Success of tourism industry in hands of all: Tourism Minister

Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen has suggested that each state in the country set up a theme park featuring its own uniqueness and specialties.

"I believe theme parks have very good potential to attract repeat visitors and also boost domestic tourism in the 13 states of Malaysia," she told the media after launching the Asian Attraction Expo 2010, on Wednesday.

Dr Ng said currently, the country's 28 theme parks were concentrated on the west coast of the peninsula such as in Selangor, Malacca and in Genting Highlands, Pahang.

"We don't have any in the east coast at all, so we are looking at this. It is not a matter of how many theme parks we have. They can be of medium size but the most important is to provide a niche product," she said.

Dr Ng said she would be interested to discuss the matter with some states and urged the private sector to take the lead in building theme parks.

On the three-day expo organised by the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA), she said it would provide a good opportunity to learn more about the industry.

Over 200 suppliers from around the world are participating in the expo.


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

The Tourism Challenge

MALAYSIA is a relatively new player in the field of tourism. The upgrading of promotional activities started only when the Tourism and Culture Ministry was established in 1987.

At that time, the country was little known to the rest of the world. Those responsible had not only to deal with the task of creating awareness but also with the fact that the country had to compete against several more mature markets in the region.

The tourism industry has undergone rapid development over the past decade. The industry has grown from strength to strength to become a leading revenue generator as well as a significant contributor to the nation’s economic growth.

Recognising this, the government has placed great emphasis on tourism product development by continuously upgrading the infrastructure, the quality of existing products as well as developing new tourism products that can capture a bigger share of the world tourism market.

At the same time, I hope more and more of our people and the frontliners will continue to provide value-added services to tourists. I also hope more emphasis will be given to inculcate the spirit of “Think Tourism” among our industry players and those in the hospitality sector.

The government, under the 10th Malaysia Plan, is targeting to improve Malaysia’s position to be within the top 10 in terms of global tourism receipts by 2015. According to the Minister of Tourism, the ministry would focus on attracting a larger share of high-end travellers capturing a bigger share of high-growth segments and increasing the number of tourist arrivals, in order to achieve the 2015 target.

There are, of course, many issues and challenges ahead that have to be resolved. One of the major ones is the fragile global economic recovery. Government budget allocations for the purpose of promoting tourism is not unlimited. So, it is vital that the right priorities be exercised.

It is equally important to ensure the maximisation of positive results in promotional expenditure. Those involved in the industry have questioned the wisdom of some of the high-cost domestic promotion activities. They argued that the expenditure could have been better utilised in promotional events in the relevant foreign markets. They have also commented that some of the activities carried out in the country were not within the scope of the tourism authorities.

For instance, critics have been wondering about the accommodation for our visitors. Last year, 23.6 million tourists visited the country and there are only 2,373 hotels and 168,844 rooms nationwide. That raises the question, “Where do the rest of the tourists stay?”

Clearly, not all are accommodated in the hotels and resorts. While certain tourists prefer home stays, others could have taken up service apartments, holiday homes, and such.

On that note, there should be a way to keep tabs and traceable records or a complete database of where the rest of these tourists are staying.

In another scenario, the long list of annual sporting events that are highlighted under sports tourism raises many doubts as to the relevance and its return on investments. For instance, is the Le Tour de Langkawi or the F1 race at the Sepang International Circuit contributing to the national economy?

Looking at the trends, it seems that even after a decade had passed, these sporting events are still dependant on generous handouts and financial sponsorships from the various government agencies and government-linked corporations.

Ironically, if such events claim to be sustainable enough, then they should not be dependent on others for financial aid. Otherwise, the ethical move is to have these events dropped altogether.

Similar trends or practices are also observed with the yachting and sailing events where financial sponsorship from government agencies and the public are sought, year after year.

Likewise, other sporting activities like golfing should be given similar consideration. Apparently, the golfing industry in the country should not be too dependent on foreign labour (caddies, staffing, etc).

While we welcome every effort to promote Malaysia through the various activities and events, many find it rather confusing when these events transgressed other boundaries.

For instance, the Colours of Malaysia, the Pesta Air and the Chelsea Flower Show all should have been organised and promoted by the former Ministry of Unity, Culture, Arts and Heritage and the present Ministry of Agriculture, Horticulture and Agrotourism, respectively.

