Capitalising on Sarawak’s tourism opportunities.

26th March, 2013

Capitalising on Sarawak’s tourism opportunities.

KUCHING: For Sarawak to succeed in providing new tourism opportunities in order to attract more travellers and reach its target, it will have to resolve the issue of air connectivity. In its 2012 report on the state, Inside Investors highlighted that the Sarawak government and its Sabah counterpart were in agreement with Malaysia Airlines Systems Bhd (MAS) subsidiary MASwings to be East Malaysia’s own airline.

The latest developments indicated that this was the right decision. With added air capacity, the state could evolve into a tourism destination of choice for people who were not necessarily looking for the usual mass treatment but more for adventure, nature, cultural heritage and festivals.

Sarawak has recently found a niche in the so called musical tourism by staging several events the most famous of which were the Rainforest World Music Festival and the Miri International Jazz Festival. Both events are big draws for people who otherwise will probably bypass Sarawak compared to other tourism destinations.

“One other area is eco-tourism, which is part of the state’s development plan for the tourism sector. The government has indicated that all industry players will have to be responsive to the new plan, as it aims to create Sarawak’s own niche market to make its tourism offers more attractive,” Inside Investors enthused.

Meetings, incentives conferences and exhibitions (MICE) sector is also gaining traction. This form of tourism in Sarawak could be easily related to projects in the Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy (SCORE), an area in which the Sarawak Convention Bureau (SCB) was focusing on. As far as the conferences related to SCORE, there would be, for example, the upcoming Hydropower Association conference in Kuching in May.

The government would use this as a platform to showcase how they could move forward in terms of hydropower utilisation and related technologies. All the events around SCORE offer a perfect opportunity for stakeholders to network with others who were also active in sub-sector business.

The Sarawak Tourism Board (STB) responsible for the conventional tourism, hopes to see more funds allocated for the tourism sector in the future. Under the Tenth Malaysia Plan, the state government had allocated a five year RM30 million fund to cover all tourism activities as well as its operation costs to the board, which made RM6 million a year.

This was however deemed too low by STB which meant that funds need to be raised from private investors to ensure the tourism industry stays on track.

By: Jonathan Wong, jonathanwong@theborneopost.com

Copyright@2010-2013 BorneoPost Online

First-ever tourism hospitality, technology confab in Nov.

20th March, 2013

First-ever tourism hospitality, technology confab in Nov.

KUCHING: The first-ever conference on travel technology and hospitality automation will be held here in November this year.

Initiated and organised by UCSI Communications Sdn Bhd (UCSI Communications), the Asia Pacific Tourism Hospitality and Technology Conference (Apthat) 2013, will be held on Nov 21 and 22 at Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK).

Among the objectives of the conference are to prepare the travel and tourism industrialists to be resilient in the competitive market that is technology driven as well as to introduce them to the latest gadgets. The conference also aims at identifying opportunities that are propelled by innovations.

“This is a home-grown made in Sarawak Malaysian conference. In this conference, we are going more into innovation and technology. We feel that these two topics are very important in today’s travel trends because technology has evolved to be part of the tourism and hospitality industry,” said UCSI Communications managing director Gracie Geikie at a press conference yesterday.

The conference will include workshops, master classes, buyer-seller sessions, hotel inspections and exhibitions. Six papers will be presented. “It will be a different style of conference as there will be a lot of fun. The conference will touch on several areas especially on Professional Conference Organiser (PCO). We also have a section on association matters where we feel that there is a need to educate the audience about association and be part of an association.

“We have exhibitor booths and a very small version of buyer-seller session where delegates can meet with the members of the industries. As for master classes, we will be covering the Blue Ocean Strategy and the role of PCO,” she explained.

Gracie said the director-general of Tourism Malaysia Dato Mirza Mohammad Tayed had consented to deliver the keynote address while a letter of invitation had been sent out to the Tourism Minister who will be the guest-of-honour. Among the confirmed speakers are Prof Dr Ross Dowling and Selina Power from Australia, Dr Madahmohan Roa, E M Najeeb, both from India and Rohizam Md Yusoff from Malaysia.

Apart from gathering the industry experts and players from within the Asia Pacific region, UCSI Communications also hopes the event could further enhance the state’s effort in making Sarawak a MICE (meeting, incentive, conference and exhibitions) destination.

UCSI Communications is hoping to attract some 300 participants. Early bird special discount for the delegate fee is ongoing until April 30 and the price per delegate from May 1 onwards will be RM1,380 (US$460). Corporate discount is also available whereby corporate delegates will just have to pay the price of five delegates for six delegates. The delegate fee is inclusive of two days of conference, two pre-selected workshops and two buyer- seller sessions (first come, first served basis), four tea breaks, two luncheons, two pre-dinner networking cocktail receptions and a closing dinner party.

Registered delegates who intend to attend the master class will have to pay RM180 per person and each class is limited to 80 people, on a first come, first served basis.

