Show Cultural Richness For Tourists To Return, Says Masidi Manjun

KOTA KINABALU, July 12 (Bernama) -- There is a need for Malaysians to exhibit their rich culture and traditions for tourists to return for new scenes and experiences. Sabah Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun said if Malaysians did not value and practise their own culture, it would be possible for the number of international tourist arrivals this year to drop compared to 23.6 million last year.

"Last year was the hardest year for the global tourism industry, but Malaysia was fortunate. In fact, our tourist arrivals increased. "One reason was the political uncertainty in neighbouring Thailand and many tourists shifted their holiday plans to Malaysia. "But now Thailand's situation is getting better and they (tourists) may revert to holidaying there instead of here and this could also hurt Sabah's tourism industry," he told reporters before presenting a keynote address at an international conference on tourism development, here, Monday. The conference on "How to successfully design and implement master plans for sustainable tourism development" was earlier officiated by the Foreign Minister's political secretary Datuk Norhaidi Che Dan.

Masidi said if Malaysia's tourism industry did not improve its products and services, it would be unlikely for the country to meet the 24 million target in international arrivals, expected to generate RM54 billion in tourism receipts this year. Last year, it generated RM53.4 billion or an average of RM1 billion a week, he said.

On Sabah's part, Masidi said the locals should become tourist ambassadors for tourists to obtain first-hand information on the state and elevate Sabah's image as a hospitable, chivalrous holiday destination. "But its a shame if the Sabah people themselves do not have basic knowledge of their own state," he said. In his keynote address, Masidi said his ministry had commissioned the Sabah Institute for Development Studies to undertake a review of the current 15-year Sabah Tourism Master Plan (STMP) and formulate the second STMP for 2011-2025. "The Sabah tourism industry has reached a crossroad in its development and continues to grow steadily, although it has yet to reach a maturity where the industry can be sustainably self-regulating," he said. The two-day conference from today and involving 16 countries is jointly organised by the Islamic Tourism Centre and Universiti Malaysia Sabah.

Malaysia Can Be World's Eco-Tourism Leader

KUALA LUMPUR, July 11 (Bernama) -- Malaysia is a hot-bed for the world's rarest iconic natural attractions and serves as a tourist magnet. The country has attractive locations with vast potential for development as eco-tourism icons, according to a development planning expert. Universiti Teknologi Malaysia centre for innovative planning and development director Prof Amran Hamzah said Malaysia's natural attractions would lure tourist arrivals to the country. Tourists will be spellbound by the unique flora and fauna, clean beaches, exotic marine life, oldest rainforest and the world's biggest caves.

Currently, Amran said Sabah and Sarawak were the country's largest contributors to the eco-tourism industry as compared with Peninsular Malaysia, as they had the world's rarest iconic attractions. For example, he said the Mulu National Park in Sarawak, and Mount Kinabalu and Sipadan Island in Sabah were deemed among the world's top five locations for scuba diving activities. "Tourists will come to Sabah and Sarawak because they know they can find the orang utan in Sepilok or Kinabatangan where there is a unique range of eco-tourism attractions. "They cannot find an orang utan in the peninsula," he told Bernama in a recent interview.

Amran said there were many high potential places in the peninsula, including national parks, which were either under-developed or over-developed. Among the places were Tanjung Piai in Johor, Royal Belum (Perak), Bera and Chini Lakes in Pahang, he noted. He said eco-tourism activities could be the source of handsome income for the country, as well as local residents.

However, the growing passion to develop eco-tourism attractions could also lead to negative impact on the environment and the people, if the source of wealth was badly-managed. "The problem is that we have various sources of wealth but sometimes, the development planning was not in line with the sustainable development principles. "Eco-tourism means, we should add value to the source of wealth and the people. They should get the highest revenue. If it means that the people will be sidelined, then, we will fail," he said. Amran said planning, management and systematic monitoring should be done to prevent massive destruction of the environment because the country was capable of developing its eco-tourism industry. "It's dangerous to be hasty...When a sanctuary becomes a zoo, that's dangerous. We have to monitor the consequences. If the impact is negative, we should put a limit to it and create public awareness and educational elements," he said.

