seven-day travel recovery campaign run in early October.

Destinations that were on offer span the globe, including Cambodia, China, South Korea, Australia, Japan, UAE, and EurAt a time when most international borders remain sealed, and Malaysians are banned from travelling abroad, outbound tour specialist Apple Vacations recently sold out its group tour packages to 25 destinations, under its seven-day travel recovery campaign run in early October.

Destinations that were on offer span the globe, including Cambodia, China, South Korea, Australia, Japan, UAE, and Europe, among others.

Apple Vacations recently conducted a successful campaign offering outbound tour packages to

Its group managing director, Koh Yock Heng, shared that the competitive pricing of these full board group tour packages, with discounts up to 50 per cent alongside flexible departure dates in April and May 2021, was the reason why they were snapped up quickly.

For example, a nine-day/six-night package to Western Europe covering Switzerland, Germany, Netherlands, Belgium and France, all in costs RM5,399, instead of RM10,799. Elsewhere, a 10-day, seven-night holiday to the Balkans is priced at RM6,999 all in, as opposed to RM13,999.

Koh said the campaign is a collaboration between the agency, airlines, land operators and NTOs, who lent their support through joint marketing efforts.

“The airlines and ground operators also supported (the campaign) by giving big discounts on their end. If not for these partnerships, we would not have been able to come up with (competitively-priced packages for) this campaign,” he added.

Departure dates have been made flexible in the event that travel is not possible due to border restrictions. Koh shared: “The travel dates will then be postponed to new fixed departures. If clients are unable to go on these new dates, they can transfer their seats to someone else. And if that is not possible, we will give them a full refund.”

And should destinations reopen their borders to leisure tourists ahead of the set departure date, and Malaysia has lifted its ban on non-essential outbound travel, the tour will depart earlier. Koh said: “The idea is for us to be one of the first few visitors to visit a destination when it reopens.”

-TTG Asia.

Malaysia’s Firefly to launch jet flights in early 2021

 

Firefly Airlines will start jet operations from 1Q2021, as part of parent Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG)’s revamped long-term business plan, with a focus on strengthening the revenue streams of each subsidiary as its premium carrier brand Malaysia Airlines (MAB) teeter on the brink.

Under the plan, Firefly will add up to 10 narrow body jets to its fleet in phases, serving the domestic, South-east Asia and Asia-Pacific markets out of Penang International Airport.

The low-cost carrier will be complementing sister company MAB in serving the leisure market, while diversifying its base connecting secondary cities in Malaysia to East Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and Singapore.

It will leverage on available resources and talents from within MAG, with the possibility of deploying the Boeing 737-800 aircraft from MAB. This will give the national carrier room to focus on its network serving the premium market, according to MAG.

MAG CEO Izham Ismail said: “Based on available forecasts, domestic and short-haul travel will be most preferred in the current environment, hence, it makes commercial sense for Firefly to supply this demand from the northern region. This is in line with the group’s enhanced Long-Term Business Plan, which has been realigned to suit the current and future environment post-Covid-19, with a focus on strengthening the revenue streams of each subsidiary.”

With the new jet operations, Firefly will offer a flexible service concept, with product unbundling to suit the leisure-focused and price-sensitive customers, providing a more significant value proposition.

The setup of Firefly’s Penang hub jet operations will require minimal investment by MAG in 2021, with an expected increase in production, measured in average seat per kilometre, by 36 per cent over the next five years, MAG said.

-TTG Asia.

Infografik Sektor Pelancongan & Kebudayaan Di Bawah SOP PKPB

 

-MOTAC.

Malaysia budget hotels aim to boost occupancy through digitalisation

 

With the pandemic accelerating consumer demand for contactless payment solutions, budget hotels in Malaysia are looking to switch their operating models in order to capitalise on the contactless economy.