There will also be exhibition booths available for tours, travel related, travel accessories, hoteliers at RM1,700 (US$590) per booth for two full days. The booth includes 3m x 3m shell scheme, a table, two chairs, a dustbin, a socket/plug point and fascia. Each booth is entitled to a conference delegate pass with full entitlement.

Online registration is possible at www.ticketxpress.com.my or call the booking hotline at +6(0)1112677388 or +6(0)82577911. For further information, visit www.apthat.com or www.ucsicommunications.com. Hilton Kuching is the official hotel while Planet Borneo Tours & Travel Services Sdn Bhd is the official tour operator of the conference.

By: Jonathan Chia reporters@theborneopost.com

Copyright@2010-2013 BorneoPost Online        

Kuching To Host Routes Asia Conference Next Year.

18th March, 2013

Kuching To Host Routes Asia Conference Next Year.

KUCHING - Kuching will be hosting the Routes Asia 2014 conference and exhibition, a premier annual event for the meeting of airlines and airports operators throughout Asia.

Sarawak Tourism Minister, Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg, said today the city was chosen as the venue for the event ahead of three other well-established cities, namely Osaka in Japan, Brisbane (Australia) and Hong Kong.

"Next year, all the CEOs (chief executive officers) of airlines and airports will come here to see what we can offer and we hope that they will bring their planes or flights over to Kuching. We want Kuching to become the international destinations," he said.

He made the remarks when speaking to officiate the handing over ceremony of a Quality Environment Practices (QE5S) Recognition Certificate to Dormani Hotel here.

He attributed Sarawak's success in winning the bid to become the host of the event to the strong collaboration with the Federal government and Malaysia Airports Berhad.

Copyright@BERNAMA

Tourism carnival boost for LIMA 2013.

13th March, 2013

Tourism carnival boost for LIMA 2013.

PUTRAJAYA - In conjunction with the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace (LIMA 13) exhibition from March 26 to 30, the Tourism Ministry will be hold a Lima Tourism Carnival. Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen said among the events are tax-free goods sales, sales of delicacies from all over the state as well as a 2014 Visit Malaysia Year exhibition.

"We will also hold the 1Malaysia Clean Campaign quiz and competition and the 1Malaysia Contemporary Art Tourism Festival," she said at a media conference on LIMA, here today.

She said there will also be an exhibition on careers in spa therapy and foot massage to attract more youths to be involved in the field. "To develop further lifestyle tourism, the country needs about 6,000 local residents, to be skilled in the field of spa therapy," she said.

Apart from the Tourism Ministry, Lima will also its own attractions such as aerobatic display, exhibition of Royal Malaysian Air Force aircraft at the Mahsuri International Exhibition hall and the Maritime Sector at Awana Porto Malai. Air shows will be held each day from 12.30pm to 2pm on March 26, 27 and 28 and two sessions on March 29 and 30 from 10am to 11.30am and from 2.30pm to 4pm at the Langkawi International Airport. – BERNAMA

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Malaysia a draw for corporate tourists.

12th March, 2013

Malaysia a draw for corporate tourists.

PETALING JAYA: Besides leisure tourism, Malaysia is gaining reputation as a corporate travel draw as well. Business travel industry experts say the country held many advantages to excel in corporate tourism, with efficient infrastructure being a main plus point.

Sunway Travel Sdn Bhd CEO Jeremiah Lim said the cost of hosting events in Malaysia was comparatively lower. “Malaysia's very good infrastructure and diversity of food are major advantages,” he said at the opening of GlobalStar 11th Annual Conference in Bandar Sunway yesterday. He added that the not-too-rigid visa guidelines was also another positive point.

Delegates from 75 countries are here for the three-day conference, which is being hosted by Malaysia for the first time. With the theme “Transform-Inform-Perform”, presenters and keynote speakers will share various insights and experiences on developing the business travel industry. Malaysia Airlines is one of the local participants.

“When the conference delegates arrived last week, they already experienced these wow' factors in terms of our tourist destinations, infrastructure and cultural offerings,” Lim said.

GlobalStar Travel Management chairman Matt Cummings said corporate customers were constantly on the lookout for new destinations to host incentive meetings. “To get as much as they can for the money they are spending ... Malaysia certainly offers that,” he stressed.

MAS global sales and distribution senior vice-president Duncan Bureau, who provided the keynote address, said the airline's fleet would be the most environmental-friendly in the Asia-Pacific region by 2015. He said this was due to MAS' efforts towards fleet renewal, including its six new Airbus A380 a plane hailed as among the most environmentally-advanced aircraft.

Copyright@1995-2012 Star Publications (M) Bhd

Domestic Tourism Dominates MATTA Fair.

11th March, 2013

Domestic Tourism Dominates MATTA Fair.

KUALA LUMPUR - Domestic tourism plays a major role in the Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) Fair, the much-awaited event for Malaysian travellers, said its president, Datuk Mohd Khalid Harun. Therefore, the three-day, 35th MATTA Fair which begins this Friday, offers a variety of domestic tourism packages, besides international packages.