He said the homestay programme, on the other hand, could boost the eco-tourism industry as it involved existing villages and their natural environment. He said homestay programme operators should introduce unique and attractive package to lure more tourists as it brought extra income to the locals and country. "We have a great homestay programme, we are number one in Asia," added Amran.

Malaysia Airlines Offers All-inclusive Summer Packages

DUBAI, July 8 (Bernama) -- Malaysia Airlines is offering attractive, all-inclusive summer packages to Malaysia from 2,339 dirhams per person to those wishing to escape the current summer heat in the Middle East. Under its Everyday Value Fares (EVF) campaign, all packages are inclusive of return economy class travel on Malaysia Airlines, accommodation and daily breakfast. The travel period is between July 21, 2010 and Jan 31, 2011.

"Customers should grab these amazing offers. This is an opportunity for those on leisure travel to experience the cultural melting pot in Malaysia," Merina Abu Tahir, Malaysia Airlines' Regional General Manager for Middle East, Africa and South America said here Thursday. She said customers had a wide choice of destinations ranging from shopping in Kuala Lumpur to the sunny beaches of Penang and Langkawi as well as eco-tourism in Sabah and Sarawak. "We offer the benefits of travelling with 5-star full service carriers and a competitive fare to Southeast Asia," Merina said of the airline which received the "Staff Service Excellence for Asia" and "World's Best Economy Class" awards at the World Airline Awards 2010.

Citing an example, Merina said the airline's return fares to Beirut could cost 1,125 dirhams inclusive of taxes."Our fares are competitive and what's important is that they include everything. Customers enjoy all the comforts of air travel without having to pay extra," she said. Customers can enjoy further convenience as a new check-in feature is available online which enables them to bypass queues. For the Middle East region, Malaysia Airlines currently offers services between Kuala Lumpur and Dubai (seven times a week), Jeddah (4), Dammam (2), Beirut (3) and Istanbul (3). The national carrier also serves Abu Dhabi, Cairo, Bahrain, Doha, Kuwait and Muscat via code share partners Etihad, Gulf Air, Qatar Airlines, Egypt Air and Oman Air.

Homestay Plan Along KTM Route

KUALA LUMPUR: The Tourism Ministry has joined hands with Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB) to promote rural tourism. Together they plan to encourage travellers to participate in a homestay programme that is ac­­cessible by rail. The 22 homes are located along the Singapore-Tumpat and Singa­pore-Padang Besar lines. “The philosophy behind the programme is getting rural folks to share in the growing tourism economy,” said minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen when launching a new travel TV programme recording a traveller’s exploration of the country’s places of attractions on board a train.

Aside from stopping by the various homestay locations endorsed by the ministry, Sarawak-born TV host Henry Golding, 23, will also take viewers to other attractions in the country accessible by the KTM service. A ministry official said that KTM stations where the homestay locations are situated include Kluang, Gemas, Men­takab, Kuala Lipis. Gua Musang, Dabong, Kuala Kerai, Tanah Merah, Wakaf Bharu, and Tumpat. On the Singapore-Padang Besar line, nearby stations include Tampin, Seremban, Kajang, Ipoh, Bukit Mertajam, Butterworth, Alor Setar, Arau, and Padang Besar. The 10-episode show on 8TV, named “Welcome to the Rail World” airs every Wednesday and will debut on July 21.

Malaysia Airlines-MITM Travel Fair 2010 Expects 60,000 Visitors

KUALA LUMPUR, July 8 (Bernama) -- The Malaysia Airlines-MITM Travel Fair 2010 is expected to have a visitor turnout of 60,000 with sales turnover exceeding at least RM50 million. Chairman of Malaysian International Travel Mart (MITM) 2010 organising committee and President of Malaysian Chinese Tourism Association (MCTA), Paul Paw said the event scheduled from August 13 to 15, will be staged at the Mid Valley Exhibition Centre. "It will bring together tourism products under one roof," Paw said during the soft launch of the Malaysia Airlines-MITM Travel Fair 2010 here Thursday.

