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Wednesday, 12 March 2014 01:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
Malaysia is celebrating its fourth Visit Malaysia Year (VMY 2014) with the theme “Celebrating Malaysia Truly Asia” to reflect the diversity in unity of all Malaysians. With the proboscis monkey as the mascot for VMY 2014, this will be the biggest and grandest ever tourism celebration with hundreds of events and festivals all lined up to welcome the world.
As part of its efforts to raise awareness on the celebration of Visit Malaysia Year (VMY) 2014 globally, Tourism Malaysia is embarking on a Sales Mission to Sri Lanka and India, from 10 March until 20 March.
Tourism Malaysia’s Deputy Director General (Planning) Dato’ Azizan Noordin is leading the delegation to Colombo, Kochi and Bengaluru. He is accompanied by officials from the Ministry of Tourism and Culture, State representatives and members of the travel trade fraternity.
While the primary objective of the Sales Mission is to strengthen Malaysia’s standing as a dream travel destination and increase tourist arrivals from Sri Lanka, Dato Azizan Noordin is also looking forward to driving strong support from both the Sri Lankan media, travel trade and airlines fraternity for the ongoing Visit Malaysia Year 2014.
“Sri Lanka has always been an important market for us. Tourist arrivals from Sri Lanka numbered 64,051 in 2013, which was an increase of 2.0% against 62,821 tourists in 2012. And with new products and destinations being promoted specifically for the Sri Lankan market, we are expecting a 10-12% increase which is close to 70,000 Sri Lankans visiting us this year,” said Dato’ Azizan.
Besides the famous attractions in Kuala Lumpur, we have a plethora of offerings planned to welcome our Sri Lankan guests. From being the world’s favourite shopping destination and to having the world’s best beaches, from the most relaxing spa vacations to golfing holidays, from weddings and honeymoon locales and helicopter tours, you can be assured of perfect custom made holiday,” added Dato Azizan.
During the Sales Mission in Colombo, Tourism Malaysia will also organise a travel mart for the travel trade players to meet and network. This is a platform to showcase Malaysia’s diverse tourism offerings and highlight the scope for collaboration between travel agents in Malaysia and Sri Lanka.
The Sales Mission also aims to strengthen the presence of Malaysia in the South Asian market, and to keep Sri Lankan’s travel trade, media and corporate sector updated on the current issues and tourism development in Malaysia, especially during the VMY 2014 campaign.
Malaysia’s tourism sector continued to be a significant contributor to the country’s economy in 2013. Tourist receipts were RM 65.44 billion, an 8.1% increase from RM 60.56 billion in 2012. Tourist arrivals grew by 2.7% to 25.7 million compared to 25 million in 2012. VMY 2014 is expected to see around 28 million tourists visiting the country and generating receipts up to RM 76 billion.
From Colombo, the Sales Mission will move to India covering Kochi, Bengaluru, Mumbai and will conclude in New Delhi.
This year if there is a place to be, it’s Malaysia. More than 200 events await tourists in Malaysia.
For instance, thousands of international auto racing fans will flock to Malaysia end of this month for the 15th F1 Petronas Malaysia Grand Prix. Other events that will interest sports fans include the Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix, Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia, and CIMB Golfing Challenge.
For those who like culture, there is the Colours of Malaysia and Borneo Cultural Festival. Foodies should come for the three-month Fabulous Food 1Malaysia. For music lovers, Malaysia has the Rainforest World Music Festival in Sarawak, Sunset Music Festival in Sabah, and Penang World Music Festival, just to name a few.
The annual Malaysia Mega Sale is also a much-anticipated event. Shopping is a must in Kuala Lumpur. After all, it was ranked by CNN as the fourth Best Shopping City in the World, while the promise of thousands of designer shoes at the Malaysia International Shoe Festival end of March also awaits shoppers.
The Royal Belum Rainforest is another exciting and new ecotourism destination to visit. This 3,000 sq.km complex of nature is home to over 3,000 species of flowering plants, including three species of the largest flower in the world, the Rafflesia. It is also the natural habitat for 14 of the world’s most threatened mammals including the Malayan Tiger, Sumatran Rhinoceros and Asiatic Elephant.
Kids can also have a fabulous time in Malaysia with theme parks in almost every part of the country. Some of the latest include Asia’s first LEGOLAND theme park, the Puteri Harbour Family Theme Park and KidZania. You can have fun at the first LEGOLAND Water Park in Asia, which is also the largest in the world.
For a romantic escapade or luxurious holidays, there are numerous high-end hotels and resorts, offering award-winning spa services. Among the newest are Majestic KL, Grand Hyatt KL and Gaya Island Resort in Sabah. Other big names that will open their doors soon include the St. Regis, Harrods, Four Seasons Place KL, and Banyan Tree Hotel.
Malaysia has also carved a name for itself as a business tourism destination. We were ranked ninth in Asia Pacific and Middle East in 2012 by ICCA (International Congress and Convention Association).
