Tourism Malaysia eyes promotion of niche market segments.

Date: 12 February 2013

Tourism Malaysia eyes promotion of niche market segments.

NEW YORK: The new vice-president at Tourism Malaysia's New York office has identified "good business potential" in certain niche market segments which will be promoted during his tenure. Ahmad Johanif Mohd Ali listed them as adventure, nature, diving, business travel and MICE (meetings, incentive travels, conferences and exhibitions).

"These segments are inherent with good business potential. But we also need to enhance the awareness of travellers from this part of the world about the attractions of Malaysia as a destination," Johanif, who arrived here two weeks ago, told Bernama in an interview on Tuesday.

Johanif noted that in a fiercely competitive place like New York, prices for long-haul flights were of crucial importance. "However, being a long-haul destination for American travellers, Malaysia's attractiveness can be further enhanced by offering it in combination with another destination in Southeast Asia such as Thailand or Singapore," he said.

Malaysia received a total of 240,134 visitors from the United States (US) in 2012, which was in fact, higher than the actual target of 230,000 visitors set for the US offices. The 2012 figures showed a 10.8 percent increase over 2011.

Another interesting segment inherent with good tourism potential is Malaysia's rainforests with their unique and exotic flora and fauna, which foreign visitors as well as students of ecology, botany and nature would find fascinating. Having been Tourism Malaysia's director in Sarawak before arriving in New York, Johanif has acquired good insights into the intricacies of nature and adventure tourism.

Johanif also discerned the cruise tourism segment as holding good promise for business, with this in mind, the New York office will attend the Miami Cruise Show scheduled for March in Miami. Tourism Malaysia is also eyeing for cruise ships to stop in Penang, Kota Kinabalu or Kuching en route to other destinations such as Singapore, Hong Kong or Japan. - Bernama

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Cruise industry tops 20m clients, focuses on Asia.

Date: 31 January 2013

Cruise industry tops 20m clients, focuses on Asia.

NEW YORK - Cruise lines carried 20.3 million passengers last year and expect the numbers to rise in 2013 as more companies focus resources on luring Asian clients, industry experts said on Wednesday. A year after the Costa Concordia disaster off the coast of Italy with the loss of 32 lives, the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), which represents cruise lines around the globe, said it expects to reach 20.97 million passengers this year.

"The industry is well positioned to continue with this trajectory," Christine Duffy, CLIA's president and CEO, told a news conference, adding that new policies have been introduced following a review after the accident.

The Caribbean, Mediterranean and Europe remain the top cruise destinations, with Americans and Canadians making up the bulk of passengers, but the industry is rapidly going global with Australia and Asia the big growth area. "We are very bullish on China and Asia as a whole," said Jim Berra, chief marketing officer of Carnival Cruise Lines and CLIA's marketing chair.

He added that cruise lines are investing in the region with more home ports and ports of call, and sending ships into the region to meet the growing market. "By 2020 the Chinese market is projected to be a US$7 trillion(S$9 trillion) consumer economy and will have created the largest middle class that ever existed on Earth," he said.

Cruise lines, as a result, will be adding itineraries to Japan, China and Australia, South Korea and Vietnam. "Some of our newer, bigger ships are heading to these markets because the demand is there," Mr Berra added.

Along with Asian destinations, cruise lines are adding trips to exotic locales such as Morocco, Antarctica, Iceland and the Galapagos Islands, and are ramping up on-board entertainment with Broadway shows and appearances of Tony-award winning actors and reality show stars, he said.

A CLIA poll of travel agents who book cruises showed that multigenerational travel, weddings and honeymoons are seen as the top potential growth groups for cruises. "It's all about innovation, global markets and how you open up to them," said Mr Berra.

By Reuters

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