He also said that for the first time in the history of MITM travel fair, all booths were sold out in 14 days from the date it opened for registration in mid April this year. "Over 40 travel agents are participating in the event. Tourism Malaysia has also taken six booths in this fair. "Meanwhile, the director general of Tourism Malaysia, Datuk Mirza Mohammad Taiyab said the Malaysia Airlines-MITM Travel Fair could be a platform to promote tourism in Malaysia particularly among domestic travellers. "From past experience, it's domestic travellers who had helped to sustain the tourism industry especially during economic crisis," Mirza said. The government has set the target of positioning Malaysia among the top 10 global tourist destinations by 2015, he added.

Tren Elektrik KL-Ipoh Mula Julai

KUALA LUMPUR 6 Julai - Perkhidmatan tren elektrik (ETS) yang dijangka menjimatkan masa perjalanan antara Ipoh ke Kuala Lumpur daripada tiga jam kepada dua jam akan beroperasi pertengahan bulan ini. Presiden Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB), Dr. Aminuddin Adnan bagaimanapun tidak menyatakan tarikh pelancaran perkhidmatan yang bergerak pada kelajuan 140 km sejam itu.

Beliau berkata, KTMB menyasarkan pengguna daripada golongan profesional dan ahli perniagaan, selain pengguna pengangkutan awam sedia ada. "Dengan kelajuan yang tinggi 140kmj, kita akan mengurangkan masa perjalanan dan menjimatkan masa. Perkhidmatan pramugari dan pramugara yang disediakan dapat memberi keselesaan dan perkhidmatan yang lebih baik kepada pengguna. "Pada masa akan datang, kami akan sediakan wifi dan kami sedang mendapatkan service provider untuk menyediakan perkhidmatan itu," katanya kepada Bernama di sini.
-Utusan Online.

Malaysia Fights For The Hand Of Indian Wedding Segment

INBOUND tour operators in Malaysia specialising in the Indian market are competing with Thailand for the Indian wedding segment. Ground rates are usually the deciding factor, noted Adam Kamal, managing director of Tina Travel & Agencies. "The challenge is to offer ground arrangements as competitive as Bangkok and Pattaya, as wedding organisers are very price-conscious. Usually, the bride's parents would pay for the wedding, including tours and accommodation for guests." Adam lost two groups to Pattaya earlier this year and is up against the destination again for another bid for a 600-pax wedding group from Mumbai in November.

Tourland Travel managing director A Aruldass has been updating his Indian agent partners on value-for-money offerings at Malaysia's five-star properties and cost-saving possibilities on wedding requirements such as Hindu priests, musicians and chefs. Red Apple Travel & Tours managing director Arokia Das Anthony said word-of-mouth marketing was very effective. So far, he has organised seven Indian weddings since the last quarter of 2009, with another in the pipeline for this year-end.
-TTG Asia.

Ng: Homestay Is More than Just Accommodation

KUALA LUMPUR: Homestay operators who only rent out their premises to tourists will not be recognised by the Tourism Ministry, said minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen. “The homestay programme is not only about accommodation. It is also, among others, about getting to know how the locals live and their culture, and visiting durian orchards and rubber estates. “Tourists must also be able to enjoy local dishes with Malaysians and experience village daily life with them,” she told reporters after opening an event on Connecting Homestay to the World (Indonesia market) at Seri Pacific Hotel here yesterday.

Besides providing tourists with experience in local village life in terms of culture and food, Dr Ng said the host was also expected to teach tourists songs, how to cook Malaysian fare or even play games.

Get to know Malaysia: Ng (third from right) introducing the homestay programme to Indonesia Business Women’s Association chief Irma Hafida Rachman (left) and other Indonesia participants Monday. Also present is Homestay Association of Malaysia chairman Datuk Sahariman Hamdan (right).

“We also encourage foreign tourists to plant a tree before they leave the country under our plant-a-tree programme,” she said, adding that the homestay programme had received positive response from both foreigners and locals. Currently, the ministry recognises 3,600 homes under its programme. She said the ministry wanted to prevent people from misusing the homestay brand as it had a lot of growth potential in both domestic and international markets. She said homestay operators also needed to give an assurance that they would keep their villages clean and that the conditions of the houses and their surroundings met the Government’s criteria. Dr Ng said Malaysia was also aiming to attract tourists from five Indonesian cities with its homestay programme. “These areas have high potential growth for homestay in Malaysia. “We hope to attract more Indo nesian tourists to visit us,” she said, adding that the cities were Pekan Baru, Medan, Bukit Tinggi, Padang and Bandar Aceh.

