Putrajaya To Host Dragon Boat Festival

PUTRAJAYA, March 18 (Bernama) -- For the second year running, Putrajaya will host the 1Malaysia International Dragon Boat Festival from June 18 to 20, to position Malaysia as the home of dragon boat racing. Organising chairman Datuk Herman Chin said dragon boat racing was among the fastest growing team water sports, with participation estimated at more than 20 million people in 62 countries.

"Dragon boat racing has now become a global phenomenon. Traditionally celebrated on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month of the Chinese calendar, it often falls in June of the Gregorian calendar," he said Thursday. Chin said the event would see about 1,500 participants at the Putrajaya Water Sports Complex. The race is divided into two main categories -- international and local teams. Each category has sub-categories of open, mixed, women and junior (below 23 years). There is also a special category for Malaysian clubs, corporate teams and government departments.

TM Fiesta Cabaran Candat Sotong 2010

TM Fiesta Cabaran Candat Sotong 2010 (TMFCCS) kembali lagi dengan peningkatan hadiah wang tunai dan barangan yang lebih lumayan untuk dimenangi pada musim 2010. Hadiah wang tunai, barangan dan cabutan bertuah untuk dimenangi adalah berjumlah RM 277,000 keseluruhannya. TMFCCS 2010 di bahagikan kepada 4 sirkit.

Sirkit 1 - 27 Mac 2010 di Marang
Sirkit 2 - 24 April 2010 di Besut
Sitkit 3 - 29 Mei 2010 di Kuala Terengganu
Sirkit 4 - 26 Jun 2010 di Dungun

Yuran untuk penyertaan adalah RM 100 seorang untuk setiap sirkit. Untuk keterangan lanjut, sila hubungi urusetia di talian 09-631 7237 dan 09-626 5236.

Perlis Perlu Jadi Destinasi Pilihan Pelancong Asing

KANGAR 17 Mac (Utusan) - Usaha perlu dilakukan bagi menjadikan Perlis sebagai destinasi pilihan pelancong asing dan bukan sekadar menjadi 'pintu masuk' untuk ke negara ini. Menteri Pelancongan, Datuk Seri Dr. Ng Yen Yen berkata, rekod menunjukkan pelancong asing hanya menjadikan Perlis sebagai laluan untuk melancong ke beberapa negeri di utara Semenanjung. "Kita mendapati para pelancong asing masuk ke Perlis melalui Padang Besar (dari Thailand) menggunakan jalan darat (kereta dan kereta api). Mereka kemudian menuju ke negeri-negeri pilihan di utara Semenanjung. "Mereka (pelancong) menjadikan Perlis sebagai laluan sahaja untuk ke beberapa destinasi pelancongan seperti Pulau Langkawi, Perak dan Pulau Pinang," katanya. Beliau berkata demikian kepada para pemberita ketika melakukan tinjauan pelancongan ke Muzium Kota Kayang, Kuala Perlis di sini hari ini.

Sehubungan itu, Yen Yen meminta kerajaan negeri mencari jalan untuk menarik para pelancong asing supaya turut menjadikan Perlis sebagai antara lokasi pilihan utama ke Malaysia. ''Kita tidak mahu pelancong dari pelbagai negara hanya menjadikan Perlis sebagai pintu keluar masuk sahaja. ''Ini merugikan Perlis sendiri. Contohnya, sepanjang 2009, jumlah pelancong yang masuk melalui Padang Besar melebihi 383,000 berbanding lebih 365,000 orang pada 2008. "Adalah rugi bagi Perlis jika cuma digunakan oleh pelancong sebagai laluan sahaja. Setakat ini Perlis hanya mampu menarik pelancong domestik seramai 203,000 orang sepanjang 2008 kepada lebih 212,000 pada 2009," ujarnya.