The Malaysia Budget Hotel Association (MyBHA) is encouraging its members to shift to contactless payment methods to boost their hotels’ occupancies, through the launch of the Jom Nginap (which means Let’s Stay in Malay) campaign, in collaboration with e-wallet provider Touch ‘n Go (TNG) and local digital payment solution provider Gkash.

MyBHA’s national president, Emmy Suraya Hussein, shared: “We will be the first hotel association to initiate and engage with 14 million TnG eWallet users in the country.”

Under the campaign, TnG will exhibit and promote all participating hotels in the TnG eWallet app, while Gkash will provide digital wallet solutions through business apps at zero-entry costs.

MyBHA will initially engage with 200 hotels nationwide to participate in this campaign which will run from November 15 to December 31, 2020. Looking ahead, the association will encourage more hotels to participate in similar eWallet cashback campaigns in the future.

-TTG Asia.

http://mybha.org/

Experience Malaysia - October 2020

 

To view EXPERIENCE MALAYSIA Click here

-Tourism Malaysia.

Sunway splashes out US$60m on major facelift

Sunway City Kuala Lumpur plans US$60 million transformation of its flagship five-star hotel

 

Sunway City Kuala Lumpur has earmarked US$60 million to transform its flagship property, Sunway Resort Hotel & Spa, in what will mark the resort’s most extensive initiative in its 24-year history.

The revamp is part of the group’s drive to establish Malaysia’s first fully integrated township as Asia’s leading integrated resort complex and a regional tourism hub.

Scheduled to reopen in phases from March 2021, Sunway Resort Hotel & Spa will feature 478 rooms, alongside a restaurant, six cascading waterfalls among two landscaped pools, and extensive family and health facilities.

Sunway Resort Hotel & Spa’s transformation takes its place alongside the family-focused Sunway Lagoon theme park which stretches over 35ha and six entertainment zones. For business visitors, the Sunway Pyramid Convention Centre features 7,157m2of hi-tech space, flexible configurations and capacity to host some 4,000 delegates theatre-style or 6,000 for a cocktail reception for corporate events.

With design led by Nelson Yong, principal of Sunway Design, Sunway Resort Hotel & Spa has rebuilt swathes of the resort and reimagined spaces. New family facilities, specialist suites, pool villas, technology with smartphone key entry and motion sensors, live online fitness coaching, chromotherapy showers and wellness lighting to assist sleeping which is powered by Sunway Medical Centre, are all integrated into the holistic experience.

As part of Sunway’s sustainability commitment, a vertical farm by FutureX will be a key source of ingredients for all restaurants, offering healthy and farm-fresh produce for guests. The FutureX Farm, led by Sunway Innovation Labs, is an urban farm located in the heart of Sunway City Kuala Lumpur where farming professionals, tech companies, researchers and young talent create solutions focused on food and agritech.

In minimising the hotel’s carbon footprint, a host of environmental measures will be introduced. Contactless check-in/out and digital hotel directories will eliminate the need for paper, while energy-saving air-conditioning systems and smart curtains will help to regulate room temperatures. Solar panels, motion-sensor LED lighting and advanced water technologies will further enhance efficiency. Plastic laundry bags have been abolished.

-TTG Asia.

UNWTO, IATA form alliance to get airlines flying again

 

Ahead of the G20 summit of the world’s largest economies, which includes a dedicated tourism segment, the UNWTO has signed an MoU with the IATA, to restore consumer confidence in air travel, while placing sustainability at the centre of recovery and future growth.

As well as focusing on building and maintaining confidence in international travel, the new agreement will also see UNWTO and IATA work closely together to foster innovation and promote greater public-private collaboration. As tourism restarts, this MoU will help ensure recovery is sustainable and inclusive.

IATA director general Alexandre de Juniac said: “The safe opening of international borders to tourism is essential. Tourists want to feel safe, and they want to be confident that their travel plans won’t be affected by last-minute changes to rules and regulations. For this to happen, even greater collaboration between the public and private sectors is needed.”

