Malaysia Expects More Tourist Arrivals From Middle East

Malaysia expects more tourist arrivals from middle eastern countries despite some of then having problems currently countries, said Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen.

Though the ministry couldn't set any target on the number of arrivals from those countries, she hoped that it would be more than 320,000 arrivals this year.

She said Malaysia recorded 322,000 arrivals from the middle east last year and they each tourist spent around RM7,400 during their visit.

"The middle east tourists tend to spend more, stay longer and do more shopping compared to other tourists," she told a press conference at the Al-Amar Lebanese Restaurant in the Pavilion here Monday.

Dr Ng said overall, the ministry recorded that RM2.36 billion were spent by Arab tourists last year.

"We hope the market will go up. In fact, the ministry is doing lots of promotional programmes for the middle eastern market through advertisements in CNN, websites and the local Arab televisions.

"Apart from advertisements, the ministry is using its tourism directors in Dubai, Jeddah and Iran to promote Malaysia's tourism products," she said.

Earlier, she launched The Arab Ramadan Festival themed "The Blessings Of Ramadan, 1Malaysia" to be held during Ramadan at i-City in Shah Alam.

Source : Bernama
 [tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]

Kuwaitis Often Tag Malaysia As Attractive Destination

Whenever Malaysia's name crops up at regular Kuwaiti family reunions or 'diwanya', it is with fond reference to interesting stories about the country.

Malaysian Ambassador to Kuwait Datuk Ashaary Sani noted that in lieu of the many initiatives undertaken by Malaysian authorities to lure tourists from Middle Eastern countries, the country's name seems to appear more often at the 'diwaniya'.

He said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak's attendance in the 'Invest Malaysia 2011' conference in Abu Dhabi late last month, was a clear demonstration of Malaysia's will to attract investors from the Gulf countries.

The conference saw Malaysia and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) signing the Framework Agreement on Economic, GCC, Commercial, Investment and Technical Cooperation, which reflects the significant increase in economic relations between Malaysia and the six GCC member states, namely United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain.

Ashaary told Bernama which attended the celebration to commemorate Kuwait's 50th independence anniversary, 20th Liberation Day, and fifth anniversary of the Emir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al Sabah's ascension to power, said the visit by Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen in May last year also left a significant impact in the mind of the people here about Malaysia.

Noting that the size of Malaysia's trade with Arab countries, particularly Kuwait, was still relatively small, he said the potential to grow rapidly was always there. Ashaary said trade volume between the two countries from January to October last year reached RM1.7 billion, an increase of up to 41.12 per cent as compared to the previous year.

He said the various measures taken by Malaysia, such as promotional tours, development of various infrastructure to meet the needs of Arab tourists, invitation to access investment in Asean countries for the Middle Eastern investors, besides presenting itself as a Muslim country, sent a clear signal about Malaysia's invitation to Kuwait, whether for social or business purposes.

Attractive foreign exchange rates (one Kuwait Dinar is about RM13) also provides many advantages for Kuwaiti visitors.

Ashaary said Kuwaitis usually preferred a destination that provided everything, from a theme park, beautiful beaches, green forests, shopping paradise, to comfort for a variety of businesses. And, Malaysia provides these and much more.

The fact that the number of Kuwaiti tourists who visited Malaysia rose 15 per cent last year as compared to previous years, proved that the country's tourism sector has vast potential to develop.

In terms of business, Ashaary said Kuwait provided access for the entrepreneur to explore open markets in Iraq. He said investors could develop a base in Kuwait to enter neighbouring Iraq, the country which is currently under active development in the post-Gulf War era. Meanwhile, the prosperity of the Kuwaiti can also be a plus factor for anyone interested to visit an Arab country, to make a visit here.

Ashaary said the Malaysian community of about 200 people here, comprising students and professionals, enjoyed close relationship and always cared for one another.
He said the Malaysian Kuwait Association often held gatherings to bring families closer.



Source : Bernama
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Egypt turmoil sends Saudi holidaymakers to Malaysia

A large number of Saudis are, according to the Kingdom’s travel and air industry, heading to Malaysia for their holidays and steering clear of turmoil-hit Egypt.


The Malaysian Consulate in Jeddah has confirmed an increase in Saudi visitors to the country. “There has been a 12.6 percent increase since 2009. A large number of Saudis traveled to Malaysia during the short break this year because of cheap airline tickets available online,” he added.


Malaysian Airlines estimated the number of passengers traveling from Jeddah and Riyadh to Malaysia to be around 1,500 during the first 10 days of February.


According to an official spokesman for Malaysian Airlines in Jeddah, a growing number of people from the Kingdom are opting to travel to Malaysia rather than Egypt and Lebanon. Malaysia was one of the top sought-after holiday destinations this season, he said, adding that “cost is also a factor.”