Menyentuh Muzium Kota Kayang itu pula, beliau meminta kerajaan negeri berusaha menjadikannya lebih menarik selain menggalakkan syarikat pengangkutan awam seperti bas menyediakan perkhidmatan ke muzium itu. "Di muzium ini juga wajar diadakan pelbagai program yang boleh menarik minat pelancong, sama ada tempatan mahupun antarabangsa. Mungkin sesuai diadakan Saturday Museum Fair," ujar beliau.
http://www.perlis.gov.my/

Hotel Players Urged Not To Underprice, Under-Value Services

KUALA LUMPUR, March 17 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak has urged hotel industry players not to underprice or under-value their services. He said their action may not necessarily bring in more business as high-end tourists did not mind spending. "The hotel rates in Malaysia are the lowest in Asia-Pacific," Najib said at the opening the Royale Chulan Kuala Lumpur here on Wednesday. The five-star hotel, owned by Lembaga Tabung Angkatan Tentera (LTAT) and managed by Boustead Holdings Bhd via Boustead Hotels & Resorts Sdn Bhd, cost RM200 million. Najib said the country wanted tourists to have a "memorable and pleasant experience". "In this respect, taxi drivers need to be always polite and friendly," he said. He said the government would always give priority in the development of the tourism industry. "In January, the tourist arrivals rose by 1.4 per cent. We hope that this year, the tourist arrivals will be higher than in 2009. Last year, the country managed to attract 23.6 million tourists," he said.

Meanwhile, LTAT chairman, Tan Sri Mohd Anwar Mohd Nor, said the company aimed to invest in valuable properties within the bustling city. "The hotel complements our other properties, namely Bangunan LTAT and Chulan Tower which are both located within the radius of the Royale Chulan," he said. He said Boustead Group's experience in managing a successful chain of Royale Bintang hotels would augur well for the group. "We are confident that with their track record, the Royale Chulan Kuala Lumpur will also be successful," he said. Boustead Holdings group managing director, Tan Sri Lodin Wok Kamaruddin said, the Royale Chulan was a jewel in the crown of the Royale Bintang group of hotels."Since its opening in April last year, the hotel is fast gaining an enviable reputation as the venue of choice for prestigious events locally and internationally," he said.
http://www.theroyalechulan.com.my/

West Side Story Musical To Hit Malaysia

KUALA LUMPUR, March 17 (Bernama) -- Broadway fans, especially those in Southeast Asia, is expected to make a beeline for Kuala Lumpur in May when the West Side Story musical hit the Malaysian capital. The musical will be staged at Istana Budaya from May 12 to 24 with the support of the Tourism Ministry, Information Communication and Culture Ministry and other partners.

Tourism Malaysia chairman Datuk Dr Victor Wee said the event is expected to draw the crowds. "Tourism Malaysia and the government are working to make Kuala Lumpur a hub for arts and cultural events. We hope tourists and fans from the neighbouring country will come and watch the performance," he told a media conference here on Wednesday. Malaysia is the only Southeast Asian stop for the 50th anniversary world tour of the legendary multiple award-winning production including a clean sweep of 10 Oscars in 1961. Bookings for the musical can be done on www.ticketspeople.com.

Iran Holiday A Boon For Malaysia

MALAYSIAN Iran market specialists are anticipating an increase in arrivals during the Nourooz (Iranian New Year) holiday season, from March 18 to April 4. Se Wac Travel & Tours general manager Mohammad Kiani anticipates a 20 per cent increase in volume over last year for the holidays. He said demand for twinning Kuala Lumpur with Singapore has also increased mainly due to heightened destination awareness efforts by the Singapore Tourism Board. Grace Holidays general manager Godwin Miranda expects a 30 per cent increase in volume over the same period last year, returning thereby to 2008 levels.

AirAsia X is mounting two charters from Tehran to Kuala Lumpur on March 18 and 19 while Iran Air will fly five charters during Nourooz on the same route in addition to its four weekly scheduled flights.
- TTG Asia

Tune Hotels.com Eyes Important Role In London's Hospitality, Tourism Sectors

KUALA LUMPUR, March 15 (Bernama) -- Tune Hotels.com wants to be an important player in London's hospitality and tourism sectors, said group chief executive officer, Mark Lankester. In a statement here on Monday, Lankester said the UK and London, in particular, was a crucial part in the company's expansion plan, on top of its organic growth in Asia.

"The London profile lends us so much higher credibility and reputation and it plants a flagpole in one of the most visited cities in the world, which will be a springboard for further and more rapid potential partnerships globally," he said. He said Tune Hotels.com's plan for 15 hotels in Greater London by 2017 would set a positive tone for the company's global expansion.

The company recently entered into a strategic partnership with Queensway Group Ltd to invest in, develop and operate 15 hotels. The roll-out of the RM746 million investment, which involves around 1,500 hotel rooms, will commence with the launch of Tune Hotels.com-Westminister in the third quarter of this year. Lankester said the partnership was another another breakthrough into the UK's market by a home-grown Malaysian brand and it would help foster better economic ties between both countries.

