Malaysia to play active role to ensure success of ‘Visit Asean Year 2017’ and ‘Visit Asean@50’ campaigns
SINGAPORE: Malaysia will play an active role to ensure the success of ‘Visit Asean Year 2017’ and ‘Visit Asean@ 50’ campaigns, said Tourism Malaysia’s Deputy Director- General (Advertising & Digital), Datuk Seri Abdul Khani Daud.
He said among the efforts were cooperation with hotel chains and local travel agents to promote the Visit Asean Year logo and travel packages.
“The country has also helped promote Asean tourism packages via Asean website and Tourism Malaysia website,” he told reporters at the Asean National Tourism Organisation (NTO) briefing here today.
The event was held in conjunction with the Asean Tourism Forum (ATF) 2017, which is held from Jan 16-20, 2017 at Marina Bay Sands Convention Centre.
Abdul Khani said the forum was an important platform for the ministers to come out with more intiatives and strategy to promote Asean as a destination.
On the statement by Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong at ATF opening ceremony on Wednesday that Asean must promote the destination as one to the world, Abdul Khani said: “If we promote Asean together as a destination, there will be more tourists.”
He said Tourism Malaysia would talk to other airlines and at the same time bring tourists to Malaysia and other parts of Asean.
“So this is important. If more people come to Asean they will benefit other Asean countries. Those coming to Kuala Lumpur will eventually extend their visits to other parts of Asean.
“The Europeans, when they plan their holidays to this part of the world, will always say they are going to Asean ... not to Singapore or Indonesia,” he told Bernama News Channel.
Forty- five hoteliers, travel agents, theme park operators and state tourism boards (Sabah Tourism Board, Sarawak Tourism Board, Tourism Johor and Tourism Selangor), are set to attract over 300 international buyers at the TRAVEX ( Travel Exchange), which is an important component of the forum.
Secretary- General of the Ministry of Tourism and Culture Malaysia, Datuk Ab Ghaffar A. Tambi, is leading the Malaysian delegation to ATF 2017.
Ab Ghaffar represented the Minister of Tourism and Culture Malaysia at the 20th Meeting of Asean Tourism Ministers, the 16th Meeting of Asean, China, Japan and South Korea Tourism Ministers, and the Asean Tourism Ministers Press Conference for Asean and Dialogue Partners Ministers.
All the meetings took place at the Pan-Pacific Singapore. Besides that, Abdul Khani said Tourism Malaysia has also shared information on the logo of VA@ 50 with all its offices in Malaysia and overseas, as well as tourism associations in the country, to help promote Visit Asean Year 2017.
“Tourism Malaysia’S overseas offices will also help promote Asean,” he said.
In 2017, Malaysia is scheduled to organise and host several events to promote Asean, such as Asean Celebrity Explore Quest 2017, 29th SEA Games Kuala Lumpur, Asean Para Games 2017 and Asean Fashion Show.
Malaysia has also produced the Asean Adventure Travel brochure to promote adventure travel products within Asean and international markets. The effort is supported by all Asean member states.
The adventure products promoted in the brochure were recommended by Asean NTOs.
It is available in e-brochures on www.Aseantourism.travel and also Tourism Malaysia website http://www.malaysia.travel.
Abdul Khani said Tourism Malaysia has collaborated with Singapore Airlines to promote five cities in Malaysia – Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Langkawi, Kota Kinabalu and Kuching – to UK, Germany, France, Switzerland, Spain, Italy, Scandinavia, Russia, US, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, India and China.