Tourism Malaysia offering 3,000 durian packages

GEORGE TOWN, May 2 (Bernama) --Tourism Malaysia will be offering 3,000 durian packages to the public including tourists in conjunction with the "Back By Popular Demand - Eat All You Want @ Dusun 8321, Balik Pulau" campaign.

Deputy Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Muhammad Bakhtiar Wan Chik said the campaign organised in collaboration with Asia Gateway Tours was held to promote durians in the state.

"The campaign to be held from May 6 to August 6, 2019, will be supported by Air Asia Berhad and several hotels in the state. Today alone Tourism Malaysia managed to sell the packages to 800 visitors,” he told a press conference after officiating the campaign here today.

He said the package would include a durian buffet as well as one-night or two-night stay at a durian plantation in Balik Pulau.

"We are also targeting tourists from China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Thailand and Singapore to participate in this campaign," he said adding that participants would stand a chance to win one-way flight tickets either from Penang to Kuala Lumpur, Penang to Johor Bahru or Penang to Melaka.

-bernama.

Top New Experiences For Shopaholics!

KUALA LUMPUR, 2 MAY 2019: The month of May is going to be an exciting one for us! Not only it is the holy month of Ramadan, but lots of exciting experiences await you! You can shop at the latest lifestyle mall, SkyAvenue at Genting Highlands, or visit brand new Central i-City at Shah Alam or have a retreat at R&F Mall Johor Bahru. In addition to that, you can choose to have fun at some of the latest indoor theme parks, namely FlowRider, AirRider Indoor Skydiving, SuperPark, VAR LIVE, MyBestBox and The Rift. It is even more exciting that the arrivals of a two-week holiday from May 25 till June 9.

As people nowadays more inclined toward experiential shopping rather than just buying things, so, it is a good time to look at some new malls and new experiences that you can explore as well as connect closer with your friends and families with something meaningful. Here are the top new experiences that are worth looking at.

Shop and dine at SkyAvenue, Resorts World Genting, Pahang

Resorts World Genting is one of the most popular destinations in Malaysia and people normally prefer to hang out there for its cool weather. Now, one of the latest attractions that you should check out is SkyAvenue, a lifestyle mall situated 6,000 feet above sea level.

There is plenty to shop, eat and play at this mall! This vibrant shopping and dining landmark covers a gross floor area of 1.434 million square foot. One of the attractive features of the mall is that it is designed with open air decks that form a perfect platform for cafes and Highline alfresco dining on level 4. With a stunning view of the future theme park and an array of restaurants, its immense dining piazza offers a relaxed and inviting ambiance that’s just perfect for al fresco dining with family and friends.

With more than 250 brands and shops, you can get everything ranging from your everyday needs to exquisite jewellery, timepieces, shoes, gadgets and more. Some of the international luxury brands here include Michael Kors, Marc Jacobs, Montblanc, Swarovski, Jo Malone, Coach, Hugo Boss, Swiss Watch Gallery and Longines.

When you are hungry, just swing by any of its excellent restaurants to satiate your cravings. Once you are recharged, there are also plenty of fun family activities waiting for you to explore! Some of the must try F&B outlets include Burger & Lobster, Cafés Richard, Motorino, La Fiesta, The Laughing Fish by Harry Ramsden and Park Avenue Lounge.

“New Everyday Experience” at Central i-City Shopping Centre

Themed “New Everyday Experience”, the newly opened Central i-City is the first and largest Thai-inspired shopping centre in the capital of Selangor.A marriage between Thai hospitality and Malaysian friendliness, the shopping centre offers a brand-new retail experience for shoppers.

Central i-City has teamed up with three established anchor tenants – Sogo, Village Grocer and TGV Cinemas.This is the first Sogo in Selangor featuring all-new offerings spread across four levels of retail space; the 40,000 square-foot Village Grocer offers a wider range of products exclusively available at Central i-City, while the all-new TGV Cinemas features a hi-tech, state-of-the-art entertainment for everyone as it is equipped with the latest audio and visual technology, coupled with the largest IMAX hall in Malaysia and the largest Samsung Onyx LED screen in the world.