Malaysia is the preferred choice among many Saudis because of its relaxed and cultured Muslim background. “It has the best cultural mix of Islam and modernism,” said Marwa Hussein, a frequent traveler to Malaysia. “We get halal food everywhere and there is a lot to do for families. The beaches, parks and urban infrastructure make it a top destination for tourists.”


Many expatriates are also worried about traveling to Egypt. “I would not risk going to Egypt because of the political instability. Safety comes first,” said Lujain Ahmed, a Lebanese national who canceled a recent trip to the country.
Asked when she will travel to Egypt, she said, “Not anytime soon or in the next three months. Even Lebanon is not safe right now. We prefer to travel abroad for our short break. Most of our friends suggest Malaysia or Dubai, which is similar to the Kingdom and so you're at home away from home but with a lot more to do.”


Another visitor to Malaysia said the country is “progressive” in nature. He added that people find a wide variety of activities available in Malaysia attractive and that many people want to get away from the Gulf to experience a change of atmosphere. “You feel like you are in the Gulf because of the Islamic atmosphere but you know you have opportunities to discover life out of the Gulf, which is a great change,” he added.


“Tourist traffic to Egypt may only pick up after three months when things return to normal. The dialogue, decisions and implementation of the political verdict directly influences travel,” said a travel agent in Jeddah.


Travel agencies say people feel attracted to Malaysia because of the weather, the open-minded environment and wide choice of things to do. “Most Saudis see Malaysia as modern yet traditional,” he added.


Saudis traveling from the Kingdom to Malaysia can acquire visas on their arrival.


Source : ArabNews
  [tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]

Royal Jordanian and MH sign free sale code-share agreement

Royal Jordanian and Malaysia Airline (MH), the national carrier of Malaysia, signed a unilateral free sale code-share agreement, whereby MH is the marketing carrier, placing its code on RJ flights operated on Amman-Kuala Lumpur-Amman sector.

The agreement has been effective since September 1, 2010.

RJ President/CEO Hussein Dabbas, who signed the agreement with MH Managing Director Tengku Dato' Azmil Zaharuddin, said: "The code-share agreement between RJ and MH is a free flow agreement whereby MH may sell unlimited seats on each Amman-Kuala Lumpur-Amman flight.”

Dabbas added: “After resuming its regular flights to the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur, on June 2, after a 7-year suspension in operations between the two countries due to the weak economic feasibility of the route over the past years, this move comes as a result of the economic revival and the growth of commercial activity and tourism between the two countries.

“This will offer new opportunities for passengers and will boost the tourism sector as Malaysia is considered a gateway to Southeast Asia, particularly in the economic field where it will serve the traffic of businessmen and students.”

Royal Jordanian operates three flights a week, on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, using its recently introduced Airbus A330s.

Dabbas added that RJ is also preparing to transform a code-share agreement from bilateral to unilateral with British Airways; it comes after having implemented the Amadeus system in October 2010. Next year, RJ is planning to increase the number of code-share agreements with its oneworld partners.

Currently, Royal Jordanian has marketing alliances, through code sharing, with several international airlines: American Airlines, British Airways, US Airways, Iberia, Malév Hungarian Airlines, Siberia airlines (S7), Tarom, Gulf Air, Syrian Airlines and Yemen Airways.

Zaharuddin expressed satisfaction with the agreement with Royal Jordanian:

“RJ is a highly appreciated airline, and thus clients will enjoy the high-class services RJ offers them on board its aircraft.

“MH guests will enjoy the same services as those provided to the RJ passengers. Crown Class passengers will have the opportunity to benefit from the extended services provided by the operating carrier.”

[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]

Eco-tourism ranks high on Arab travel plans

Beyond the well-known destinations of Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Langkawi, Arab travellers appear to be keen on exploring Malaysia’s resort islands such as Redang, Perhentian and Tioman.

This was the outcome of a recent online survey, devised in a multiple-answer format, undertaken by Tourism Malaysia here.

It drew 4,172 respondents, including 3,536 United Arab Emirates (UAE) nationals, according to Mohamad Ibrahim Masri, Tourism Malaysia marketing manager for UAE, Gulf and Iran.

He said 1,471 respondents (35.25%) were in favour of island escapades, followed by vacationing at hill resorts like Genting Highlands, Fraser’s Hill and Cameron Highlands (1,139 respondents of 27.29%).

Arab tourists would also like to experience Malaysian culture as well as adventure with nature, such as those on offer in states like Sabah and Sarawak, he said.

On the type of activity they would indulge in on vacation in tropical Malaysia, 2,379 respondents (57.01%) picked ecotourism above shopping, spa and wellness programmes, diving and golfing.

Mohamad Ibrahim said: “You can see that ecotourism is high on the list, and this means enjoying nature and greenery.

“People in this part of the world live in an environment pretty much lacking in greenery, which can be found in abundance in Malaysia. So, it makes sense if they want to indulge in activities associated with nature when they go on vacation,” the tourism official explained.