Easier Transfer Between KLIA Terminals For Connecting Passengers

SHUTTLE coaches will ply the airside between the Kuala Lumpur International Airport's low-cost carrier terminal and main terminal building by this year-end, providing easier transfers for passengers with connecting flights. Malaysia Airports Holdings senior general manager operation services Azmi Murad said the new service would save the approximately 500 passengers shuttling between the two terminals everyday a 15-minute drive. However, passengers would still have to carry their luggage from one terminal building to another and check-in again for their connecting flight, as interlining facilities would not yet be available.
-TTG Asia.

Telaga Air Esplanade To Emerge As Eco-Tourism Centre

KUCHING, July 5 (Bernama) -- The RM9.2 million Telaga Air Esplanade, which was completed in April, will emerge as the state's new eco-tourism centre. This is because the esplanade, which is near to the Tanah Bencah National Park, one of the national park gazetted by the Unesco, is surrounded by natural infrastructure like beautiful island and beaches. "The government's efforts to turn the esplanade into tourist attraction will enable the local people to showcase their respective tourism products," Pantai Damai assemblyman Dr Abdul Rahman Junaidi said on Monday.

He said the Telaga Air Rural Development Centre, comprising nine villages which made up the esplanade, was a suitable location to showcase local products. He said this when opening the "Sepakat Bestari" Carnival 2010 organised by Sarawak Information Department at the Telaga Air Esplanade, here on Monday. Various activities, including stage performance, 1Malaysia talk, and 'Bubur Lambuk" (savoury porridge) cooking demonstration had been lined-up for the two-day carnival.

"Village Stay" To Make Use Of Empty, Abandoned Houses

KUALA LUMPUR, July 5 (Bernama) -- Empty and abandoned houses in villages can be a new source of extra income for villagers as the Tourism Ministry plans to have a new category called "village stay", Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen said on Monday. She said that compared to homestay, village stay would only provide the basic necessities without the choice of having the experience and engaging in activities with the home owners.

"Maybe you want to do other things (own activities) but you want to stay in the village and don't want the homestay experience," she said after meeting 64 Indonesian homestay participants here. She said, however, the ministry would hold discussions with the Malaysian Homestay Association so that they could understand the purpose of having a village stay. "Maybe they have 40 tourists. The village can only provide facilities for 20 people. So, maybe, that accommodation (village stay) can provide some sort of complementary support," she said. Ng said 17,842 foreign tourists had experienced homestay in the country in the first four months of this year, besides 52,575 Malaysians.

On another matter, Ng said she had explained to Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia the conflicting answers given in the Dewan Rakyat with regard to Malaysia's pavilion at the Shanghai World Exposition. "The answer to Fong Po Kuan (DAP-Batu Gajah) was very clear. It is RM20 million for building, RM15 million for management ... for example opening ceremony, national day, closing ceremony, the cultural group and all. It is very clear when the combined cost is RM35 million," she said. Last week, Teresa Kok (DAP-Seputeh) had demanded action against Ng on the grounds that her ministry's written reply to Fong on June 15 had stated the cost of the pavilion as RM35 million but Deputy Tourism Minister Datuk Dr James Dawos Mamit had told the Dewan Rakyat that it was RM20 million. "The deputy minister answered according to the question: how much was the cost to build. It cost RM20 million to build," Ng said.

Lundu Has Strong Potentials To draw Tourists

KUCHING, July 5 (Bernama) - Lundu, a coastal village near here, will become an increasingly popular tourist destination in the state, said Special Advisor in the Chief Minister's Office, Tan Sri Adenan Satem on Monday. Adenan, who is also the Tanjung Datu State Assemblyman, said Lundu, located in the south-western part of the Kuching Division and bordering West Kalimantan, Indonesia, offered various attractive tourism products such as waterfalls, beaches and the national park.