"This time, MATTA Fair will have a total of 1,100 booths filling up 25,000 square metres of space at the Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC). The Matta Fair gets bigger and bigger every year, with more emphasis on domestic tourism," said Mohd Khalid.

He said this in a joint press conference with Tourism Malaysia, Malaysia Airlines and Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB) at KL Sentral here today.

Elaborating on domestic tourism, Tourism Malaysia director-general Datuk Mirza Mohammad Taiyab said a survey for 2011 found that the percentage of Malaysians travelling within the country and to international destination was about the same.

Tourism Malaysia's survey showed that in 2011, Malaysians made a total of 131 million trips within the country, and this generated RM42 billion. "If we divide the number of trips to 27 million Malaysian population, this means each Malaysian made four to five trips within Malaysia in 2011," he added.

Malaysia Airlines regional senior vice-president (Malaysia and Asean) Muzammil Mohamad said the airlines offered airfares with discounts of up to 47 per cent off normal market fares for domestic travel. "In addition, our holidays marketing arm, MasHolidays, offers many types of holiday packages for both Malaysian domestic, as well as international destinations," he said, adding that flights to Sabah operated as usual.

Copyright@BERNAMA

ITB Berlin Generates More Publicity For Visit Malaysia Year 2014.

8^th March, 2013

ITB Berlin Generates More Publicity For Visit Malaysia Year 2014.

KUALA LUMPUR - The Visit Malaysia Year (VMY) 2014 has been strongly promoted by the Malaysian Delegation led by Tourism Malaysia Director-General, Datuk Mirza Mohammad Taiyab at the 47th International Tourism Exchange (ITB) Berlin, Germany which will end on this Sunday (March 10).

With the theme "Celebrating 1Malaysia Truly Asia", theVMY 2014 promotional campaign was launched last month by Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and includees a series of year-long special events and activities leading to VMY 2014.

Tourism Malaysia in a statement Friday said the five-day annual travel trade show offered Malaysia an excellent platform to market and create awareness of VMY 2014 and its promotional campaign this year to the travel trade fraternity and media in Germany and Europe.

The Malaysian delegation comprised 91 participants from 48 organisations, including 24 hotels and resorts, 17 tour operators, the country's national carrier Malaysia Airlines (MAS), the Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA), as well as the other representatives from state governments.

Malaysia's presence at ITB 2013 marks the country's 39th year of participation in the event, which clearly showed its continued interest and focus on the German and European markets.

At the ITB, The Malaysia Pavilion was officially opened by the Malaysian Ambassador to Germany Datuk Ibrahim Abdullah to showcase the best of travel products, destinations and services in Malaysia. He also hosted a Malaysia Evening on March 7 (Thursday) at Steingenberger Hotel to show the country's appreciation to Germany and international travel trade fraternity and the media for their continued support on tourism promotional effort.

With the presence of international media, ITB helps generate more publicity for Malaysia and further strengthen the presence of the country as a top-of-mind holiday destination. In addition, Tourism Malaysia also seeks to promote Malaysia as a business tourism destination, in line with the Malaysia Tourism Transformation Plan 2020, aims to acheive its target of 36 million tourist arrivals and RM168 billion by the year 2020.

Last year, tourist arrivals to Malaysia continued to enjoy an upward trend, reaching 25 million, which was an increase of 1.3 percent compared to the previous year. In 2012, a total of 131,277 German tourists visited Malaysia. Correspondingly, receipts from German tourists had also increased on last year by 7.7 percent to the tune of RM397 million. This year, Malaysia has set a target to attract 145,000 German tourists to the country.

Copyright@BERNAMA

Double daily RB Flights to Kuala Lumpur.

Date: 2 March 2013

Double daily RB Flights to Kuala Lumpur.

Royal Brunei Airlines (RB) has announced that its popular services to Kuala Lumpur are being increased to twice a day, starting May 22, Borneo Bulletin reported. This announcement was made by the airline in a press statement yesterday, in which RB announced the latest increase to 14 flights a week, and it comes off the back of an earlier announcement of an increase to 11 weekly flights, which will be effective from March 30.

With this newly announced increase, starting May 22, double daily flights will be departing Bandar Seri Begawan at 9am and 6.10pm every day, arriving at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) at 11.15am and 8.25pm respectively. The return flights will depart KLIA at 12.45pm and 9.10pm, and arrive in Bandar Seri Begawan at 3.15pm and 11.30pm respectively.

According to the statement, this increase in the number of flights, all at convenient times of the day, aims to better serve the strong flow of business and leisure traffic in both directions on this route. “It also provides passengers with more convenient options to connect to other destinations,” RB said in a statement.

Dermot Mannion, the Deputy Chairman of RB, was quoted as saying that the launch of double daily services to Kuala Lumpur “marks another important milestone in the development of RB’s services around the region. This underlines our commitment to better serve the travel needs of both our loyal Bruneian customers and visitors alike,” he added.