Firefly Chalks Up RM1.8 Million Sales At MATTA Fair

KUALA LUMPUR, March 15 (Bernama) -- Community airline Firefly recorded RM1.8 million sales at the three-day Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) Fair 2010 which ended here on March 14. Head of Firefly Holiday, Lau Yin May, said that sales at the travel and tourism fair exceeded the airline's target of RM1.5 million. "Our sales at MATTA fairs just keep on getting better and better, and this is definitely the most successful MATTA Fair that we have participated in," she said in a statement on Monday.

The airline said its latest Firefly Mobile Booking feature contributed RM30,000 sales at MATTA Fair this year. "The figure further convinces Firefly that mobile booking is a potential medium of booking and purchasing flights tickets in the coming future," it said. Firefly is operated under FlyFirefly Sdn Bhd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Malaysian Airline System Bhd. It received the "Best Value Airline of the Year" award at the 2010 Frost and Sullivan Asia Pacific Aerospace and Defence Awards.

http://www.fireflyz.com.my/

MASwing Poised To Take Off In BIMP EAGA

TOULOUSE, France: Commuter airline MASwings, which currently only serves the travel needs of Sabah and Sarawak, is banking on expanding its services to the BIMP EAGA region by October this year, said managing director Datuk Salleh Tabrani. (BIMP EAGA refers to Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, East Asean Growth Area.) The move, it is hoped, will create a growth driver for the Malaysia Airline’s wholly owned and loss-making subsidiary. Some 75% of its routes under the Rural Air Services (RAS) are not commercially viable but are undertaken as a social obligation whereby the Government subsidises the losses.

“We have conducted a comprehensive study of the feasibility to operate the routes and will make an announcement soon with regard to our expansion plan,” he said. Salleh was speaking to reporters who attended the handover ceremony of the ninth and second last ATR 72-500 by ATR, the southern France-based maker of turboprop aircraft and subsidiary of EADS. The delivery of the last 10th aircraft is scheduled for April this year. Some of the new routes being considered include Brunei, southern Philippines, and Kalimantan and Sulawesi in Indonesia. “This will be a major milestone for us as we will move from becoming just a domestic player to a regional airline,” Salleh said. The airline is also awaiting approval from the Transport Ministry to ply some new routes which it hopes to launch in October this year. “But we will still continue to fulfil our obligations to meet the travel needs of Sabah and Sarawak by expanding our frequencies and current network in these states,” he reiterated.

The delivery of the ninth aircraft, which took place over the week, is part of the airline’s widespread fleet renewal programme which involves the phasing out of its Fokker 50. To date, it has managed to phase out all but one of its eight Fokker 50 and expects to cap it by first quarter of this year when it takes delivery of the final ATR. “We hope to return the F50 to PMB (Penerbangan Malaysia Bhd) by the first quarter or April,” he said. The airline has forked out some RM700mil for the purchase of 10 aircraft, which Salleh said had managed to reduce its cost per seat by 25% and increase its load factor significantly. “The ATR represents the future of domestic air travel within Sabah and Sarawak. It is the state-of-the-art aircraft that embraces the latest passenger comfort, technology and environment credentials…to drive forward our ambitious expansion plans and traffic demand. “It has significantly lower noise level and higher fuel efficiency which enables us to keep our operational costs low,” he elaborated.

The airline carries 88,000 passengers a month which marks a 24% increase in load factor from a year ago. Flight frequency has also been increased from an average 600 flights per week to 950 flights per week. Salleh attributed much of this to the fleet renewal plan. “Last year we registered a high OTP (on time performance) of 92.9% and this year we are targeting to improve that to 94%, which is rather high compared with the industry average of 80%. We are also targeting to carry some 1.1 million passengers this year from 902,000 last year,” he said. “We are trying to cut cost so that we can narrow our loss to a more comfortable level. In 2009, we managed to cut losses by half that of 2008 and we hope to continue this. The more profitable routes will subsidise the losses from the non-commercially viable routes,” he said. MASwings currently operates 39 routes within the two states and covers 22 destinations. At the handover ceremony, ATR chief executive officer Stephane Mayer said the versatility of the ATR aircraft was a key advantage in regions where runways often required short landing capabilities. In addition, he pointed out that the aircraft had a fuel consumption of up to 40% less than regional jets as well as some 40% less of CO2 emissions.