Golfing garnered merely 319 positive responses of the 4,172 survey respondents.

Queried on festivals organised in Malaysia that they would likely attend, 911 respondents (21.83%) opted for the Fabulous Food 1Malaysia event, followed by Malaysia Mega Sale Carnival and Colours of Malaysia extravaganza.

A question on spending Ramadan in Malaysia was also featured in the survey.

A total of 2,663 respondents (63.82%) said they would like to experience the Ramadan night bazaar while 1,692 (40.55%) had savouring Malaysian food and delicacies in mind.

Source : STAR

[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]

Tourism Malaysia survey reveals interests of Arab travellers

Beyond the well-known destinations of Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Langkawi, Arab travellers appear to be keen on exploring Malaysia's resort islands such as Redang, Perhentian and Tioman.

This was the outcome of a recent online survey, devised in a multiple-answer format, undertaken by Tourism Malaysia Dubai in collaboration with a local English daily.

It drew 4,172 respondents, including 3,536 United Arab Emirates (UAE) nationals, according to Mohamad Ibrahim Masri, Tourism Malaysia marketing manager for UAE, Gulf and Iran.

He said 1,471 respondents (35.25%) were in favour of island escapades, followed by vacationing at hill resorts like Genting Highlands, Fraser's Hill and Cameron Highlands (1,139 respondents, 27.29%).

Arab tourists would also like to experience Malaysian culture as well as adventure with nature, like those on offer in states like Sabah and Sarawak, he told Bernama.

On the type of activity they would indulge in on vacation in tropical Malaysia, 2,379 respondents (57.01 per cent) picked ecotourism above shopping, spa and wellness programmes, diving and golfing.

Mohamad Ibrahim said: "You can see that ecotourism is high on the list, and this goes back to enjoying nature and greenery.

"People in this part of the world live in an environment pretty much lacking in greenery, which can be found in abundance in Malaysia.

"So, it makes sense if they want to indulge in activities associated with nature when they go on vacation," the tourism official explained.

Golfing garnered merely 319 positive responses of the 4,172 survey respondents.

Queried on festivals organised in Malaysia that they would likely attend, 911 respondents (21.83%) opted for the Fabulous Food 1Malaysia event, followed by Malaysia Mega Sale Carnival and Colours of Malaysia extravaganza.

A question on spending Ramadan in Malaysia was also featured in the survey.

A total of 2,663 respondents (63.82%) said they would like to experience the Ramadan night bazaar while 1,692 (40.55%) had savouring Malaysian food and delicacies in mind.

Source : STAR
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]

Ramadan Bazaar Draws Tourists From West Asia, Europe

Malaysia is offering the fasting month of Ramadan and Ramadan Bazaar to be shared with the world as tourism products, said Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen.

"That is why we have been inviting foreign tourists to be with us during Ramadan. For example, this afternoon we have visitors from the United Kingdom, France, Iran, Japan and India," she told reporters after opening a Ramadan bazaar outside Kampung Baru Jamek Mosque here Saturday.

She said from this year until 2015, Ramadan would fall in summer in West Asian countries and Pakistan and sweltering heat would prompt the rich to travel and Malaysia could be their preferred destination.

"We are also collaborating with local authorities such as the Kuala Lumpur City Hall to encourage selected shopping complexes to stay open longer for sahur (predawn meal) at its food courts and shopping," she added.

Ng said 50,000 Saudi Arabian, United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Iranian tourists visited Malaysia in the first quarter of this year and they spent around RM7,169 each and stayed in the country for an average of 10 days.

In conjunction with the occasion, the Tourism Ministry provided an allocation to Kampung Baru Jamek Mosque to cook 100 pots of "bubur lambuk" (rice porridge) for 25,000 people while 51 Rumah Sinar Salam inmates were presented with Aidilfitri aid.



Source : bernama
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]

Strong Demand For Malaysia Among Arab Holidaymakers

Tour operators and airlines here and elsewhere in the Gulf region are reporting brisk business as Arab holidaymakers head abroad to escape the baking summer heat, with Malaysia being one of the favourite destinations.

Many people mothballed their vacation plans last year as the effects of the global economic and financial crisis took hold. The H1N1 scare also prompted a lot of cancellations in 2009.

But this year the travelling crowd is back, according to Tourism Malaysia Dubai director Tuan Razali Tuan Omar.

"We've noted that demand for Malaysia is very strong this summer based on feedback from the market, travel agents and airlines," he told Bernama.

Most online carriers to Malaysia had indicated good growth on their Kuala Lumpur route, with some like Emirates Airline having increased capacity to the Southeast Asian country, he said.

Tuan Razali said Emirates Holidays, the tour operating arm of Emirates and the largest wholesale tour operator in the Gulf and Middle East, registered a 43 per cent increase in the number of travellers to Malaysia during April-June this year over the same period last year.

