Malaysians urged to embrace Visit Malaysia Year

Tourism Malaysia Director General Dato Mirza Mohammad Taiyab is urging all Malaysians to prepare to embrace Visit Malaysia Year 2014 (VMY2014) as part of a national mission.

Mirza said all Malaysians must feel that they were the hosts for the VMY campaign and prepare for the presence of the nation's guests next year.

Speaking at the recent Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) Tourism Forum in Laos Mirza stated "nationalising and taking ownership of the program by the people is important as they are the hosts of the nation's guests."

He added that all Ministries and Malaysian Government agencies could play their part in creating awareness about the campaign by printing the VMY2014 logo on their letterheads, stating "if we can mobilise this small effort, it can make a difference."

Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, when launching the VMY2014 campaign in Kuala Lumpur, said he wanted the campaign to be turned into a national mission involving all parties in order to achieve the target of 28 million tourist arrivals next year.

A total of 24.7 million tourist arrivals was recorded in 2011 while the figure for last year is being tabulated.

Mirza said the 28 million tourist arrivals target was achievable if every Malaysian brought in one tourist as Malaysia had a population of 28 million people. Beyond next year, by 2020 Malaysia aims to triple tourism revenue and double tourism numbers.

More tourists will mean more revenue for Malaysia as tourism has become the third largest foreign exchange earner for the country after manufacturing and oil palm.

The tourism industry recorded a revenue of RM58.3 billion in 2011.

Mirza said every year was actually a VMY but next year was chosen specifically to set a new target of tourist arrivals as well as in conjunction with the 50th anniversary of the birth of Malaysia following the integration of peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak.

Tourism Malaysia, he said, would intensify promotional efforts for VMY2014 at all levels and renew training for the frontliners such as immigration, taxi drivers and shopkeepers.

The 2014 ASEAN Tourism Forum will be held in the Malaysian province of Sarawak and aims to focus on ecotourism to the fore.

According to Malaysian Tourism Minister Ng Yen Yen, Sarawak was proposed as a host destination to give it greater exposure.

She explaind "it has great ecotourism products and good infrastructure for meetings and conventions. By organising the ASEAN Tourism Forum there we hope to showcase the destination's natural beauty, infrastructure for business events and diverse tourism products to those looking for adventure, heritage and culture."

Minister Ng said she wished to present Sarawak as a model case study to be emulated by overseas tour operators and planners on how a secondary destination can build on its strengths blending culture and the environment to become successful in tourism. ASEAN Tourism Forum 2014 will be held 16th to 23rd January in Kuching, Sarawak.

For more information go to www.tourism.gov.my/en/au 

21st November 2012 - SIM LEISURE OPENS NATURE-BASED ADVENTURE PARK

2nd November 2012 - PUTRERI HARBOUR FAMILY THEME PARK OPENS 

21st August 2012 - JOHOR SET TO BE MALAYSIA’S THEME PARK CAPITAL

20th August 2012 - ASIA PREPARES FOR MUSLIM TRAVEL BOOM

13th June 2012 - THEMED ATTRACTIONS MALAYSIA TO DEVELOP MARINE ADVENTURE PARK AND WATERPARK

12th December 2011 - LEGOLAND MALAYSIA COMES TOGETHER BLOCK BY BLOCK

12th May 2011 - PEET JOINS MALAYSIA’S THEMED ATTRACTIONS AND RESORTS

31st March 2010 - NEW ONLINE GUIDE LAUNCHED FOR ‘HALAL’ TRAVELLERS 

Asking a small favour
We hope that you value the news that we publish so while you're here can we ask for your support?

The news we publish at www.ausleisure.com.au is independent, credible (we hope) and free for you to access, with no pay walls and no annoying pop-up ads.

However, as an independent publisher, can we ask for you to support us by subscribing to the printed Australasian Leisure Management magazine - if you don't already do so.

Published bi-monthly since 1997, the printed Australasian Leisure Management differs from this website in that it publishes longer, in-depth and analytical features covering aquatics, attractions, entertainment, events, fitness, parks, recreation, sport, tourism and venues management.

Subscriptions cost just $90 a year.

Click here to subscribe.