"The Lundu diastrict and Sematan sub-district have natural attractions which are suitable to be turned into tourist destinations. However, there are also destinations that have yet to be fully exploited," he said at a media conference, here. In an effort to boost the development of the tourism industry in Lundu and Sematan, he said various activities must be held to promote the hidden potentials of tourism products. Adenan said the Lundu and Sematan Carnival scheduled to be held from July 16 to 18 provided a platform to exploit the potentials for tourism in the two areas.

Langkawi Tourists Can Enjoy Helicopter Ride To Mainland Kedah

LANGKAWI, July 4 (Bernama) -- Tourists to Langkawi can now enjoy a helicopter ride to several destinations on mainland Kedah. Kedah Tourism Malaysia director Roslan Othman said the ride will take tourists to Alor Setar, Gunung Jerai and Kulim. Operated by CIG Global, the helicopter ride was a new tourism product for this resort island.

Roslan also said 19 couples from Germany, Australia, England, Norway, New Zealand, India, Japan and Latvia had registered for Langkawi wedding packages. Thirty-five tourist couples had their weedings in Langkawi last year. Some 4.2 million tourists were expected to visit Kedah this year compared to 3.8 million last year. Of the 4.2 million tourists, some 70 percent would be visiting Langkawi.

Develop Strong Art Tourism, Make Malaysian Art Iconic, SaysMuhyiddin

KUALA LUMPUR, July 3 (Bernama) -- The people must lend their support to make Malaysian art an iconic product which is desired, pursued and collected worldwide, Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said Saturday. To truly develop its potential in art tourism and enhance its global appeal, the country's art and cultural products must be strong, he said. Noting that the country must look into the arts and cultural offerings which locals and foreigners clamoured for, he said today's traveller wanted the industry's offering to be fresh, new and exciting. Such a traveller, Muhyiddin said, was not only looking for destinations but also experiences.

"However, such responsibility should not be left entirely to the government but also the private sector which should lend its hand to achieve this goal. "Malaysians, the artists involved, art galleries, art promoters, art critics and art lovers and collectors, need to grow upon this base to lend their support to making Malaysian art an iconic product that is desired, pursued and collected worldwide," added the deputy prime minister. Muhyiddin was speaking at the launch of the inaugural three-month 1Malaysia Contemporary Art Tourism (MCAT) Festival at Galeria Sri Perdana here.

On the event, Muhyiddin said it was in line with the government's target in promoting differentiated strategies to cater for unique and the distinctive high-yield travellers. He expressed confidence that with the creation of more meaningful and high value products, coupled with excellent service quality, the industry would be able to attract a greater number of tourists willing to pay a premium price for first-rate experience in the country. "I believe the tourism industry has the potential to play a much more prominent role in the economy's growth. "By creating new and innovative tourism products such as MCAT, the nation's profile could be boosted as a top tourist destination, and simultaneously, contribute towards its economic growth.

Tourism has been identified as one of the 12 potential National Key Economic Areas (NKEAs). The government also targets to increase the sector's contribution by 2.1 times and provide some two million jobs in the industry by 2015. Meanwhile, Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen, who was also present, said art tourism was identified as a high-yield product and would be promoted as a structured event in the tourism annual calender, beginning this year. As such, she said, festivals on arts would be held between July and September annually, in major cities across the country.

Later, speaking to reporters, Dr Ng said the ministry was planning to work with the information communication and culture ministry to transform the facade of Galeria Sri Perdana into a permanent exhibition for future art exhibitions. At the event, Muhyiddin also launched three public taxis to promote MCAT.

Malaysia Must Hightlight Attributes To Attract High-yeild Market

MALAYSIA must stop promoting the destination as a cheap option and start pitching its unique selling points if it wants to attract high-yield tourists, said the Malaysian Association of Hotel Owners (MAHO). These proposals were made to the performance management and delivery unit under the prime ministers department yesterday to support the Malaysian governments bid to transform the country into a high-income economy.

By 2015, the tourism industry is expected to contribute RM115 billion (US$35 billion) to the country's gross domestic product and create two million job opportunities. Other proposals included tax breaks and short-term loans for hotels to conduct refurbishments, and the creation of more training centres to provide vocational training for operational staff, said MAHO president Abdul Aziz Abdul Rahman. The association also proposed that the Malaysia Truly Asia brand be further enhanced.
-TTG Asia.