"Feedback from tour operators in Qatar is that hotel rooms in Malaysian destinations are fully booked this summer. And many of the travel agents here are saying that it's a bit tough finding suitable apartments for customers who want to spend their holiday in Malaysia," he said, adding that three-bedroom apartments were much in demand.

Middle Easterners prefer to travel with their families and often opt to bring their maids along. With this in mind, the Malaysian government has eased entry regulations for maids travelling with their employers to Malaysia. The new rules went into effect on May 21.

Narouz Sarkies, general manager of Belhasa Tourism & Travel Co. LLC, one of the leading tour operators in the United Arab Emirates, said Malaysia should continue promoting "newer" destinations such as Sabah and Sarawak.

He said: "I've been to Malaysia and there're really a lot of nice new places to visit like Kuching, Kota Kinabalu and others, beyond favourites like Kuala Lumpur, Langkawi, Penang, Redang. In fact, we're also recommending these new destinations in Malaysia for people from this part of the world to visit," he added.

Some Dubai-based travel agents have voiced frustration over the difficulty in securing airline seats and suitable accommodation for customers.

The problem is that Arab holidaymakers are travelling at the same time this holiday season, and many prefer to be back home in time for Ramadan which is to start next month.

"The travelling period is shorter because of the fasting month. And everybody wants to go to Malaysia at the same time," Edward Soliman, sales manager at Al Fajer Travel & Tourism, explained.

He said Middle Eastern families continued to favour Malaysia over other destinations in Asia for their summer holiday.

Soliman, however, claimed that accommodation rates, especially in sought-after locations like Bukit Bintang in Kuala Lumpur and other areas, would go up at this time of the year.

"Perhaps the relevant authorities in Malaysia need to have a little bit of control over hotel and accommodation prices because it appears that they (operators) are raising prices to very high levels," Soliman said.

He also said Malaysia Airlines should have increased the capacity to Kuala Lumpur at least for the month of July to cope with the hike in demand for seats.

Al Fajer's outbound manager, Ahmed Bader, concurred, saying that some Arab vacationers may skip Malaysia during the high season in the future if challenges in getting competitively-priced seats and accommodation were not addressed. He said if this materialised, it would be a loss to Malaysia as Arab travellers were big spenders compared to tourists from some other parts of the world.

Tourism Malaysia's Tuan Razali said indications were that airline fares would still be on the higher side even until the middle of August.

"It means that there's still demand for travel to Malaysia during Ramadan. This is a good thing because we're promoting Ramadan as well as Aidilfitri holiday among Arab travellers," he said.

The tourism official expressed hope that the trend would continue for the next few years when Ramadan also falls during the summer months.

Industry observers said that Malaysia should step up its game as other destinations like Turkey had come into the picture.

"Over the past years, Malaysia and Australia had always been among the top destinations for our business. But this year there has been a slight change. This year it's Europe, Turkey, then the Far East -- mainly Malaysia followed by Australia -- and Middle East destinations. That's the trend now," said Belhasa's Sarkies.

He also felt that there had somewhat been a decline in the level of advertising and publicity campaigns promoting Malaysia in this region.

"It was like a brainwashing exercise before. Everywhere you turned you were bombarded with the 'Malaysia Truly Asia' slogan. But I feel that this is no longer the case," Sarkies said. "Maybe it's due to budgetary constraints or other factors, I'm not sure," he added.

Despite 2009 being a challenging year for the tourism industry, Malaysia managed to attract 284,890 visitors from this region with a growth of 7.8 per cent over 2008, at 264,338. The target for 2010 is 300,000.

Meanwhile, Tuan Razali reminded Malaysian tourism industry players to maintain high standards and offer only the highest level of service to customers, including Middle Eastern tourists.

"And we do hope to provide more three-bedroom apartments to cater to tourists who come with big families. We do have them but not in sufficient numbers," he added.

Source : Bernama
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]

Envoys see potential in Malaysia’s medical tourism

Ambassadors from Middle East countries see great potential in Malaysia promoting medical tourism to their home countries.

“They have been going to Singapore and the United States for medical treatment and the bills are getting higher. They are interested to come to Malaysia,” said MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek.

This was relayed to Dr Chua during his series of meetings with some ambassadors since he took over as the party president in March.

He met with the ambassadors from Middle East countries and North Korea at Wisma MCA here yesterday. The ambassadors also informed Dr Chua that more could be done to attract Chinese businessmen from Malaysia to invest in Middle East countries.

“I told them that there is hardly any information from their countries about trade promotions, and that they need to do more promotion,” he said.

On North Korea, Dr Chua said the delegates had invited the party to visit the country and he promised to respond accordingly.

MCA, said the president, would continue to foster good relationship with ambassadors and look for overseas investment opportunities for local businessmen.