It was also mentioned that RB flights to Kuala Lumpur will continue to be jointly marketed with Malaysia Airlines through a joint code share agreement. Malaysia Airlines’ Head of Government and International Affairs, Germal Singh, also welcomed Royal Brunei’s plans to increase capacity between Malaysia and Brunei. “The travel market between both countries continues to be robust and this also augurs well for the Asean air services liberalisation road map,” he said.

“Since we are already code sharing on each other’s services amounting to 14 weekly services, we look forward to adding our code on more of Royal Brunei’s services. This will grow the volume of business and leisure market segments between the two countries,” he added.

RB is set to officially launch these new flights today at the Belait Travel Fair, which is being held at the Community Hall in Kuala Belait until March 3.

Copyright @ 2010-2013 BorneoPost Online

Malaysia Spice Market Draws Hundreds At Melbourne Expo.

Date: 2 March 2013

Malaysia Spice Market Draws Hundreds At Melbourne Expo.

  

MELBOURNE, March 2 (Bernama) - The Malaysia Spice Market at this year's Asia-Pacific Incentives and Meetings Expo (AIME) attracted hundreds of people, all standing in queues to taste some tantalising Malaysian food prepared on the spot.

"The spice market has been a tremendous success in promoting our brand. Food is high on the list of buyers in the convention and incentives market and I think we have impressed AIME attendees as well from exhibitors who came from 44 countries," said Malaysia Convention and Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB) Chief Executive Zulkefli Hj Sharif.

Among the dishes on sale were laksa, nasi lemak, char kway teow, satay, dim sum and spring rolls.

Zulkefli said Malaysia was increasingly gaining its momentum and status as "Asia's Business Events Hub". "We have witnessed more business tourist arrivals in Malaysia. We attribute this to the country's unique qualities such as its strategic location being in the middle of Asia, diverse cultures, value for money, continuous product development and our conducive business environment," he told Bernama in an interview.

MyCEB also took the opportunity to promote its corporate and incentive campaign -- "Malaysia - Asia Like Never Before" which was launched late last year. Malaysia's exhibitors had a mixture of quality buyers and business leads at two-day AIME show here.

Malaysia Airlines Melbourne Manager Terence Swampillai said he had several strong leads with inquiries for group flights to Malaysia. "I had 11 solid inquiries and this should boost tourism to Malaysia,'' he said.

Sarawak Convention Bureau Business Development Manager Anedia Kahar said AIME this year appeared to be quiet. "Nonetheless, we had a number of buyers talking to and we are very hopeful," she said.

As usual Tourism Sabah had the largest contingent from Malaysia and the biggest booth at the expo. Senior Marketing Manager Noredah Othman, an AIME veteran of many years, said her team was kept busy with scores of inquiries. "We are happy with our participation here although this year has been a little slow," she added.

Tourism Malaysia Sydney Director Roslan Abdullah and Senior Marketing Officer Wendy Lee had big smiles which indicated they too were pleased with the response from the buyers.

By Neville D'Cruz 

Copyright @ BERNAMA

DRH Set To Attract More International Business Travellers.

Date: 28 February 2013

DRH Set To Attract More International Business Travellers.

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 28 (Bernama) -- Destination Resorts and Hotels (DRH) is set to lure more international business travellers and tourists to Malaysia with its exciting developments that are expected to elevate the business tourism landscape in the region.

In a statement issued today, DRH said it has participated in the Asia-Pacific Incentives & Meetings Expo (AIME), which was held in Melbourne, Australia recently, to reinforce its standing as a leader in the business and introduce its meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions (MICE) and leisure offerings that cater to a wide range of tourists.

"We understand that we must have an edge over our competitors as the MICE industry is growing so rapidly that it is now even more dynamic compared to years ago. From business travellers and delegates, leisure holiday makers and golf aficionados to families and honeymooners, all our destinations will draw visitors of different interests and provide a new level of excitement and experience, including creating value for event organisers for every event held at our destinations," said Managing Director Nadziruddin Basri.

DRH, a master planner, investor and developer of destination resorts in the country, is currently developing several premium business destinations in Johor that will elevate the MICE offerings in the region.

One of DRH's main developments is Desaru Coast which is poised to be the region's first luxury integrated destination. Desaru Coast spans over 3,900 acres of land along a 17 kilometre beach fronting the magnificent South China Sea and will be developed in three phases with the Phase 1 of Desaru Coast due for completion in 2015. DRH said the multi-billion dollar destination resort will boast a state-of-the-art MICE venue, the Desaru Convention Centre, which could accommodate up to 1,000 persons.

Also in the state of Johor, another key development under DRH's portfolio is the Little Red Cube in Puteri Harbour, the luxury waterfront development in Nusajaya, Johor, which houses an internationally renowned hotel brand, Traders Hotel, and a family-oriented theme park.

In addition, DRH is developing LEGOLAND Hotel Malaysia in Nusajaya, Johor, which is scheduled to open its doors in 2014, which will be the first LEGO-themed hotel in Asia and the fourth in the world.

Copyright @ BERNAMA

MATTA Eyes RM90 Million Sales In March MATTA Fair 2013.

