More travel bargains at Matta fairs this year

Ngiam Foon says domestic tourism is a big contributor to the tourism industry

Malaysians and foreigners alike will enjoy even more travel bargains this year at the 12 Matta fairs the Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (Matta) has planned.

State Matta chapters have been roped in to hold travel fairs in their states, in addition to the grand fairs in March and October.

With 85,000 visitors and an expected sales turnover of RM85 million this year, Matta president Ngiam Foon said the Matta Fair is big business for the domestic travel industry.

"Many have the impression Matta Fairs are more about outbound travel, but domestic tourism is a big contributor to the tourism industry."

Last year, the domestic tourism key performance indicator showed that local hotels enjoyed a considerable growth in the number of room nights booked.
"We've had over 30 million room nights booked in the last two years, and this is an encouraging trend," said Ngiam.

The states holding a fair this year are Selangor (next month), Perak (March), Pahang (April), Negri Sembilan and Penang (July) and Malacca and Johor (August).

Also on the list are Kelantan, Sabah and Sarawak, but the state offices have yet to confirm the dates for the respective fairs.

The March fair will be held from March 14-16, while the September fair has been postponed to Oct 10-12 in view of the fasting month.

Tourism Malaysia, the biggest exhibitor this year, will mainly feature the attractions in Kedah, Terengganu and Kelantan as these states are shortlisted in the "must visit places" on the tourism calendar.

"This year is Visit Kedah Year, Visit Kelantan Year and Visit Terengganu Year," said Tourism Malaysia domestic promotions division director Datuk Idros Mohd.

Source : NST
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel vmy2008]

VKY 2008 Targets Foreign Tourists

SEVERAL tourism promotion programmes have been carried out in foreign countries to attract tourists for Visit Kedah Year (VKY) 2008.

State Tourism, Youth and Sports Committee chairman Datuk Othman Aziz told the House that the state had allocated RM3mil for the promotional activities.

He said 18 tourism projects, costing RM69.8mil, were listed under the Ninth Malaysia Plan, of which only one at Sungai Merbok had taken off while the others were now open for tenders.

Replying Datuk Abdul Razak Hashim (BN – Guar Chempedak), he said the state had also allocated RM13mil to renovate facilities at Gunung Jerai.

He said construction work at the resort atop Gunung Jerai had started since March.

“All activities at the resort area on the mountain have been postponed until April next year when the construction work is expected to be completed,” he said.

Othman said there were more than 8,700 hotel rooms available to accommodate tourists next year, of which 7,500 were in Langkawi and 1,200 in Alor Star and Sungai Petani.

He said that the state Economic Planning Unit had also sorted out homestay facilities in Kedah to woo tourists.

Othman also said the two resorts at Pedu Lake, which were closed due to financial problems last year, would re-open early next year.

Source : STAR
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel vmy2007]

Change or Lose Tourist Revenue, Kelantan told

Change your hardline and restrictive attitude or forever lose out on tourist dollars, the Kelantan Government has been told.

Malaysia recorded 17.5 million tourist arrvials last year, the second highest in Asia after China, and they pumped in RM37bil based on receipts expenditure.

Kelantan only tapped a small percentage of the arrivals, said the Tourism Ministry.

Deputy Minister Datuk Donald Lim Siang Chai said the PAS government had to be more receptive to tourism and change its attitude if Visit Kelantan 2008 is to be successful.

“It is not that they are the opposition, but their policies tend to be more anti-tourism,” he said when opening an e-commerce seminar at the Kelantan MCA headquarters here on Sunday.

Lim added that the state government must meet the needs of modern-day tourists.

“Restriction on social mobility such as recreational areas and platforms for people to relax within the framework of the law would deal a severe blow to tourism,” he said.

Tourism Malaysia was fully supporting Kelantan in terms of improving infrastructure, facilities, promotions and products.

Lim said such efforts would be counter-productive if the state's policies put off foreign tourists.

Source : STAR
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel vmy2007]

Kelantan to splurge on tourism promotion

Kelantan is spending a whopping RM2.2mil to promote Visit Kelantan Year 2008, a six-fold increase in its annual tourism budget.

With Terengganu and Kedah hosting similar events next year, Kelantan must work extra hard to draw tourists, said State Tourism, Culture and National Unity Committee chairman Datuk Anuar Tan Abdullah.

The plan: Anuar looking at the one hundred recipes for rice after opening Pesta Nasi 100 in Kota Baru yesterday as Kelantan Tourist Association President Nik Aman Nik Mohamed (second from left) looks on.

He said Kelantan had targeted 5.7 million local and Asean tourists, and 200,000 international visitors next year.

“Promotions have already been held in Dubai, London and Berlin while the Sultan of Kelantan personally promoted the 100 Rice Festival in New York last April.

“We will also be holding promotions in Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and China in September,” he told reporters at the fourth Pesta 100 Nasi & 100 Jenis Kuih-Muih Kelantan (100 types of rice and delicacies) at the Sultan Muhammad IV Stadium here.

Anuar said the soft launch for the Visit Kelantan Year 2008 was held yesterday at Pantai Seri Tujuh, adding that a full-scale event would be held later.

The state exco member said Kelantan would also increase the budget for next year’s rice and kuih festival.

“Kelantan food is unique not just because of the taste but also its variety and unique names, such as tahi itik, jala emas and puteri mandi.

“Next year, we hope to break our record with 300 types of rice (displayed at the festival),” he said.

Source : STAR
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel vmy2007]