Source : STAR
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]

Malaysia prepares for Middle East season

Malaysia has embarked on a new tactical campaign to bring in more tourists from the Middle East during the market's summer holidays from July to October.

The country will offer more activities to entice Arab tourists to stay longer in Malaysia during the month-long Ramadhan fasting period (August 11 to September 9) and Eid ul Fitr festival.

Newly-launched 1Malaysia Contemporary Art Tourism 2010, from July to September, is poised to become an annual event attracting more high-yield visitors and art aficionados.

Other events during the Middle East travel season are the Putrajaya Flower & Garden Festival from July 10 to 18 and the Malaysia Mega Sale Carnival from July 24 to September 16.

Tourism Malaysia is working with relevant authorities to keep shopping malls open beyond 22.30 to give Middle East tourists more time to shop for the Eid ul Fitr festival. The NTO is also working with the religious department to get Middle East Imams (religious leaders) to perform Tarawih prayers during Ramadhan.

Source : TTG
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Malaysia continues to lure Saudi tourists

For the fifth year in a row, Malaysia continues to attract a large number of Saudi tourists, a senior tours and sales executive has said. “For five years in a row Malaysia has topped the countries attracting Saudi summer vacationers. Egypt and the UAE are usually next in popularity,” Mahmud Hamid, a tours and sales executive, told Saudi Gazette.

According to tour and travel experts, people choose their destinations depending on the areas they live in. For example, Hamid said, people traveling to Europe are usually from Riyadh and cities in the Eastern Province.

“Fifty percent of Saudis from Riyadh prefer to spend their summer vacations in Europe with France being the country they most prefer to visit,” Hamid said.

Reisdents from Jeddah, Taif and surrounding areas prefer to go to Malaysia, Singapore and other southeast Asian countries.

Travelers late in deciding where they want to go may face booking problems, Hamid warned. Offices of most airlines are crowded these days as the summer holidays are around the corner. Several travelers talked about difficulties in getting confirmed bookings because they were late in deciding upon their itinerary. “People traveling outside must make their bookings at least four to five months in advance in order to avoid last-minute hassles,” Hamid said.

Solaf Abdulaziz was very late in deciding to spend her vacation outside the country. She was fortunate, however, to get a booking as a result of a last minute cancelation, but she had to cough up more money. “I made the reservation late and was put on the waiting list. I was desperate, but luckily I got the booking confirmed because of some late cancelations. But I had to pay a little more,” a relieved Solaf said.


Source : SaudiGazette
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Gulf hotel installs gold-dispensing machine

Customers use a ATM at the Emirates Palace hotel in Abu Dhabi to buy pure gold. — Reuters pic

It’s the ultimate hole-in-the-wall — a money machine that dispenses pure gold.

But installed beneath the gold-coated ceilings of Abu Dhabi’s Emirates Palace hotel, where royalty and billionaires come for cappuccinos topped with gold flakes, the machine almost seems part of the furniture.

“The reason we chose Emirates Palace is because it really fits with the surroundings here,” said German entrepreneur Thomas Geissler, creator of the “Gold to Go” brand and chief executive of Ex Oriente Lux.

The exterior of the machine is coated with a thin layer of gold and offers customers 320 items to choose from, ranging from gold bars that can weigh up to 10 grams, to customised gold coins.

“All the gold is imported from Germany, and soon we will have a customised gold bar with a print of the Emirates Palace logo, which will be a nice souvenir for guests to take home,” said Geissler.

Through a computer system, the ATM gold machine updates the gold price every 10 minutes to match international markets.

For now, it takes notes of the local dirham currency, but the option of using credit cards will soon be introduced.

The cash-for-gold machines were first tested in Germany in 2009, but Geissler chose Abu Dhabi for the official launch of his invention because of the region’s high demand for gold.

“On the first night we had a lot of demand,” he said. “One customer even bought one item of every product we have.”

Geissler’s timing is spot-on, as investors flock to gold as a safe haven from economic turbulence.

Yesterday, gold priced in sterling and euros reached record highs, while that priced in the more usual dollar denomination was quoted at US$1,236 an ounce, with dealers expecting it to reach fresh highs over coming days.

Source : TMI
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]

Oman Air Plans Daily Flights To KL

Oman Air, the national carrier of the Sultanate of Oman, plans to mount daily flights between Muscat and the Malaysian capital by next year.

"At present, we fly four times a week from Muscat to Malaysia and I bet we will have daily flights here by next year," Chief Commercial Officer Barry Brown told reporters Thursday.

He said the airline also planned to have a code-sharing arrangement with Malaysia Airlines and hoped to introduce it on June 1.

Oman Air District Sales Manager Kathleen Leong said: "Oman and Malaysia recognise there are mutual benefits to have direct flights and the up-tick in the economies of both countries makes this a strategically smart move.

"Malaysians performing Haj or Umrah can make a stop at Muscat while Omanis can enjoy the shopping and leisure experiences offered here."