MASwings is the second largest customer of ATR, after India’s Kingfisher Airlines. About 50% of ATR’s new orders were from carriers in Asia, a market which was fast growing, said Mayer. ATR is also setting up a regional training centre in Kuala Lumpur by the end of the year. When MASwings started out in October 2007, it had eight Fokker 50s and five Twin Otter aircraft. It was set up by its parent Malaysia Airlines (MAS) to specifically provide air services within and between Sabah and Sarawak as well as Labuan which are referred to as Rural Air Services. But the RAS wasn’t always under MAS’ wings. Back in March 2006, under a domestic route rationalisation exercise, AirAsia managed to gain the RAS from MAS and had set up FAX to handle these routes. But 14 months down the road, when the extent of the losses of the RAS became only too clear, the budget carrier decided to surrender the RAS back to MAS.
MAS then set up MASwings to operate these routes in October 2007. As it stands, MASwings cross subsidises the profitable routes such as the KK-Sibu route with other unprofitable routes.
MASwings’ profit and loss is currently borne by the Government.

According to Salleh, the commuter airline chalks up a revenue of some RM150mil a year, which also comes from other sources such as ground handling services. It counts seven airlines including MAS, Royal Brunei Airlines, Korean Airlines and Dragon Air as its customers. “MAS has to bring down the losses every year to a more comfortable level. We hope that by expanding our services to include international services, some of these profitable routes will subsidise the losses even more,” Salleh said. Could the expansion plan turn around the airline, returning it to the black? “We hope so – eventually,” replied Salleh.

http://www.maswings.com.my/

Melaka River Cruise Need To Be Extended Upstream To Attract More Tourists

MELAKA, March 15 (Bernama) -- The Melaka River Cruise currently serving only a stretch of Sungai Melaka, need to be extended further upstream to enable tourists to enjoy the serene beauty of flora and fauna throughout the river. Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen said tourists from abroad are always attracted and interested in places that offer nature's delights, thus provide a boom to tourism in Melaka. "For the locals, coming across iguana, birds and other animals may be a daily routine but to tourists, it is an exciting experience," she told reporters after cruising Sungai Melaka here Sunday night.

The river boat cruise sails the shallow Malacca River from her river mouth in Bandar Hilir to Kampong Morten where the boat makes her return trip, a distance of about 10km from the jetty and takes about 45 minutes to 1 hour. The Melaka River Cruise, managed by the River and Beach Development Board, has about 40 boats serving the route which is used about 60,000 locals and tourists, every month. Ng said the Melaka River cleaning and landscaping project which involves a cost of about RM320 million would become an asset for tourism in the state.

Home Ministry To Increase Scrutiny On Foreign Arrivals At Main Entry Points

KOTA BAHARU, March 14 (Bernama) -- The Home Ministry is expected to increase scrutiny on foreigners who entered the country, to overcome an increase in the number of drug trafficking cases, at main entry points in the country. Deputy Home Minister Datuk Wira Abu Seman Yusop said such measures were necessary due to an increase in the number of tourist arrivals, especially Iranians, who have been involved in numerous drug smuggling cases in the first three months.

According to Abu Seman, from Jan 1 to Thursday (March 11), Malaysian police had detained 57 Iranians for drug smuggling offences.He added that following the arrests at the KL International Airport (KLIA) in Sepang, various types of drugs were seized, including 77.28 kilograms of syabu, 6.7 kilograms of liquid syabu and four kilograms of heroin. "To prevent drug smuggling and drug related offences, police and the Customs Department will continue to take the necessary steps to cripple such activities at KLIA, Low Cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT) and the main entry points," he said here.Abu Seman said based on police statistics, 969 foreigners were arrested under the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952.

"The number of students involved in drug offences has also increased because in 2008 there were 19 arrests compared with 40 last year, an increase of 21 students or a 68 per cent increase," he said. Nigerian students make up the highest number of students arrested, six in 2008 and 18 last year, followed by eight from Saudi Arabia and another eight from Sudan for the two-year period, he said.

Sabah Hopes To Attract More Bruneians This Year

KOTA KINABALU, March 13 (Bernama) -- Sabah hopes to attract more tourists from Brunei through the availability of world class shopping malls in the state capital.

Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun said with daily flights provided by Royal Brunei Airlines and AirAsia from Bandar Seri Begawan to Kota Kinabalu, more Bruneians were expected to come to Sabah this year.

"Bruneians have shown a growing interest in shopping in Sabah, and especially now we have 1Borneo and Suria Sabah which will be fully operational soon," he said in his welcoming speech for heads of mission and foreign diplomats in Brunei to Sabah here Friday night.

His speech was read by Assistant Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Bolkiah Ismail. Masidi said a total of 34,252 Bruneians visited Sabah last year.

"Bruneians can also enter Sabah by ferry via Menumbok jetty and by land, which I see is the most popular way of coming to Sabah for Bruneians," he said.

"Sabah is an incredibly beautiful and diverse destination, and Borneo has a very strong eco-image that appeals to the discerning traveller.

"Our major strength lies in our hundreds of years old virgin rainforest, idyllic islands, world class conservation and wildlife sanctuaries and a multi-hued cultural heritage," he said.

Tawau Hill Park Has Large Potential To Be Tourist Destination

TAWAU, March 13 (Bernama) -- Tawau Hill Park, 23km from town, has large potential to be a tourist destination, said Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen.

She said several exotic draws, be they from the flora or fauna aspects, that were in the area including orchid species can be made tourism attractions for both locals and foreigners.

"The potential for the park is large but the attractions must be packaged. For example, stay at the park is packaged for three days and two nights together with visits to attraction areas there," she told reporters after visiting the park on Saturday.

According to Dr Ng, among activities that can be packaged were visits to the orchids area, the waterfalls and hot springs.

Dr Ng suggested that a special committee made up of the Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (Matta), Tourism Malaysia, the Sabah Tourism Board and Sabah Parks be set up to promote the park effectively.

She said the park's natural surroundings that had been conserved and well-protected and its cleanliness will impress visitors as soon as they enter the park.

According to Dr Ng, Sabah Parks officers were acknowledged to be experts and experienced in conserving natural environemnt but not much exposed to tourism matters and as such tourism promotion experts needed to be involved to assist.

Besides the Tawau Hill Park where there is the 88.32m Seraya Kuning (shorea faguetianan) which is also the tallest tropical tree in the world, other Tawau tourism destinations are the Balung Eco-Tourism and the Cocoa Museum.

Chennai To Be Kuala Lumpur's Twin City

KUALA LUMPUR, March 13 (Bernama) -- The Federal Territories and Urban Wellbeing Ministry is working to make Tamil Nadu's capital, Chennai, as Kuala Lumpur's twin city.

Its minister, Datuk Raja Nong Chik Raja Zainal Abidin, said representatives from the ministry would visit Chennai in May for the purpose.

The Malaysian government has held several discussions and is awaiting response from Chennai for the next course of action, he told reporters after opening a food and entertainment carnival at the Temple Of Fine Arts here on Saturday.

Raja Nong Chik said the Kuala Lumpur and Chennai twin city programmes was hoped to further enhance bilateral relations between Malaysia and India in art, culture, tourism and economy.

He said Chennai and Kuala Lumpur had many similarities being that majority of the Indians in Malaysia were from Tamil Nadu.

"In line with efforts to realise the twin city programme, the ministry is also planning to develop Brickfields into 'Little India'," he added.

The carnival, which also include cultural activities, is organised by the Temple of Fine Arts to raise funds for the Derma Sivasanta Clinic in Brickfields.

The clinic, set up by non-governmental organisations in 1982, provides free medical service to local residents as well as foreigners.

MATTA fair 2010 To Enhance Langkawi's Tourism Sector This Year

KUALA LUMPUR, March 12 (Bernama) -- The Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents Travel Fair 2010, or popularly known as the MATTA Travel Fair, is expected to boost Langkawi's tourism sector, this year. The Langkawi Development Authority (LADA) Tourism Manager, Megat Shahrul Azman Abas said three million tourists are expected to visit the historical island, this year. "This is an increase of approximately half a million from the 2.5 million tourist arrivals recorded last year."

Malaysians are still the major contributor to this figure and Thailand, Singapore and China, follow suit. The MATTA Fair 2010 is being held at the Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC) from Friday till Sunday. In order to further boost Langkawi's tourism, LADA has come up with the "1Passport Langkawi". This is a document similar to a passport, which offers six major attractions in Langkawi at a single price. The passport is being sold at LADA's booth at the MATTA Fair's Domestic Hall at RM40 for adults and RM25 for children. The 1Passport Langkawi will cover the Langkawi Cable Car, Langkawi Wildlife Park, Langkawi Mahsuri Town, the Langkawi Craft Complex, the Underwater World Langkawi and "Galeria Perdana", a historical museum on Langkawi.