The Colours of Malaysia has always been a cultural representation of the country’s rich multi-racial communities through songs, dances and cuisine. This celebration is also to highlight the various cultural differences of the 13 States in Malaysia.

But the irony is, “Since it is a cultural event, wouldn’t it be appropriate if it were to be placed under the purview of the former Ministry of Unity, Culture, Arts and Heritage? Reason being, such a ministry was well-positioned as the proper custodian or gatekeeper to promote the various cultures of Malaysia.

Furthermore, the venue for the Colours of Malaysia has always been an issue. Sometimes, it is staged in a stadium and sometimes it is portrayed as a street parade spanning from Dataran Merdeka to Jalan Raja Laut and Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman. The decision changes each time Malaysia receives a new tourism minister.

The changing of venues must indeed incur heavy costs. Quite frankly, one does not have to look far to realise that staging the Colours of Malaysia as a street parade could easily incur higher costs than hosting the same event in a stadium. One wonders just how much of this cost really goes down to the infrastructure, props or the site preparation (no such costs are required if it is staged in a stadium).

Of late, the Tourism Ministry has been subscribing to the practice of scrapping good events and replacing it with other “unrelated” ones without any proper study or market feedback.

One really wonders, “Whatever happened to the Pesta Air Malaysa?” Instead, we find ourselves promoting a new product. The Chelsea Flower Show has raised a few eyebrows in the industry. Some critics are asking ”Why are we into it?”

No doubt Malaysia managed to secure a gold medal in the recent Chelsea Flower Show after spending RM2 million for the sophisticated landscaping and floral arrangements by an ethnobotanist, James Wong. But what the ministry failed to realise is that Malaysia’s recent participation has raised a high level of expectancy on our parks and gardens.

Having said that, now everyone knows that you can never get a similar garden like the ones showcased at the Chelsea Flower Show in any of the parks in Kuala Lumpur. Just visualise tourists bound for Malaysia, who are now expecting to catch at least a “similar” garden and park in the open spaces of Kuala Lumpur and your guess is as good as mine… they will be disappointed!

There are indeed many tourism issues that I would like to highlight. Tourism products are deteriorating — you cannot swim in the sea off Port Dickson, Penang, Cherating and Malacca, and corals are dying off Tioman Island, Redang Island and Paya Island off Langkawi.

Pollution is a big problem. We also have to limit the number of visitors to fragile areas. We cannot have a thousand visitors visiting Paya Island when the carrying capacity is only, say, 300 visitors a day. Thus, the pollution will kill the corals and reduce the fish population there.

There is also lack of enforcement and maintenance in these areas. Sewage, grey water, household and restaurant waste are being discharged into drains polluting the water. Most of our rivers are getting more and more polluted due to no laws to reduce and control household discharge into drains and rivers.

Two beautiful nature sites — Lake Chini and Taman Negara — have been spoilt by over-development. Lake Chini was damaged by building a dam to raise the water level to make it easier for boats to access and by killing most of the trees surrounding the lake and until today, the place has not recovered and no one takes responsibility.

Taman Negara gives a bad taste to visitors as floating restaurants discharge their waste straight into the pristine river and illegal hotels and guest houses discharge poorly-treated sewage into the river. There is no proper control of development and pollution.

Tourists do have a bad image of Malaysia when more and more cases of snatch thefts are happening in places like Penang, Johor Baru, Malacca and Kuala Lumpur. Even poorer countries like Myanmar and Cambodia do not have such problems.

As is widely known, the tourism industry is the second-largest foreign exchange earner to the country. So, the stakeholders have to continue to strive hard to ensure that the industry remains sustainable.

• TAN Sri Abdul Aziz Abdul Rahman is currently a practicing advocate and solicitor. He was previously the chief executive officer of Malaysia Airlines for 20 years. Prior to this, he was the judicial and legal officer in the government for 10 years.

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

Government To Promote Durian Trial Tourism Package

Durian will soon feature prominently in the country's tourism promotion campaign through the introduction of the "durian trail" package, Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen said.

She said the ministry found that durian season was actually a good tourist attraction given the variety and quality of the country's durian, dubbed the King of Fruits.

"We have suggested that the Agriculture Department discuss with durian orchard owners and to contact the Tourism Ministry when the durian season arrives so that we can devise a package for tourists," she told reporters after opening a durian-eating competition here Friday.

Ng said Malaysia exported durian to other countries like Singapore and the people there had to pay a hefty price for the fruit.