Date: 27 February 2013

MATTA Eyes RM90 Million Sales In March MATTA Fair 2013.

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 27 (Bernama) - The Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) expects to secure RM90 million in total sales turnover for its MATTA Fair 2013 March session, slightly lower than the RM106 million registered in the same session last year.

In September 2012, the most anticipated travel fair secured a RM120 million sales turnover.

MATTA Fair March 2013 Organising Chairman Jeffri Sulaiman said the upcoming 13th general election (GE), expected to be in March, has weighed on the sentiment of industry players. "As everybody is aware, the GE has put worries on consumers as well as exhibitors. We've been asking what MATTA's plan is if the GE falls during the exhibition days. There is nothing we could do, the show must go on," he told a press conference on the event Wednesday.

MATTA Fair 2013 will be held at the Putra World Trade Centre on March 15-17. Jeffri said this session will be bigger than the previous one with a total of 1,100 booths in five halls and exhibition areas.

The association plans to expand the coverage area into Legar Putra, PWTC, to support all exhibitor booths.

Jeffri expects the three-day event to receive a total of 100,000 visitors, a hike from 92,600 visitors in the same session of 2012. "We are positive with the outlook of Malaysia's tourism industry despite the uncertain global economy. The number of MATTA members has increased from 2,800 in last year to 3,000, to date. This shows a high demand for our travel industry," he said.

Jeffri noted MATTA FAIR 2013 will draw several new services with the introduction of online entrance ticket purchase, MATTA mobile Apps and online entry forms for the MATTA buyers contest.

At the same event today, MATTA signed an agreement with Etihad Airways to mark the latter as its official airline partner for the second consecutive session.

Copyright @ BERNAMA

Malaysia to host congress for concierges.

Date: 26 February 2013

Malaysia to host congress for concierges.

KUALA LUMPUR: MALAYSIA will be hosting the 61st Les Clefs d'Or Union UICH International Congress in 2014. The Society of Golden Keys Malaysia president Ragu Kumarasamy said that more than 400 of the world's concierges from more than 43 countries are expected to converge for the congress. The congress which will be held from Jan 11 to 16 will be filled with many programmes and activities.

"Kuala Lumpur has been chosen as the preferred destination by the Union Internationale Des Concierges D'Hotels Les Clefs d'Or International board of directors following a bid by the Malaysian team," he said.

He said that the successful bid was initiated by the Society of Golden Keys Malaysia which was supported by MyCEB, Kuala Lumpur City Hall and its hotel partners. He added that the international board of directors was very impressed with the preparation made by the Malaysian team.

"We have been officially awarded the right to host the conference after United Kingdom (2012) and New Zealand (2013)," he said. "Participants will be able to tour Kuala Lumpur after dark, go to food fairs, shopping trips and attend the International board of directors meeting and also the general assembly," he said.

Tourism Malaysia director-general Datuk Mirza Mohammad Taiyab said that Malaysia was fortunate to be given the opportunity to host the congress. "We will be able to increase awareness about our country to other participants," he said.

He added that Malaysia has always been a good example of Asian culture. "We can showcase the real meaning behind our tag line Malaysia Truly Asia," he added.

Les Clefs d'Or international president Virginia Casale said she believes that Malaysia will be able to do it. "Malaysia has one of the highest growth in the hospitality sector in the world," she said.

MyCEB chief executive officer Zulkefli Sharif said the congress will help generate more income. "This congress will generate approximately RM6.7 million in terms of the economic impact and RM4 million in visitor expenditure to the country," he said.

Also present at the announcement was Negri Sembilan Tourism Malaysia director, Zaidi Kassim and Les Clefs d'Or UICH second international vice-president Colin Toomey.

For more information about the Society of the Golden Keys Malaysia, log on to www.uichlesclefsdor.org.

By SERI NOR NADIAH KORIS | streets@nstp.com.my 

Copyright © 2011 The New Straits Times Press (Malaysia) Berhad

Travel consultants to be accredited as professionals

Date: 22 February 2013

Travel consultants to be accredited as professionals

Lee Pei Qi, reporting from NATAS Travel 2013

THE NATIONAL Association of Travel Agents Singapore (NATAS) will officially launch an accreditation programme for Singapore agency professionals on March 14. Speaking to TTG Asia e-Daily on the sidelines of the NATAS Travel 2013 which opened today, NATAS CEO Robert Khoo said the programme recognised one’s ability to be a travel consultant.

In comparison, the existing CaseTrust-NATAS Joint Accreditation Scheme, run by the Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE) and NATAS, acknowledges the company rather than its workers.

Under the new accreditation scheme, candidates must attend training modules and sit a test in order to be certified. Said Khoo: "This programme will give recognition to those who put in the effort to improve their service and will also make them proud of themselves."

Travel consultants TTG Asia e-Daily spoke to said the new programme would help improve the overall quality of the industry.

ASA Holidays' head of marketing communications, Eileen Oh, said: "This will not only benefit consumers, but the company’s brand image will improve as they can announce they have certified, capable staff."

