Malaysia taps smaller cities
Tourism Malaysia is set out to tap the India market through Tier-II & III cities and attract families and shoppers to the country.
After a subdued 2015, Tourism Malaysia is prepping up for a comeback on the tourism front and plans to draw Indian tourists to the country with a slew of initiatives. Between January- September 2015, Malaysia recorded 539,820 Indian tourist arrivals while 2014 received a total of 770,108 between January to December 2014.
In spite of the hurdles, Dato’ Daljit Singh Dalliwal, Board of Director, Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board, shares that the footfall from India is anticipated to grow by at least 10 per cent, following AirAsia's decision to reintroduce direct flights on the New Delhi-Kuala Lumpur route. "Now that there is increased direct connectivity between the two countries, we are expecting a large number of tourist arrivals from India," he says. "Additionally, we have noticed that a major number of tourists come from Tier-II and Tier-III cities and to make the most of these high-potential markets, we are looking into introducing flights from Kuala Lumpur to Ahmedabad and Amritsar as well."
Furthermore, Datuk Musa Yusof, Senior Director, International Promotion Division – Asia/ Africa, Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board, informs that they are portraying Malaysia as the perfect shopping hub to families in India. "In 2014, an Indian tourist would spend an average of RM 436.2 per day," he comments. "Malaysia is a shopper's paradise. To build up on this aspect, we are campaigning for the yearly sale events which occur thrice a year. The 1Malaysia Super Sale is slated to be held from March 1-31, followed by the 1Malaysia Mega Sale Carnival from June 15-31 August, and the 1Malaysia Year End Sale from November 1-December 31."
Yusof elaborates that they are working towards providing a wholesome experience to the traveller. The first-ever 20th Century Fox World theme park in Genting Highlands will be ready by next year. “We also toured India on a sales mission on Feb 22 in Delhi and in Chennai on Feb 29. With ample amount of marketing, we are certain these measures will help boost the arrivals," he adds.