IATA has been an affiliate member of UNWTO since 1978, providing a strong voice for the international air transport sector. IATA is also an active member of the board of the UNWTO’s affiliate members and contributed to the UNWTO Global Guidelines to Restart Tourism, released in May to help guide governments and the private sector in their response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The guidelines included a distinct set of recommendations for the air transport sector, with a focus on the introduction of enhanced hygiene protocols to guarantee the safety of both passengers and airline workers. It also emphasised the need for strong partnership and coordination at every level of the airline sector.

-TTG Asia.

Lojing Highland's rafflesia is world's second-largest

 

The rafflesia found in Lojing Highlands has been declared the world’s second-largest, after a species native to West Sumatera, Indonesia. - Pic courtesy of UMK

KOTA BARU: The rafflesia found in Lojing Highlands has been declared the world's second-largest, after a species native to West Sumatera, Indonesia.

Deputy Kelantan Menteri Besar Datuk Mohd Amar Nik Abdullah said he was informed of the matter by the Forestry Department and Universiti Malaysia Kelantan (UMK), recently.

Mohd Amar, who is also Lojing Highlands' sustainable development steering committee chairman, said the local variant, known as rafflesia kerri, measures between 80cm and 90cm in diameter.

The "corpse flower" is found along Sungai Dekong near Kampung Jedip in Gua Musang.

Mohd Amar said the state government gazetted 500ha of land for a rafflesia conservation park in 2011.

"Kelantan is an Islamic state which cares about the environment. We also hope that rafflesia conservation efforts in Lojing Highlands will contribute to the state's tourism industry," he said in a statement.

Mohd Amar added that the state government will continue to support efforts by the Forestry Department and UMK to preserve the giant flowers.

UMK's Earth Science faculty's senior lecturer, Dr Zulhazman Hamzah, said the university has been researching the rafflesia of Lojing Highlands for 11 years.

He said many articles on the growth and mortality rates of rafflesia – as well as their pollination, seed dispersal and scent – were published in scientific journals, conference papers and other mass media.

"In Southeast Asia, the rafflesia is fast becoming an international icon for tourism and a prominent symbol for nature conservation.

"The Lojing Highlands holds tourism potential as it is also home to the largest population of rafflesia after those found in Indonesia."

-nst online.

Tourism Malaysia Surfcasting Tour 2020 @ Pantai Seri Lalang Laut, Mersing, Johor ( 3 Oktober 2020 )

 

Hadiah keseluruhan berjumlah RM60,000 bakal menanti kaki pancing dalam pertandingan memancing Malaysia Surfcasting Tour 2020 di Pantai Seri Lalang Laut, Mersing, Johor.

Program anjuran bersama Tourism Malaysia dan Wakjali Event Management itu bertujuan untuk mempromosikan Cuti-cuti Malaysia sekaligus sebagai satu platform mempromosikan pantai-pantai di seluruh negara. Siri kelapan ini dijangka akan disertai 1,000 penyertaan di persisir pantai sepanjang 4.5 kilometer.

Juara bakal membawa pulang RM35,000, kedua RM10,000 dan ketiga RM5,000. Pemenang keempat hingga ke-100 juga bakal pulang bersama hadiah wang tunai. Menurut wakil WakJali Event, Md Zali Kasran, pertandingan itu bakal menyaksikan pemancing dari seluruh negara berkumpul di Johor.

Beliau yakin saiz ikan yang lebih besar akan menarik lebih ramai kaki pancing untuk menyertai pertandingan itu. Terdapat juga cabutan bertuah kepada peserta. Lokasi baru yang akan diadakan selepas ini. Berikutan musim monsun Timur Laut yang baru berlalu, pertandingan kali ini diyakini bakal menyaksikan pelbagai spesis ikan gred A akan menjadi buruan peserta.

Bagi pertanyaan lanjut boleh hubungi pihak penganjur di talian 019-620 3040, 012-245 7647 dan 013-383 8655.

-wakjalitour.my