“Malaysia is back!” That’s the message to Australian travel agents from the new head of Malaysia Tourism, as a roadshow around Australia paves the way for Visit Malaysia 2020 (VM 2020), a landmark campaign targeted to bring in 30 million international tourists and about AUD 34.4 billion in tourist receipts.
The new director general of Tourism Malaysia, Datuk Musa Yusof, has just led a travel Roadshow to three major Australian cities to reinforce the message that Malaysia is an important holiday destination for Australian travellers. Datuk Musa was appointed last December, succeeding Datuk Seri Mirza Mohammad Taiyab who retired in the same month.
It’s no secret that Malaysia’s profile in Australia over the past few years has been lower than it was previously, partly because of the two tragedies Malaysia Airlines suffered in 2014.
Malaysia is now very much back, as demonstrated by the success and popularity of the roadshows.
The roadshow delegation, now headed to New Zealand, consists of 25 organisations including two state tourism boards, one tourism agency, three travel agents, 13 hotels and resorts, four product owners and two airlines. Major players and sponsors are Terengganu Tourism, Sarawak Tourism Board, Desaru Coast, Legoland, Malindo Air and Malaysia Airlines.
The roadshow has covered Perth and Sydney, culminating yesterday in a visit to Melbourne.
Datuk Musa said the Malaysia Tourism slogan would remain “Malaysia, Truly Asia”. Delivering an overview of Malaysia’s tourism industry, Datuk Musa said yesterday that 25.8 million tourists visited Malaysia last year, injecting almost AUD 29 billion into the Malaysian economy, registering an increase of 2.4% in spending against the previous year.
Also last year, Malaysia received 351,500 tourists from Australia.
Malaysia’s Desaru Coast
“This represents a small hike of 0.1% compared to 2017,” Datuk Musa said. “However, in terms of tourist receipts we received RM1.5 billion (AUD 500 million), a decline of 6.8% compared with 2017.
“The Australia market has always been very important to us. The Malaysia Roadshow and New Products Seminar in Oceania we are organizing today is a timely initiative as we step up efforts to promote Visit Malaysia 2020. By 2020 we hope to welcome 30 million tourists from all over the world to Malaysia.
“For Australia, we are targeting an arrival figure of 357,700 tourist arrivals in 2019 and 378,500 arrivals in 2020 respectively. With your support and assistance, I firmly believe we can reach this goal together.”
Those figures represent a modest increase this year (about 1.75%), accelerating rapidly next year (about 5.8%).
To carry the tourists from Australia to Malaysia, Datuk Musa said, Malaysia has three airlines: Malaysia Airlines, Air Asia X and Malindo Air.
“They serve as main carriers, departing from different major exit points such as Perth, Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide. I’m happy to announce that Malindo Air will launch the Adelaide-Kuala Lumpur via Bali on 16 April 2019. In conjunction with this inaugural flight, Malindo Air is offering special air fares to Kuala Lumpur from Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne starting from AUD 558 and from Perth starting from AUD 228 to Kuala Lumpur.
Kuala Lumpur by moonlight
“I hope that by increasing the total seat capacity of the air carriers, more Australians will visit Malaysia. Currently, our total flights/week from Australia stand at 121 with 32,565 seats available.”
Datuk Musa said that Tourism Malaysia had attend ITB Berlin last month to promote the cultural diversity and beautiful attractions of Malaysia.
“I am proud to tell you that Malaysia has received various international recognitions and accolades in recent years which speak volumes for its thriving tourism industry. We’ve been crowned as:
- The Best NFTOs office in India last year
- Taiping, Perak has been recognized as among the top three sustainable cities in the world. Touted as Peninsular Malaysia’s wettest town, Taiping was placed third, behind Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia, and Vancouver, Canada in the “Best of Cities” category, which awards cities that show leadership in urban sustainability and in avoiding disruptive over-tourism. The recognition was given during the 2019 Sustainable Top 100 Destination Awards at the International Tourismus-Borse (ITB) travel trade show in Berlin.
- Muar, Johor has also received the award as cleanest’Tourist City’ in ASEAN in 2018. The state is well known also for Legoland and Hello Kitty theme parks, the island of Tioman and of course shopping at the Johor premium outlet.