Some of Central i-City’s notable stores featuring all-new concepts are Food Empire, TBM electrical store, Ace Hardware, Padini Concept Store, Brands Outlet, Sportsdirect.com, Popular Bookstore, ALL IT Hypermarket and Grand Palace, while Sneaker Street, Anta Sports, Lifestyle by Skechers and Café Amazon make up some of the shopping centre’s first-in-Malaysia stores.In total, shoppers will have access to 350 retail stores spread across six levels, comprising Malaysian and International brands which are targeted to all age segments, complemented by ample car park bays on three levels.

Take a break at R&F Mall, Johor Bahru

R&F Mall Johor Bahru is just an 8-minutes’ walk from Singapore-Malaysia Custom Immigration Quarantine (CIQ) centre and connected by a fully sheltered linked bridge. With its easy access as well as a perfect combination of interior and exterior space, the mall is committed to change the shopping experience for both locals and Singaporeans.

The three-storey mall comprises brands and options cater to both millennials as well as family with kids. It is home to several retailers making their debut in Johor including the first Jaya Grocer in downtown JB; the first educational playland Kiddomo in Southern Malaysia; the first Kyochon fried chicken in JB.

Among the tenants will also be newcomers to the Malaysian retail scene such as Taiwanese Oregin Ji Ke and ROUTINE by Soon as well as anchor tenant Emperor Cinemas which hails from Hong Kong. Visitors can expect cinema seats made of sumptuous leather and fully equipped with USB charging ports.

Take a visit to innovative experiential theme park!

It is not just restricted to eat, shop and movie watching for a shopping mall hangout now. Well, the retail industry is moving fast and the industry players have come out with many new ideas to attract bigger crowds to their malls. We have a list of new indoor and adventure theme park in a mall for you and your families. Let’s check it out immediately!

FlowRider 1Utama, 1Utama Shopping Centre

1Utama Shopping Centre introduces FlowRider 1Utama as one of its new attractions to further position the mall as “world-class sports tourism destination”.

The first-ever FlowRider venue in a shopping mall brings ultimate fusion of water sports experience for people of all ages, especially sports-boarders a chance to show off their surf skills and tricks. The device is simulated wave generator featuring sheet wave technology for the sport of flowboarding, bodyboarding and surfing.

Guided by professional instructors, FlowRider 1Utama brings safety, confidence and thrills for all riders. Family and friends can also sit back and watch at the viewing area and enjoy all the excitement.

Promotions which are available now; FLOW on 5 (Buy 5 Hours Rides and get 1 Hour Free Ride) and FLOW on 10 (Buy 10 Hours Rides and get 3 Hours Free Rides). Both are ideal and suitable for FlowRider enthusiasts. For more information and price list, you can visit FlowRider 1Utama website at http://flowrider1utama.com.my

AirRider Indoor Skydiving, 1Utama E, 1Utama Shopping Centre

AirRider brings the simulated skydiving experience and is the first to be introduced in a shopping mall in the Asia Pacific. AirRider Indoor Skydiving is the simulation of an actual skydive at 14,000 feet.

The circular glass wind tunnel creates a cushion of air and allows a skydiver to become airborne when they enter the wind chamber, all within the arm’s reach of our internationally-trained instructors.

The minimum buy is 2 flights per person. Each flight is 50 seconds long.It has 2,4,10 flights packages. It also comes with 2 group packages; small group of 10 flights (to be shared by up to 5 people) and large group of 32 flights (to be shared by up to 16 people). Price packages have been engineered to be pocket-friendly for all ages (minimum 3 years old), starting at RM89 for the 2-flight first-time package. The first flight session starts at 12noon on weekdays and 11am on weekends. For more information and full prices, please visit http://airrider.my.

SuperPark, Avenue K

Originated in Finland in 2012, SuperPark is the friendliest all-in-one indoor activity park on earth, delivering a unique experience of joyful play that excites and unites people all over the world.

Boasting a 40,000 square feet site in the 3rd. and 4th. floor at Avenue K shopping mall, SuperPark Malaysia offers over 25 fun and healthy activities under one roof. It is divided into three distinct themed areas: The Adventure Area, the Game Arena and the Freestyle Hall. The ticket price starts from as low as RM30 per person (adult & child).