Oman Air Chief Executive Officer Peter Hill said hotels and restaurants in Oman recorded a high annual growth rate in the third quarter of 2009 compared to first and second quarter which indicates a positive growth for tourism sector in 2010.

Also, there were 1.4 million passengers from the Middle East in 2009, an increase of 5.8 per cent from 2008, he said.

The number of tourists visiting Malaysia from Oman this year is expected to reach 21,000, a 100 per cent increase from last year with the availability of direct flights from Oman to Malaysia.

Hill also noted that in 2008, Malaysia's imports from the sultanate amounted to US$866 million, an increase of 78 per cent compared to 2007.

Oman Air is the first airline in the world to offer both Wi-Fi and mobile telephony to all classes of passengers, in addition to live television.

The airline operates direct flights from Muscat to India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Lebanon, United Kingdom and Germany.


Source : Bernama
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]

Tropical Malaysia Beckons Qataris

Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen was greeted by a scorching 38-degree Celsius weather when she landed here Monday, and promptly declared that more Qataris should consider escaping the heat by holidaying in tropical Malaysia.

Nevertheless, she conceded that awareness about Malaysia among the Qataris was still low and steps must be taken to address the situation.

"I view my presence in Doha as the beginning of the discovery of Malaysia by the people of Qatar," she told a news conference in the Qatari capital Monday night in conjunction with Tourism Malaysia's roadshow to bring in more travellers from this Gulf nation.

Malaysia welcomed about 5,000 tourist arrivals from Qatar last year compared with 7,808 in 2008.

Dr Ng said Malaysia offered a value-for-money proposition to tourists.

Elaborating on her experience with Doha's hot weather, the minister said: "Now I fully understand why people from the Gulf countries need to go somewhere less hot during the summer months."

The mercury in this Gulf state could reach over 40-degree Celsius in the summer months.

"And green Malaysia is the best place to go for a vacation," she said as she extolled the virtues of spending a holiday in the Southeast Asian nation representing a cauldron of cultures of over 27 million people. Dr Ng said that nature was the biggest strength of Malaysia, a country blessed with beaches and jungles along with 54 marine parks.

"As I flew in this morning, I could see that you have the sea and sand but you don't have trees," she noted.

The minister underlined that Malaysia was the place to go for honeymoons as well as leisure holidays and health tourism.

At the news conference, she also launched holiday packages to Malaysia offered by Doha-based tour agency Unique Choice, which was represented by its executive director, Walter Dias.

Present were Tourism Malaysia's deputy director-general for planning Azizan Noordin and Tuan Razali Tuan Omar, the agency's Dubai-based director.

Dr Ng said visitors from Qatar should feel at home in Malaysia, a modern Muslim nation where halal food was easily available along with mosques for prayers.

Malaysia had over 400 four- and five-star hotels, with Kuala Lumpur alone offering more than 64,000 rooms, she said.

Accessibility should not be a problem, she observed, as Qatar Airways and a host of other Middle Eastern airlines were flying to Malaysia.

Despite 2009 being a challenging year for global tourism industry, Malaysia managed to attract 284,980 Arab visitors with a growth of 7.8 per cent over 2008, at 264,338. The target for 2010 is 300,000.

Soon after arrival in Doha, Dr Ng toured the waterfront Museum of Islamic Art and visited other interesting locations in the city.

Tourism Malaysia is hosting the Malaysia Gala Dinner at the Four Seasons Doha hotel Tuesday night in conjunction with the roadshow.

Doha is the second and final leg of Tourism Malaysia's roadshow following the conclusion of the Arabian Travel Market 2010 in Dubai on May 7.

Dr Ng led the tourism promotion agency's roadshow in Kuwait on May 8-9.


Source : Bernama
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]

Emirates May Mount Extra Flights To KL During Ramadan - Minister

Emirates Airline is supportive of a request for an increase in flights to Kuala Lumpur during Ramadan as Malaysia eyes more Arab visitors during the Muslim fasting month, Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen said.

She said the possibility of Emirates using the Airbus A380 superjumbo for the flights was mentioned in her talks with Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Maktoum, chairman and chief executive of Emirates Airline and Group here, Wednesday.

"I requested Emirates to add flights to Malaysia during Ramadan...and he was very supportive," she told the Malaysian media after the meeting which took place at the ongoing Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2010 here.

Dr Ng is leading the Malaysian delegation at the Middle East's premiere travel fair which ends tomorrow.

Emirates currently operates 21 weekly non-stop flights between its home base of Dubai and Kuala Lumpur, the Malaysian capital.

The minister said the unique atmosphere of Ramadan in Malaysia should be enjoyed by outsiders.

"In Malaysia, the length of your fasting time is quite constant. The whole religious aspects are well-catered for in Malaysia.