"We can now offer a holiday package for tourists where they can come to Malaysia during the fruiting season," she said.

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

Tourism Now Included In Five-year Plan As Major Economic Player - Ng

For the first time ever, the tourism industry has been included in the country's Five-Year Plan as a major economic player, said Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen.

She said this was because the government had now realised the importance of the tourism industry to the country's economic development.

"Previously, the tourism industry was ranked only as a minor player in Malaysia's economic development," she said after meeting with the chairman of China National Tourism Administration, Shao Qiwei, here, Friday.

According to the 10th Malaysia Plan report, Malaysia targets to improve its position to be among the top 10 countries, in terms of global tourism receipts in 2015.

Dr Ng said the tourism industry contributed nine per cent to the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) last year by generating RM1 billion in revenue per week.

"With the implementation of the liberalisation policy by the government, the industry can achieve greater development for many tourism-related industries," said Dr Ng who is on a four-day working trip to Guangzhou and Zhengzhou in China.

She said as the Chinese government had also included the tourism industry as an economic pillar, she believed that China as a major partner for Malaysia in this sector, could bring further development to the industry.

She also suggested that China and Malaysia set up a task force to study the possibility of collaborating in providing tourism services through mobile phones.

Meanwhile, Shao said the Chinese government would continue to encourage people in the country to travel abroad.

"However, we should not only focus on two-way traffic in tourist arrivals but to also look at the bigger picture," he said, adding that tourism had turned into a modern service industry which also brought development to many other sectors.

Shao said the China-Asean Free Trade Agreement (FTA) also helped to promote tourism with Asean countries.

Later, when delivering her keynote address at the International Mayors Forum on Tourism (IMFT) in Henan, Dr Ng said Kuala Lumpur was a significant example of a tourism city with its modern infrastructure and variety of entertainment.

"We believe that tourism does not discourage environmental protection. In fact, tourism helps to protect eco-balance in the city," she added.

The First IMFT was held in Zhengzhou, Henan Province in April 2008.

The second IMFT, which is held here now with the theme, "Tourism for Better City Life", has attracted the participation of more than 50 cities.

Dr Ng, who represented Malaysia, was the only representative invited to give a keynote address at the event.



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

Tourist quota required for Redang island

Resort operators at Pulau Redang welcome the Terengganu government's plans to limit the number of tourists to the island to 160,000 annually.

Pulau Redang Resort Operators Association president A.B. Lee said: "It's good for operators as the island won't be overcrowded. It is a good move."

He also shared the State government's concerns of limiting the number of tourists to Pulau Redang protect the environment there — especially the coral reef — from being damaged by too many divers.

Tourists generally visit the island about seven months a year and it is closed to the public during the monsoon season.

Meanwhile, Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) president Datuk Mohd Khalid Harun said: "Whatever the State government wants to do, they must do their homework for the good of all."

He felt Pulau Redang can't take huge numbers of tourists any more.

"Serious assessment needs to be done to sustain tourism activities in Redang. Too many tourists jeopardise the island's beauty."

On tourist bookings, Mohd Khalid said: "Tourists will be able to better plan their trips and look forward to visiting Pulau Redang as an exclusive island retreat. The move will not affect MATTA members as tourists can opt to go to other Malaysian islands which are just as beautiful as Pulau Redang."

He also suggested the island's resort and chalet operators, ferry operators and local vendors to first meet with the State government and work out details.

Terengganu Menteri Besar Datuk Ahmad Said recently said the State government would no longer approve construction of chalet type accommodations on the island.

At present, Pulau Redang — deemed one of the 10 most beautiful islands in the world — has 30 hotels and chalets, including a five-star hotel boasting of 1,059 rooms.

Only hotels rated five-star and above would be allowed to be built and hotel rooms would eventually cost no less than US$500 (RM1,600) a night — aimed at turning the island into a high-end holiday destination. Current chalets, catering for backpackers, would have to be upgraded.

When such a proposal was made a few years back, it drew criticism from divers, tourists and tour operators — who wanted the island to be open to all.

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

Boosting Tourism With Footwear Fair

Besides scenic spots, culture, shopping and food, the Tourism Ministry is embarking on shoes as an attraction to promote Malaysia to the world.

Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen said a three-day 1Malaysia International Shoe Festival would be held from April 2 to promote the country as the shoe capital of the East.