- Thinking of relocating to Malaysia? International Living had categorized Malaysia as one of the top ten places to retire. According to the 2016 global Cost of Living Index report collated by Numbeo, Malaysia is the 29th cheapest country to live in. Despite boasting one of Southeast Asia’s most vibrant economies, Malaysia is an incredibly affordable place to live, retaining a Consumer Price Index of just 37.47. Remarkably, this is lower than neighbouring Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia.
- Another feather in Malaysia’s cap is the recent coup of the BrandLaureate BestBrands Awards 2017-2018 in the Nation Branding category. Tourism Malaysia was selected based on a stringent process of evaluation which looked at its brand performance, integrated brand communications, brand culture and brand positioning.
The amazing Legoland hotel
To build on this momentum, Datuk Musa said, “we have implemented several initiatives which will help in the lead-up to the Visit Malaysia 2020 campaign.
“For example, this year is the Visit Sarawak Year, with the tagline ‘More to Discover’. The state, whose representatives are also together with is today, is targeting to receive 5 million visitors. There are many events lined up such as the Rainforest World Music Festival (12-14 July 2019) and Borneo Jazz Miri Festival (19-21 July 2019). You can get more information from the representatives of Sarawak Tourism Board.
Other than Sarawak, the state of Melaka is also hosting a Visit Melaka Year with the theme “The Gateway to Historic Malaysia”. The state is celebrating the 11th Anniversary of UNESCO World Heritage City Celebration on 7 July 2019 and will be introducing a new product called Encore Melaka Theatre to commemorate the occasion.
Datuk Musa also mentoned Legoland. Legoland Malaysia Resort brings together a Legoland Theme Park, Water Park, SEA LIFE and Hotel in one Lego-themed location. It is the ideal family holiday destination with more than 80 hands-on rides, slides, shows and attractions offering adventure, education and fun for action-packed day trips or short holidays. The Resort is specifically designed for families with children aged 2 to 12. SEA LIFE is the world’s largest aquarium brand and the latest addition to the Resort.
“To keep Malaysia competitive with other markets, we will continue to introduce our latest attractions as well as continue to promote our flagship tourism products, which Australian travellers love.”
Director general of Tourism Malaysia, Datuk Musa Yusof
Malaysian attactions include:
- Sarawak
Old Kuching Heritage Trail, Sibu, Central Region of Sarawak and Mukah.
- Terengganu
Lang Tengah Island, Houseboat in Lake Kenyir, Terrapuri Heritage Village
- Desaru Coast
Desaru Coast is a premium integrated destination resort and one of Malaysia’s most anticipated new tourism developments. The destination combines globally renowned hotels and resorts, a conference centre, a 27-hole and 18-hole golf course, a themed water park and a retail village. Located in the south-eastern region of the country, in the state of Johor, Desaru Coast spans over 3,900 acres along a pristine 17km unspoiled beachfront, facing eastward over the clear ocean waters. The destination is easily accessible via road, air and sea, and is expected to welcome a wave of new travellers to its shores, attracted by its array of fun activities, renowned hotel brands and the e Desaru Coast lifestyle.
Datuk Musa said: “We want to remind Australians that Malaysia is a beautiful and culturally diverse country with many fascinating tourist attractions. We are a peaceful nation and we welcome tourists from all over the world to enjoy an affordable and value-for-money holiday in Malaysia.”
He adds, “All these create a conducive environment that encourages not only tourist visits, but also business investments into Malaysia. We hope that our presence in Perth, Sydney and Melbourne will encourage tourism growth and business expansion in Malaysia.”