"You can have your breakfast and sahur (early morning meal) at the hotels which offer buffet spreads, and perform tarawih prayers at the mosque," she said.

Dr Ng said an interesting aspect of Ramadan in Malaysia was that non-Muslims would also wait for the azan (call to prayer) before eating with their Muslim friends at the breaking fast ritual.

The minister said Tourism Malaysia would engage hospitality industry players in planning for the Ramadan tourism push.

Dr Ng also said Sheikh Ahmed made an observation that many Middle Easterners were going to countries like Thailand for medical tourism despite Malaysia having facilities for this purpose.

"I will go back and convey the message to the Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council," she said.

On its part, she said, Tourism Malaysia would always extend any assistance needed in promoting medical tourism in Malaysia.


Source : Bernama
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]

Dr Ng Hits The Ground Running At Dubai Travel Fair

Arriving in Dubai after a long flight from Shanghai, Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen brushed aside fatigue and hit the ground running at the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2010. She and her entourage landed in the emirate in the early hours of Tuesday, but appeared to be her cheerful self as she headed for the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre (DICEC) to open the Malaysia Pavilion, barely a few hours later.

Wearing an eye-catching red modern kebaya and selendang, the minister struck a gong to mark the occasion, toured the Melaka house-inspired two-storey structure, shook hands with Malaysian delegates and posed for the cameras with members of the Istana Budaya cultural troupe specially brought in for the travel fair. And then she got down to the business of wooing more Arab tourists to Malaysia, a melting pot of cultures of over 27 million people in the heart of Southeast Asia.

This is Malaysia's 17th year of participation at the ATM, billed as the largest travel and tourism fair in the Middle East, with more than 2,200 exhibitors from all over the world attending the 2010 edition. Many of the tourism ministers and VVIPs who graced the opening ceremony had gone home but Dr Ng is in Dubai until the end of the travel fair on Friday.

"I'm focusing on the Middle East because we're so strong here. We can't afford to lose our lead. I want to keep the momentum going so that Malaysia will always be seen as the lead player in this market," the minister explained.

Despite 2009 being a challenging year for the tourism industry, Malaysia managed to attract 284,890 visitors from this region with a growth of 7.8 per cent over 2008, at 264,338. The target for 2010 is 300,000.

Dr Ng observed that many Arab countries were also now starting to focus on the tourism industry to value add their economy. "They're not just focusing on oil and gas now. In promoting tourism, they're developing their deserts, putting money into infrastructure with an eye towards economic returns," the minister remarked.

Observers said Malaysia's neighbours in Southeast Asia as well countries in other parts of the world were also trying to drum up more travellers from the Middle East.

But Dr Ng is taking all these developments in her stride as she takes every opportunity in Dubai to drive home the point that Malaysia has a lot to offer as a tourist destination. And news that Malaysia had entered the top-10 list of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) in terms of tourist arrivals for 2009 could not have come at a more opportune time.

At various sessions with the Press as well as meetings with top tour operators and airline bosses at ATM 2010, she highlighted Malaysia's tourism products.

Key segments being promoted in the Middle East market include leisure holidays such as beaches and islands, shopping, dining and eco-tourism. Special interest promotions are education tourism, medical and health tourism, honeymoon, spa and the Malaysia My Second Home programme.

Tourism Malaysia, she said, was also keen on luring Arab visitors to spend Ramadan in Malaysia where the fasting month was observed by Muslims and equally enjoyed by non-Muslim Malaysians.

In her presentations, Dr Ng pointed out that Malaysia enjoyed political stability and was a safe country to visit. Communication was a breeze in Malaysia, she said, as most Malaysians could speak English and many could even speak Arabic.

Dr Ng's friendly manner and charm were her arsenal in dealing with Middle Easterners. She broke the ice at a meeting with an Arab airline boss by telling him that she was getting better treatment here than anywhere else, contrary to her initial doubts over a woman leading a delegation to a "conservative area".

At an event Wednesday to launch holiday packages offered by Firefly Holiday, the minister decided to do away with the rostrum and chose to address the assembled members of the media nearer to them.

The intended objective of her presence in Dubai may well be to spearhead Malaysia's tourism drive, but it appears that it also serves as a study tour for Dr Ng who is visiting the city for the first time in her capacity as tourism minister. During a dinner cruise on a traditional dhow along the Dubai creek one evening, Dr Ng took in the sights of Dubai, the city skyline dominated by the glittering Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world.

"You see how lighting is very important in accentuating the beauty of a building," she said, referring to the well-lit exterior of buildings lining both sides of the waterway. Our local authorities should think of all this," she said, noting that Dubai had managed to blend both the traditional and the modern in moulding itself as an international tourist spot.

The minister described the cultural performance on board the ship, an Egyptian swirling dance executed by two male dancers, as "fantastic". "This is the kind of performance that tourists appreciate," she said.