CTC Travel’s senior vice-president of marketing & public relations, Alicia Seah, said CTC Travel aimed for all its 120 staff to be accredited under the programme by early next year. She said: "This can be a badge of honour for our staff and will help differentiate service excellence levels in this competitive industry."

Khoo is hopeful that accreditation will soon be the benchmark for all travel and tourism industry professionals to measure themselves. He aims to eventually get at least 50 per cent of his members’ workforce certified, adding this would be "fantastic”.

Copyright TTG Asia Media Pte Ltd © 2013

Malaysia rated top Muslim-friendly holiday destination.

Date: 22 February 2013

Malaysia rated top Muslim-friendly holiday destination.

PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia is the best place for Muslims around the world to come for a holiday, Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen said.

“We are proud to say Malaysia is a world leader in catering to the needs of Muslim tourists. We are successful in this niche travel market, thanks to our facilities and the diverse holiday packages tailored to Muslim needs. These include packages offering Ramadan bazaars, Quran recitals and circumcision packages carried out together with homestay programmes,” she said at a press conference here yesterday.

Successful event: Dr Ng launching the WITM-MITE 2013 in Putrajaya. Also present are (from left) WITM-MITE 2013 chairman Razali Mohd Sham, Tourism Malaysia deputy director-general Datuk Azizan Noordin, Malaysia Convention and Exhibition Bureau chief executive officer Zulkefli Sharif and Mohd Khalid.

The media event was to announce the World Islamic Tourism Mart Malaysia International Tourism Exchange (WITM-MITE 2013) that will be held at the Putra World Trade Centre in Kuala Lumpur from June 6 to June 9.

Present were Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) president Datuk Mohd Khalid Harun and My Events International group chief executive officer Shahul Hameed Shaik Dawood, representing the organisers.

Dr Ng quoted a recent report by Singapore-based Muslim travel consultancy group Crescentrating that rated Malaysia as the world's top Muslim-friendly holiday destination.

The survey put Malaysia ahead of Egypt, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Singapore. The study ranked countries on how well they cater to the growing number of Muslim holidaymakers seeking halal food and services.

It used criteria that included the level of safety in a country, the ease of access to halal food and prayer facilities, and whether hotels cater to the needs of Muslim guests. On a scale of one to 10, Malaysia came up tops with a grade of 8.3 among 50 nations surveyed.

The survey, released last month, reported that Malaysia is one of the few countries where a traveller can find a prayer place in almost every location be it a shopping mall or the airport. The study also reported that spending by Muslim tourists is growing faster than the global rate and is forecast to reach US$192bil (RM672bil) a year by 2020, up from US$126bil (RM441bil) in 2011.

Dr Ng said about 21.7% of tourist arrivals in Malaysia, or 5.44 million, had originated from Muslim countries. “Muslims make up about 1.6 billion of the world population and they are now world travellers,” she said.

On the WITM-MITE 2013 event, Dr Ng said it was expected to draw some 20,000 visitors. She said participants from at least 25 countries had registered for the event.

Dr Ng also launched the tourism calendar of events and festivals for 2013-2014, which can be downloaded from the websites of the ministry and Tourism Malaysia. The print version of the calendar is available at all Tourism Malaysia offices and tourist information centres nationwide.

By LEE YEN MUN yenmun@thestar.com.my

Copyright © 1995-2012 Star Publications (M) Bhd

1st WITM-MITE 2013 Anchors Malaysia As World's Best Islamic Tourism Exhibition Mart.

Date: 21 February 2013

1st WITM-MITE 2013 Anchors Malaysia As World's Best Islamic Tourism Exhibition Mart.

PUTRAJAYA, Feb 21 (Bernama) -- The first edition of World Islamic Tourism Mart-Malaysia International Tourism Exchange (WITM-MITE 2013) will anchor Malaysia as world's best Islamic tourism exhibition mart, said Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen.

She said buyers from 30 countries and 200 seller organisations were expected to participate at the four-day event beginning June 6, at the Putra World Trade Centre in Kuala Lumpur.

She said 25 countries had confirmed participation in the event.

"Malaysia, as the best destination for Muslim tourists and the ninth most travelled country in the world, we must use this to anchor ourselves for Islamic events and exhibition," she said at a press conference after the soft launch of WITM-MITE 2013 here Thursday.

The WITM-MITE 2013 will feature various global tourism ministries, national tourism organisations, travel trade operators, tour agencies, hoteliers and a wide array of related industries supporting local and foreign partners.

Copyrights @  BERNAMA

MyCEB To Recruit Over 70 Industry Partners This Year.

Date: 20 February 2013

MyCEB To Recruit Over 70 Industry Partners This Year.

KUALA LUMPUR - The Malaysia Convention and Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB) is aiming to recruit over 70 industry partners under its Industry Partner Programme (IPP) Networking Session this year. Its Chief Executive Officer, Zulkefli Hj Sharif said the main objective of the IPP is to provide updated industry knowledge and business opportunities for partners, to increase Malaysia's success rate in securing international business events.