Some of the exciting activities that appeal to kids, teenagers and adults include ice skating link, pedal car track, trampoline platform, augmented climbing wall and etc. For more information, you can check out SuperPark Malaysia’s website at www.superpark.com.my

VAR LIVE, MyTown Shopping Centre

Discover experience that stimulate the senses at VAR LIVE (Level 2, MyTOWN Shopping Centre), the largest VR theme park in Malaysia with 11 immersive cool VR games and more to come.

Themed “Dream With Your Eyes Open”, it brings out the players’ greatest joy through somatosensory feedback (such as vibration platform, guns, wind power system and real scene infrared localisation technology) and ultimate audio-visual feast with immersive interaction.

Promotion is available from May 1 till July 31, which is RM98/package for 3 games + 1 FOC game (Crazy Rush only).For more information, please visit VAR LIVE website at www.varlivetech.com

MyBestBox, Berjaya Times Square

Check out Kuala Lumpur’s latest party space and largest variety show game hub, MyBestBox at the level six of Berjaya Times Square.

Inspired by variety game shows like Running Man, MYBestBox brings to you a family friendly indoor theme park in which you can outdo one another and enjoy some comic fun! Spreading out over 12,000 square feet, this urban theme park filled with more than 40 interactive games that you can enjoy for an entire day with your family and friends.

Some of the top pick attractions include the dry pool filled with colourful crystal plastic balls, human claw machine and rain biking. Other attractions include the Crazy Karts, a 360-degree drift kart as well as the coolest Rage Room where you can unleash your anger by banging on glass and throwing things around. 

Promotion is available now with buy 4 pax free 2 pax (Terms and Conditions applied). For more information, please visit MyBestBox website at https://mybestbox.com.my/

The Rift, Mid Valley Megamall

Dubbed Malaysia's first ever hybrid Virtual Reality (VR)/ Augmented Reality (AR) adventure park, The Rift offers a taste of an out-of-this-world experience like no other!

Covering a massive 40,000 square feet on the third floor of Mid Valley The cool adventure park houses more than a dozen of attractions to choose from. Visitors can participate in all kinds of augmented reality games with the combination of physical activity.

Some of the key attractions include Zero Latency, Terminator X, Hurricane VR, Motion Blaster and etc. Find out the details before paying a visit, as you will need to select the attractions you want to try.

Price starts from RM30 for Junior Playland, as for Adult from RM75. For more information and prices, visit www. therift.com.my.

*This article provides information only and may be subject to change at any time without notice.

-Tourism Malaysia.
http://www.malaysia.travel

Tourism Malaysia wants to more than double Chinese arrivals in 2020

image: PelanconganKini

Tourism Malaysia is aiming for a staggering eight million arrivals from China in Visit Malaysia Year 2020, more than double the 2.9 million Chinese the country received in 2018.

Overall, the NTO targets 30 million tourist arrivals for next year. This means the share of Chinese visitors would make up around 26.7 per cent attract of total arrivals, double the 13.1 per cent in 2018.

Mohmed Razip Hasan, deputy director-general (promotion) Tourism Malaysia, is positive that Malaysia is not being over ambitious, having benchmarked the numbers against Thailand, which attracted some 10.5 million Chinese tourists last year.

To attract more Chinese, Mohmed Razip said Tourism Malaysia is planning to increase its presence in China by attending tradeshows in addition to doing 

more online promotions with Chinese technology providers.

He added that there will be more promotions in second tier cities and the tourism board will promote its joint international tourism development fund with Malaysia Airports to attract more charter flights from China to Kuala Lumpur as well as secondary destinations in Malaysia.

“We wish to spread Chinese arrivals, so that secondary destinations such as Penang, Melaka, Johor, Kota Kinabalu and Kuching also benefit from tourist arrivals, he explained.

According to Mohmed, Tourism Malaysia is not just interested in numbers but also yield, and hence will promote niche segments such as weddings and honeymoon, shopping, golfing, diving, birding and homestays.

He stressed: “We can’t do this alone, but with the support and collaboration from industry players such as The Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) and various airlines.”

The NTO is also promoting ASEAN to Chinese travelers in collaboration with the Federation of ASEAN Tourism Associations (FATA).

Jimmy Thoo, vice president Inbound and domestic at MATTA, shared that MATTA is planning to organise a roadshow to Chengdu and Chongqing in September to further promote Malaysia after participating at China (Guangdong) International Tourism Industry Expo in Guangzhou from August 30 to September 1.