Dr Ng is leading a 120-member Malaysian delegation to the ATM, representing 54 hotels, 22 travel and tour operators, five state governments and Malaysia Airlines. Her support team at the ATM includes Tourism Malaysia's deputy director-general for planning Azizan Noordin and the agency's Dubai director Tuan Razali Tuan Omar. She will also lead Malaysia's post-ATM 2010 sales mission and road show to Kuwait and Qatar from May 8 to 12 aimed at further promoting Malaysia as a tourist destination.



Source : Bernama

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Etihad Holidays offers new deals to Malaysia

Etihad Holidays, a division of Etihad Airways, has announced a new cooperative agreement with Tourism Malaysia to promote holiday packages to Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Langkawi and Kota Kinabalu.

Peter Baumgartner, Etihad Airways’ Chief Commercial Officer, said that as part of a special promotion running throughout April and May 2010, Etihad Airways would offer travellers a range of value-for-money holiday packages to popular destinations in Malaysia.

Mr Baumgartner said: “Malaysia is one of our key holiday destinations, offering travellers a rich culture and history from a mosaic of ethnicities. The special promotion offers a wide range of packages to popular beach front destinations, as well as city breaks in vibrant Kuala Lumpur.”

Etihad Holidays guests are being offered a range of bonus privileges, including: free flights for children; free accommodation for children in selected hotels; additional complimentary nights; free room upgrades; breakfast; airport transfers; and attractive discounts on a wide selection of services.

The sale period for the special offers runs from April 1 to May 31. The travel period for the offers is from April 1 to June 30 and the ‘kids fly free’ promotion is valid until June 10.

Etihad Holidays commenced its first partnership with Tourism Malaysia in 2007 and in 2009, Etihad Holidays received an award for ‘Best Foreign Tour Operator - West Asia’ by the Malaysian Ministry of Tourism.

Mr Baumgartner said: “We are committed to forging strong partnerships with tourism bodies in all of our destinations, offering our customers access to the best range of holiday packages under our Etihad Holidays World Deals. Today, we are pleased to announce our new agreement with Tourism Malaysia.”

Etihad Holidays also offers its World Deals program to destinations across the globe including Europe, US, Africa, Middle East and Asia, as well as Etihad’s newest destinations in Japan and Sri Lanka.

Source : Travel Daily News
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Royal Jordanian To Fly To Kuala Lumpur In June

Royal Jordanian airline will resume flights to Kuala Lumpur at the beginning of June this year.

The three weekly flights to Kuala Lumpur will be operated via Bangkok using the Airbus A330, the carrier said in a statement.

The airline also said the decision to resume service to the Malaysian capital, was made in light of signs of a recovery and increase in tourism and commercial activity, to Malaysia.

Malaysia is considered a family tourist attraction for Arab countries, according to Royal Jordanian.

On March 28, Royal Jordanian will inaugurate its direct service to Madinah with studies showing the importance of serving haj and umrah pilgrims, directly from Amman to the Saudi Arabian city.


Source : Bernama
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AirAsia X starts flying to Middle East

Long-haul budget carrier AirAsia X has started flying five times a week from Kuala Lumpur to Abu Dhabi, expanding its network into the Middle East.

The inaugural flight on its Airbus 340 culminated with a launch event at the Yas Island Rotana hotel here yesterday.

AirAsia X chief executive officer Azran Osman-Rani said Abu Dhabi has the potential to become a hub for the carrier to expand its network into the Middle East.

"I take it (Abu Dhabi ) as a priority market. We are now focusing on adding more capacity and working on the service's efficiency. We will focus on Abu Dhabi first, before expanding our network further into this region," he said after the launch.

Also present were Malaysian High Commissioner to the United Arab Emirates Datuk Yahaya Abdul Jabar, Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority deputy director-general Ahmad Hussein and AirAsia X chairman Datuk Kalimullah Hassan.

Abu Dhabi serves as a gateway to the Middle East, which has a population of about 300 million.

Abu Dhabi is the ninth destination offered by AirAsia X, after Chengdu, Hangzhou, Taipeh, Melbourne, Gold Coast, Perth, London and Tienjin.

To celebrate its launch, AirAsia X is offering 1,100 free tickets under the AirAsia Go Holiday packages from now until Friday. The travel period is for December 1 until January 31 2010.

It is also offering an online promotional offer of a number of seats through its website at RM99 or 99 dirhams, for one-way travel between now and July 31 2010.

Source : Business Times
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Etihad Airlines To Double Agents Commission

Etihad Airways, the national carrier of the United Arab Emirates, is doubling its commission to its associated travel agents.

In a statement, the airline said it would double the commission for any tickets sold between October 5 and November 1, 2009.

Besides, passengers would also enjoy a promotional price of RM1,900 to the airline's European destinations when they purchase airline tickets between October 5 and November 30.

Etihad Airways offers flight to more than 50 destinations all over the world.

Source : Bernama
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]