Malaysia Prepares For Middle East Season

MALAYSIA has embarked on a new tactical campaign to bring in more tourists from the Middle East during the market's summer holidays from July to October. The country will offer more activities to entice Arab tourists to stay longer in Malaysia during the month-long Ramadhan fasting period (August 11 to September 9) and Eid ul Fitr festival. Newly-launched 1Malaysia Contemporary Art Tourism 2010, from July to September, is poised to become an annual event attracting more high-yield visitors and art aficionados.

Other events during the Middle East travel season are the Putrajaya Flower & Garden Festival from July 10 to 18 and the Malaysia Mega Sale Carnival from July 24 to September 16. Tourism Malaysia is working with relevant authorities to keep shopping malls open beyond 22.30 to give Middle East tourists more time to shop for the Eid ul Fitr festival. The NTO is also working with the religious department to get Middle East Imams (religious leaders) to perform Tarawih prayers during Ramadhan.
-TTG Asia.

International Islamic Tourism Conference & Travel Mart

Date: 28~31 October 2010

Venue: Putra World Trade Centre, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Tourism Conference: 28~29 October 2010 @ Tun Hussein Hall

Travel Mart: 28~31 October 2010 @ Hall 3

International Islamic Tourism Conference and Travel Mart shall explore the issues associated with the development, management and promotion of Muslim tourism. The existence of a suitable ‘Muslim tourism environment’, acknowledging such issues as “hahal services” infrastructure, entrepreneurial systems, travel and tour agencies, airlines, the mass media, safety and security, is critical for the host destination in the promotion of Muslim tourism. It is essential that the key issues are understood so that the benefits of promoting Muslim tourism may be maximised and the negative impacts minimised. Whilst the travel mart, will provide a B2B platform for trade visitors to focus, particularly, on Islamic travel and tourism.

MAIN OBJECTIVES
The objectives of the conference and travel mart are fivefold:
• Firstly, to identify key issues, trends and opportunities for Muslim travel and tourism and how a host country can tap the potentials for sustainable development and for the benefit of the local community at large;
•Secondly, to provide a platform for the exchange of information and sharing of experiences of best practices in planning, management and implementation of policies and programmes on effective marketing strategies, investment, safety and security by the public and private sectors to facilitate and promote greater Muslim travel and tourism;
•Thirdly, to provide B2B Platform for tourism business partners to focus on Islamic travel and tourism do business;
•Fourthly, to create and sustain interest amongst non-Islamic countries, in particular, in developing Muslim travel packages to respective markets; and
•Fifthly, to provide for all other visitors, a wonderful possibility to discover the ‘Muslim whole world within a few hours’.

The objectives of the conference will be achieved through an examination of three main themes:
Muslim Tourism: Issues, Impacts and Opportunities – the issues associated with promoting and marketing of Muslim tourism. This theme examines such issues, and their management to ensure greater Muslim travel and tourism. Muslim Tourism Development – the means by which Muslim tourism packages can be successfully developed and promoted by the host destination. Muslim Tourism Case Studies – the presentation of case studies will allow the demonstration of aspects of best practice, the application of theory to real life contexts, and the implications for successful planning of future Muslim travel and tourism promotion and marketing.

http://www.itc.gov.my/

Emirates Holidays Puts Malaysia In The Limelight

EMIRATES Holidays has published a separate English brochure on Malaysia for the Gulf Cooperation Council markets for 2010 and 2011, making Malaysia its first destination worldwide to have a brochure on its own. Emirates Holidays destination development manager Davinder Kaur said the brochure would help Malaysia stand out from other regional destinations, such as Bali, Thailand and Singapore, which had already built brand loyalty and were attracting high-yield tourists.

She said: “We believe in Malaysia and we want it to reach its potential. Malaysia is generally perceived by Middle East tourists as a cheap destination, partly because of agents’ diluting rates to get volume.” The 20-page brochure features mainly luxury, five- and four-star hotels in Kuala Lumpur, Malacca, Genting Highlands, Penang, Langkawi and Kota Kinabalu in Sabah. It was produced to meet the needs of the high-end segment of the Middle East outbound market.
-TTG Asia.