"MyCEB has recruited 237 partners through the IPP, since its launch in 2011," he told Bernama at the "IPP Networking Session" here Wednesday. These partners vary across sectors which includes hospitality, event planners, destination management companies, professional conference organisers, conventions centres and venue owners.

"The networking session creates a platform to bring industry partners and players alike together for business-to-business networking, showcase new products, share knowledge and expertise and invite industry players to become our appointed partners," he said. "It also aims to further strengthen Malaysia's competitive position in the global tourism market," he added.

Amongst the advantages of the IPP is access to sales leads and business referrals, as well as professional development opportunities through cooperative platforms under the destination umbrella.

Zulkefli said companies can also expect to enhance their profile and gain access to vital market intelligence. The IPP's wide range of sales and marketing initiatives will also help propel local companies into the international business tourism market.

The networking session also witnessed the unveiling of the IPP logo which signifies its commitment towards partners. MyCEB's networking session and other innovative programmes are in line with its mission under the Economic Transformation Programme, to grow business tourism arrivals from five per cent to eight per cent of the overall total number.

This translates to an increase from 1.2 million (2009) to 2.9 million by 2020, and position Malaysia as one of the top five destinations in the Asia Pacific for international meetings.

By Azlee Nor Mahmud

Copyright @ BERNAMA

Malaysian MICE players step up courtship of Chinese buyers.

Date: 14 February 2013

Malaysian MICE players step up courtship of Chinese buyers.

SEVERAL Malaysian MICE players will intensify their marketing reach in China this year, following an encouraging growth in business from the market in 2012. Observations of improved MICE business from China correspond with Malaysia’s 24.6 per cent rise in Chinese tourist arrivals from 2011 to 2012.

Fu Kei Cheong, general manager of Reliance Conventions & Events, said the company saw a 50 per cent growth in incentives from China last year, as companies and sales staff had been able to meet their targets. Fu believes that the year ahead looks good, adding that the company’s participation in roadshows organised by the Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau to Guangzhou, Beijing and Shanghai last September had yielded good business leads. Six incentive groups from Guangzhou have been confirmed and are slated to take place this year and the next.

To further business growth out of China, Reliance Conventions & Events will continue to make sales calls through its joint venture office in Shanghai.

Columbia Leisure assistant sales director, Alex Chee, said the company saw a 20 per cent increase in incentives and meetings last year, mostly from Shanghai and Beijing. He anticipates a doubling of business this year, based on strong enquiries and the fact that the company is intensifying its efforts to market in China.

Resorts World Genting, which recorded eight to 10 per cent year-on-year growth in Chinese MICE business last year, is expecting a similar upward trend in 2013. Supporting this projection will be a series of efforts to target high-end MICE planners in China, as well as continued partnerships with major local tour operators who are strong in the Chinese MICE market.

According to Andrew Leong, Resorts World Genting sales & marketing manager, the Chinese MICE market makes up 25 to 30 per cent of the company’s total business.

By S Puvaneswary, Kuala Lumpur

Copyright @ TTG Asia Media Pte Ltd 2013

Malaysia's knights brings shine to MICE business.

Date: 31 January 2013

Malaysia's knights brings shine to MICE business.

TEN more individuals have joined Malaysia Convention and Exhibition Bureau's (MyCEB) successful Kesatria 1Malaysia ambassador programme to help bring the country closer to its long-term target of growing business tourism arrivals from the current five per cent to eight per cent by 2020.

Launched in 2012, the programme started off with 17 kesatrias (TTG Asia e-Daily, August 2, 2012) or knights in the Malay language. Since then, it garnered some 22 conference leads, translating to at least 46,000 delegate arrivals and RM552 million (US$177.7 million) in economic benefits for the country.

The newly knighted appointees come from various key economic sectors, including science and medicine, research and innovation, education and law.

Mary Easaw, new to Kesatria 1Malaysia, is the chief dietician, dietetic & food services at the National Heart Institute and country representative of the American Overseas Dietetic Association. She said: “With MyCEB’s support, we hope to bid for the Asia Congress of Dietetics 2016 or 2017 to be held in Malaysia. It will be so affordable and convenient for local nutritionists and dieticians to attend, gain knowledge and present their findings. It will be a great avenue to nurture personal and professional development, skills and competencies.”

Zilfalil Alwi, a kesatria for the past one year and head of the Malaysia Node of Human Variome Project, said: “With experience (gained from) the successful bid for the Human Genome Meeting 2015 in Kuala Lumpur, I shared pointers with other associations on how they can get support from MyCEB to bid for international meetings and conferences.

“I am also encouraging them to appoint a professional conference organiser. From my past experience, (manage the conference myself) can be very stressful and taxing.”