KEY HIGHLIGHTS OF MALAYSIA’S TOURISM PRODUCTS:
Terengganu
Located on the eastern peninsula of Malaysia, the State of ‘beautiful’ Terengganu is considered to be a “bucket list” item for visitors to Malaysia. A diverse and vibrant mix of history, culture, nature and eco experiences, Terengganu is world renowned for its turtle sanctuaries and pristine, white sandy beaches and islands.
www.beautifulterengganu.com
Sarawak
Sarawak is a kaleidoscope of culture, adventure, nature, food and festivals. It is home to one of the oldest rainforests on Earth and the largest cave chamber in the world. There is adventure around every corner, from the breezy highlands to the quiet beaches. Some 27 ethnic groups celebrate their unique cultures and festivals throughout the year, an eclectic blend of modern and traditional life, food, music and religious practices that can be found nowhere else. In Sarawak, there is always ‘More to Discover’. www.sarawaktourism.com
Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council
The Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council (MHTC) is a government agency under the Ministry of Finance, that has been entrusted with the responsibility of developing the country’s healthcare travel scene. It was founded in 2009 to facilitate and grow Malaysia’s healthcare travel industry under the brand “Malaysia Healthcare” with the intended goal of making Malaysia the leading global healthcare destination. Since then, MHTC has worked to streamline industry players and service providers into a more focused development strategy to raise Malaysia’s profile in healthcare travel on an international stage. It is an example of a successful model of public-private partnerships (PPP) in growing the healthcare travel sector in Malaysia.
Potential healthcare travellers can also obtain information on seeking healthcare in Malaysia including medical treatments, accommodation and travel at these websites:
www.medicaltourismmalaysia.com
www.mhtc.org.my
Desaru Coast
Desaru Coast is a new integrated destination resort in Malaysia with a portfolio of globally renowned hotels and resorts, namely Hard Rock Hotel Desaru Coast, The Westin Desaru Coast Resort, Anantara Desaru Coast Resort & Villas, as well as One&Only Desaru Coast. Desaru Coast is also home to Desaru Coast Adventure Waterpark – one of the world’s biggest waterparks; Desaru Coast Conference Centre – a fully equipped conference facility; The Els Club Desaru Coast – 45 holes of golf in total with two distinct clubs; Ocean Course and Valley Course; and Desaru Coast Riverside – a 23-acre waterfront landscaped retail and lifestyle village. Desaru Coast spans over 3,900 acres along a pristine 17 km beachfront that faces eastwards over the clear ocean waters. The destination is set amid a rich bio-diverse location.
www.desarucoast.com
LEGOLAND Malaysia Resort
LEGOLAND® Malaysia Resort brings together a LEGOLAND Theme Park, Water Park, SEA LIFE and Hotel in one LEGO® themed location. It is the ideal family holiday destination with more than 80 hands-on rides, slides, shows and attractions offering adventure, education and fun for action-packed day trips or short holidays. The Resort is specifically designed for families with children aged 2 to 12. SEA LIFE is the world’s largest aquarium brand and the latest addition to the Resort.
www.legoland.com.my
Malaysia Airlines – Your Preferred Airline to Malaysia & Beyond
Malaysia Airlines (MH) is the national carrier of Malaysia, currently operating 57 weekly services from Australia & New Zealand to its hub in KL International Airport (KLIA), Kuala Lumpur. Beyond KLIA, Malaysia Airlines connects 62 destinations in 20 countries with a modern fleet of Airbus A380-800, A330-300, A330-200 and Boeing 737-800 aircraft.
The network includes extensive domestic and regional coverage across Malaysia. No other Malaysian carrier offers a comparable domestic, regional or global network solution when thinking about travel to, from and within Malaysia.
As a member of one world®, Malaysia Airlines and its partners in the global alliance offer a seamless travel experience to more than 1,000 destinations across the world.
For more information, please visit malaysiaairlines.com
MalindoAir
Malindo Air is a Malaysian airline with main hubs at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) and city airport Subang Skypark in Selangor, Malaysia. The airline took to the skies in March 2013 and the fleet has grown exponentially to 13 ATR72-600 and 29 Boeing 737 as of Jan 2019. The airline also obtained the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA). Today, the airline operates over 800 flights weekly across a continuously growing network of about 57 routes covering 17 countries in the region of Asia and Australia. Also an IATA airline member, Malindo Air codeshares with Turkish Airline, Lion Air, Batik Air and is an interlining partner to Xiamen Air, All Nippon Airways (ANA), Turkish Airline, Qatar Airways, Etihad Airways and Oman Air.
For updates on Malindo Air’s latest activities and promotions, please connect with us via Twitter (https://twitter.com/malindoair), Facebook (facebook.com/MalindoAirMalaysia) or Instagram (instagram.com/malindoair).
Edited by Peter Needham
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