Recently, minister for tourism, arts and culture, Mohamaddin Ketapi said visa-on-arrival for China and India – two major inbound source markets for Malaysia – may be relaxed next year, in conjunction with Visit Malaysia Year. The decision is pending further discussions with relevant ministries and ministers.

-TTG Asia.

The Sleeping Beauty By St Petersburg Theatre @ Plenary Hall, KLCC ( Opens October 2019 )

The world renowned St. Petersburg Theatre Russian Ballet keeps alive the unique spirit and traditions with a distinguished choreographic style that preserves the glory of classical masterpieces. Enjoy their performance as they bring you a treasured work of Russian ballet that was created 129 years ago. 

Composed by Peter Tchaikovsky and choreographed by Marius Petipa, The Sleeping Beauty is touted as the “encyclopedia of classical dance”. Don’t miss it!

-TicketCharge.

https://premier.ticketcharge.com.my/shows/show.aspx?sh=TSBYSP19

Sensation Of Harumanis Packages - Taste of Harumanis, Harumanis Discovery Tour, and Harumanis Ultimate Experience

-Tourism Malaysia Perlis.

New Initiatives To Boost Middle East Arrivals In Malaysia

DUBAI, 30 APRIL 2019: In conjunction with the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2019, the Honourable Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Datuk Mohamaddin Ketapi witnessed the signing of the Joint Tactical Campaign between Tourism Malaysia, Malaysia Airports and Air Arabia here, today.

The Joint Tactical Campaign, which comes under the Joint International Tourism Development Programme (JITDP), was signed by Datuk Musa Yusof, Director General of Tourism Malaysia and Mr. Adel Al Ali, Chief Executive Officer, Air Arabia.

The Minister said “We are pleased to welcome Air Arabia, the Middle East and North Africa’s first and largest low cost carrier to our shores. We believe this joint promotion will help enhance more tourism traffic from Sharjah, as well as from Iraq, Egypt and other Gulf Cooperation Council markets.”

He added, “This is one of the efforts for us to provide better connectivity to Malaysia. The daily flight from Sharjah to Kuala Lumpur, which will commence on 1 July this year, is the first direct flight from the region by a low cost carrier. I believe that this development is timely, especially in the run-up to our Visit Malaysia (VM) 2020 campaign.”

Raja Azmi Raja Nazuddin, Group Chief Executive Officer of Malaysia Airports said, “Malaysia Airports is thrilled and delighted to welcome Air Arabia to KL International Airport (KUL) this July. Air Arabia will be the 9th airline from the Middle East operating at KUL and this exciting partnership will further promote the airport as a preferred hub in the region.”

He added, “The service will provide travellers flying from or via United Arab Emirates (UAE) to KUL with more options and seats availability. I am confident with the launch of this new service, it will also enhance the image and reputation of Air Arabia as a transportation conduit among air travellers in the region.”

Air Arabia will operate its brand new Airbus A321 neo LR aircraft on this route with a capacity of 215 seats.

The Arabian Travel Market 2019 led by the Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Malaysia was an overall success. The Malaysian delegation to Dubai included 87 participants from 61 organisations, both from the government and private sectors with a mission to promote Malaysia and VM2020 campaign.

This year marks Malaysia’s 26th 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.

During the exhibition, the Minister had launched the Arabic version of the Tourism Selangor Facebook, which was a clear indicator of the state government’s commitment to use Facebook to promote Selangor in the Middle East.

The Minister also took the time to launch the Tourist Handbook 2019, the one and only tourism guide about Malaysia in Arabic language, as well as DalelMalaysia.com, the first tourist digital platform about Malaysia in Arabic language. Both the tourist handbook and the website are handled by the Malaysian-based ASWAQ Magazine and Media Hub Connection.

At this year’s ATM, Tourism Malaysia hosted a ‘Malaysia Networking Dinner’ at Grand Hyatt Dubai to show its appreciation to the tourism fraternity in Dubai and also members of the media. For the first time ever, Tourism Malaysia entertained the dinner guests with a traditional Malay wedding showcase presented by the National Department of Culture and Arts. There was also a certificate of appreciation ceremony for the industry players such as travel agents and airlines based in Dubai.

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.

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.