MUMBAI, 08
February 2024 – Tourism Malaysia returns to India’s largest
tourism fair, the Outbound Travel Mart (OTM) 2024 in Mumbai, since its last
participation in 2020. The three-day event, happening from 8 to 10 February
2024, is a continuous effort to keep Malaysia as the preferred tourism
destination in the minds of Indian travellers.
At OTM 2024
this year, Tourism Malaysia aims to focus on niche products such as shopping,
golfing, luxury tourism, theme parks and honeymoon packages. On top of that,
emerging segments such as weddings and film-induced tourism are also being
promoted to Indians as a destination of choice. With more than 35,000 trade
visitors expected, the event will anticipate a significant increase in Indian
tourists to Malaysia and promote stronger cooperation between tour operators
and members of the tourism fraternity.
The Malaysian delegation is headed by Dato’ Dr. Ammar Abd. Ghapar, Director General of
Tourism Malaysia, along with 43 organisations representing
twenty-three (23) tour agents, eleven (11) hotel/resort operators, four (4)
tourism product owners, three (3 ) state tourism boards, two (2) airline
operators and accompanied with several officials from Tourism Malaysia.
Tourism Malaysia is
actively engaged in a series of promotional activities within the Indian
market. Commencing with the Malaysia Food and Cultural Festival scheduled from
5 to 11 February 2024, the initiative will be followed by an extensive roadshow
campaign spanning four key cities in India—Bangalore, Chennai, Calcutta, and
Ahmedabad—from 11 to 19 February 2024. The promotional efforts will culminate
in South Asia's Travel & Tourism Exchange (SATTE) in Delhi, taking place
from 22 to 24 February 2024.
Dato’ Dr. Ammar Abd.
Ghapar, Director General of Tourism Malaysia, said: "India holds
considerable importance as a priority market for Malaysia, boasting robust
economic ties and deep cultural connections. It stands as Malaysia's
fifth-largest source of tourists, contributing significantly to the tourism
landscape. The period from January to September 2023 witnessed Malaysia
welcoming 14.4 million tourists, with 472,479 arrivals originating from India.”
“We are eager to
participate in this program actively, aiming to enhance efforts to attract a
greater number of Indian tourists to visit Malaysia. Leveraging the recent
announcement of the visa-free policy for Indian tourists until December 31,
2024, we seek to capitalise on this opportunity. Moreover, this platform serves
as an excellent avenue to promote Visit Malaysia 2026, utilising comprehensive
publicity coverage throughout the program.”
Ensuring smooth air
connectivity, there are a total of 180 flights providing 33,374 seats weekly
between India and Malaysia. Prominent airlines, including Malaysia Airlines, Batik Air,
AirAsia, and IndiGo, contribute to this robust network.
Dersenish Aresandiran, Chief Commercial Officer of Airlines from
Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG) said, “Malaysia Airlines is thrilled to be part of OTM 2024 as the
official airline partner. Together with Tourism Malaysia, we look forward to
showcasing the diverse and captivating allure of Malaysia to Indian travellers
as we work closely with Tourism Malaysia to reinvigorate inbound and outbound
tourism between these two key markets. With our renowned Malaysian Hospitality,
we provide seamless connectivity by operating 69 weekly flights from nine (9)
key hubs in India. We invite travellers to take advantage of the special fares
for flights from India to Kuala Lumpur starting at just INR 12,996 to
experience the rich cultural heritage and natural wonders that Malaysia has to
offer.”
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: only a member of this blog may post a comment.