By S Puvaneswary, Kuala Lumpur

Copyright @ TTG Asia Media Pte Ltd 2013

Inclusion of Singapore in tourist arrival in line with guidelines: Mirza

Date: 24 January 2013

Inclusion of Singapore in tourist arrival in line with guidelines: Mirza

VIENTIANE: The inclusion of Singaporeans in Malaysia's tourist arrival data is in line with the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) guidelines on tourists. According to the UNWTO, it is stipulated that any foreigner who enters a country through proper entry points is counted as tourist.

This puts to rest, whatever debate within the tourism industry circles and among a small number of Malaysians, on whether Singaporeans, including those who merely spent several visiting hours in Malaysia, should come under the tourist category.

The industry has generally, felt that Singaporeans should not be included in the tourist arrivals data as Singapore did not include Malaysians visiting the republic in their tourist arrivals data.

Tourism Malaysia Director-General Datuk Mirza Mohammad Taiyab has defended the country's stand to include Singaporeans in their tourist arrivals data. He said, what Tourism Malaysia did, did not go against the UNWTO guidelines on tourists which stipulated that any foreigner entering a country, via proper entry points, was a tourist.

Mirza noted that even Thailand counted Malaysians visiting the country as tourists. So did, European countries which counted foreigners from their neighbouring countries as tourists when they visited the countries.

Malaysia recorded 24.7 million tourist arrivals in 2011, with Singaporeans making up the biggest portion of 9.7 million tourists. "The data is genuine. We did not fabricate or doctor the data as it all conforms with the UNWTO guidelines. Malaysia is among the top countries in the region which receives a high number of tourist arrivals," said Mirza, adding that Malaysia was well connected by land with neighbours such as Singapore, Thailand, Brunei and Indonesia.

There have been many feathers on Malaysia's tourism cap. The UNWTO ranked Malaysia as the ninth Most Visited Country in the World in 2011, and CNN's survey last year, placed Malaysia as the fourth Best Shopping City in the World, after New York, London and Tokyo.

Malaysia is the world's top Muslim-Friendly Holiday Destination, according to a survey by Crescentrating, Singapore-based Muslim travel consultancy released on Jan 16, 2013. The country is ranked third for 2013 World's Top Retirement Havens by Internationalliving.com and takes seventh spot on the top 10 Meetings Destination in Asia Pacific by ICCA.

It was named the World's Friendliest Country in 2012 by Forbes Online and numbers 12th Most Competitive Economy in the World for Doing Business by the World Bank's Doing Business Report 2013 edition.

It also won the first prize for the UNWTO 2012 Ulysses Award for Innovation in Public Policy and Governance for its Homestay Experience Programme. UNWTO also ranked Malaysia 14th in International Tourism Receipts in 2010 and 2011.

Mirza said Malaysia might not have won so many awards without a proper tourist arrival data. We are just a small country but I am proud when I opened the book, we are among the top 10 countries in the world," he said.

Meanwhile, Malaysia Convention and Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB) chief executive officer Zulkefli Sharif said, 19 events were secured for the period between 2012 and 2014, with tourist expenditure of RM373 million. The events include Jennifer Lopez Concert, Kids Golf World Championship, Vijay TV Movie Awards, Tropfest South East Asia, Asia Pacific Cheerleading Championship, World Universities Debating Championship and MuayThai World Championship.

MYCEB was established in 2009 by the tourism ministry as a non-profit organisation to further strengthen Malaysia's business tourism brand and position for international meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions market. - BERNAMA

Copyright © 2011 The New Straits Times Press (Malaysia) Berhad

Tourism Minister Reaches Out To International Audience.

Date: 22 January 2013

Tourism Minister Reaches Out To International Audience.

VIENTIANE - Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen has reached out to the international audience, via meetings with international tourism package buyers and travel writers, to promote the Malaysian tourism industry during the Asean Tourism Forum (ATF) here.

Hosting an open house at a hotel here Tuesday night, she briefed them on the development of the Malaysian tourism industry and its aspirations, including campaigning for the Visit Malaysia Year (VMY) 2014. They were treated with the taste of Malaysian food and cultural show.

More than 470 buyers from 56 countries, as well as 150 travel writers, attended the ATF 2013, the annual Asean leading tourism trade show.

Earlier in the day, Tourism Malaysia chairman Datuk Dr Victor Wee and its director-general, Datuk Mirza Mohammad Taiyab, hosted lunch in a packed dining hall for foreign travel writers. They hailed from Australia, Greece, Italy, Hong Kong, Poland, Canada, Russia, Germany, Sweden, Denmark, Belgium, United Kingdom, Turkey, United States, Ireland and India. They were shown a video presentation on the Malaysian tourism industry's achievement and vision.

Later, Dr Mirza briefed them on the development and future direction of the Malaysian tourism industry in promoting the VMY 2014 and the challenges in meeting the target of doubling the number of tourist arrivals and tripling the receipts by 2020, at the Lao International Trade Exhibition and Convention Centre (Lao ITECC) here.

Dr Ng also opened the Malaysian Pavilion comprising 52 booths of Malaysian exhibitors and tourism package sellers at the Lao ITECC. She also gave several interviews to the local media.

By Jamaluddin Muhammad

Copyrights @ BERNAMA