"It was launched at the MATTA Fair in September last year and we managed to sell about 1000 of it." As this is the second attempt, we are expecting to sell more than 2000 passports," Underwater World Langkawi Sdn Bhd's Assistant Manager for Marketing and Communications, Haizolsam Mustaffa said. He added the passport has seen an increasing demand compared to the last fair and both the company and LADA are very confident of the sales target.

Tourism Malaysia Booth @ MATTA Fair 2010 March

Please visit Tourism Malaysia Booth @ MATTA Fair 2010 from 12-14 March 2010 at Hall 3, Putra World Trade Centre, Kuala Lumpur.

Participants under the Tourism Malaysia Booth are:-
a. Andak Spa
b. Zoo Negara
c. KL Hop On Hop Off
d. Central Market
e. Caricature "Jack Tenggiling"
f. Homestay Kg. Sungai Sireh
g. Ministry of Tourism

Go domestic, "Cuti-cuti 1Malaysia"
http://www.tourism.gov.my/en/travelpackages/index.cfm?tab=2

Firefly Holiday Launched At World's Largest Tourism Trade Fair

KUALA LUMPUR, March 11 (Bernama) -- Firefly Holiday, a subsidiary of Malaysia Airlines (MAS) was launched in Berlin Wednesday, upon the opening of Malaysia's booth at ITB Berlin, the world's largest tourism trade fair. Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen launched Firefly Holiday, Malaysia's first full-fledged travel portal, offering worldwide packages with a "Do-It-Yourself" feature. "Firefly Holiday is ideal for general travellers as it offers convenience from the time of booking to the point of arrival at preferred destinations.

"It provides tour operators one touch point of arrival for all-in-one ground arrangements," said Dr Ng in a statement on Thursday. To date, Firefly Holiday has expanded its services to more than 100 MAS' worldwide destinations via its international holiday packages. The Firefly Holiday international packages also complement the services offered by Firefly under a code-sharing agreement with MAS, the statement said. "Through this, the travel portal can pair up its ground packages with international flights," it added.

www.fireflyz.com.my

Malaysia Voted Asia's 2nd Best Destination By 'Go Asia'

BERLIN, March 11 (Bernama) -- Malaysia was declared the second best destination in Asia by 'Go Asia', a tourism marketing network specialising in Asia, which gave good marks to the overall facilities available for tourism in Malaysia. In addition, the Frankfurt office of Tourism Malaysia was voted as the third best foreign tourist promotion office in Frankfurt, decided over a number of factors including staff response to queries and professionalism.

Azizan Noordin, Tourism Malayia deputy director-general, who is heading the large Malaysian contingent here including tour operators and hoteliers, told Bernama that he was "very happy" over the award. The 'Go Asia' initiative was founded in 2003 to enhance marketing in German-speaking regions. It currently has 28 members consisting of tour operators, airlines and tourism boards. Malaysia has also been listed as one of the 10 top destinations of the world by Lonely Planet. With the world economy rebounding, Tourism Malaysia has also increased its overall tourist arrival projection from 23.6 million to 24 million in 2010 with many experts in this part of the world saying that the number could be "easily crossed". Tourism traffic from Germany posted a double-digit growth of 15 per cent last year to 128,288 arrivals. Azizan said Malaysia's homestay programmes which are popular with Koreans and Japanese who stay for two to three days with Malaysian families to get a first-hand experience of living in a Malaysian home, would be marketed in Germany and other European countries. German tourists to Malaysia stay for an average of 10.3 nights, far more than other nationals.

"We will be promoting high-end packages this year in the German market. We have organised some special events for this segment. The Grand Prix Petronas project is being organised in collaboration with Mercedes Benz." Another attractive event will be the International Shoe Festival in Malaysia. Jimmy Choo, the Malaysian shoe icon, will host this event. "This will be followed by the Malaysian Contemporary Art Tourism Festival," said Azizan. Berlin Mayor Klaus Wowereit, accompanied by the Federal German Minister for Economics and Technology, Rainer Bruederle, on Wednesday visited the Malaysian pavilion which featured a Melaka kampung house.