Malaysian-born world-renowned shoe designer Datuk Jimmy Choo will also showcase his 10 most successful shoe creations and deliver a talk at the event at the Putra World Trade Centre here.

Ng said the number of tourists who shopped for shoes in Malaysia increased by 19.9 per cent last year compared to 2008.

"We hope that this year, sales will increase by up to 25 per cent and will stimulate the Malaysian economy," she told reporters.

The event would be jointly organised by the ministry and the Malaysian Footwear Manufacturers Association.

Ng said Peter Chow, a renowned London-based trade buyer and owner of Davina Fashion Shoe boutique, would speak on how to attract more international buyers for Malaysian-made shoes.

The prime minister's wife, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, would launch the festival, which would also feature the history of local shoes including Malay Royal Court shoes and intricately-designed beaded Nyonya shoes, she said.

"With the support from Jimmy Choo, we believe our dream to establish Malaysia as an international hub for shoe fashion and become a shoe-buying centre is possible.

"We believe this event will not only create an economic opportunity but will also attract more tourists to the country," she said, noting that Malaysian brands such as Vincci, Bonia, Carlo Rino and Lewre had penetrated the international market.


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

Glass barriers at KLIA - a match for touts

THE recently completed glass barricades at the international arrival hall at KL International Airport have effectively slashed touting by half, according to KLIA general manager Daud Hosnan.

ANTI-TOUT: Glass barricade in KLIA stops touts from approaching arriving passengers

And this has been achieved even before the approved counters for taxis, limousines, travel agencies and hotels have been effectively relocated inside the arrival hall — another step in the plan initiated by Malaysia Airports Bhd (MAB), besides erecting the glass barricades.

“We don’t have any figure on how much touting activities have dropped, but after the glass barriers had been put in place, the touting activities in the terminal have dropped significantly,” Daud told Malay Mail.

“I would hazard a guess that touting activities have gone down by 50 per cent,” he said, adding that the relocation of the counters — 18 in total — is expected to be done after Hari Raya.

“Right now, enforcement officers from various agencies — airport security, police and the Road Transport Department — are deployed all round the terminal to keep a close lookout for touts. Once the relocation is completed, I think we will see even less touting at KLIA,” added Daud.

The glass barricades, measuring 2.5m high, effectively stop touts from approaching arriving passengers. The area within the barricades is also heavily guarded by security and police officers, making life more difficult for touts.

Although passengers still remain exposed to potential touts after passing the barricades, the relocation of the counters is expected to help solve this problem.

The idea is to ensure passengers are provided with transport options before leaving the arrival hall, hence closing them to any offers by approaching touts. The plan was announced in May by MAB to solve its long-time tout woes.

On May 14, Malay Mail highlighted how a travel company, Fleet Holidays Sdn Bhd, had its customers conned by touts pretending to be its agents.

The customers — a couple — were approached by a tout upon arriving at KLIA, and were told by the tout that he was a replacement driver.

After taking the couple to their hotel in the city centre, the “replacement driver” demanded a hefty RM690 from them for the transport, telling them they could get the amount reimbursed by the travel agent.

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

‘Pendet’ not a Tourism Malaysia ad

Promotional clip was put together by Discovery Channel

THE so-called Tourism Malaysia advertisement that ruffled the feathers of Indonesians over depiction of its Balinese pendet dancers was not even a Tourism Malaysia advertisement after all.

MISUNDERSTOOD: You Tube posting of Indonesian news Metro Hari Ini, which aired part of the controversial promotional clip, featuring images of two Balinese dancers performing the pendet

The controversial commercial in question was actually a promotional clip put together by Discovery Channel to highlight a series of documentaries, produced by KRU Studios, called Enigmatic Malaysia aimed at highlighting Malaysia’s rich cultural heritage.

In a statement sent to Malay Mail, Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific stated the image of Balinese dancers were used in a clip, aired on Discovery Channel, to promote the documentary series Enigmatic Malaysia and the image of the dancers, performing the pendet, were sourced from an independent third party.

It added, “Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific regrets that the image of a Balinese dancer, sourced from an independent third party, was used in the promotion of the series Enigmatic Malaysia”.

It said the dancers were not featured in any way in the actual programme and the clip had since been removed from all feeds.

The statement further read, “Discovery has the deepest respect for the traditions, cultures, and practises of all races and nations, and it is not our intention to cause any misunderstanding or distress to any party”.

Indonesian artists, its media and citizens had condemned the advert, which one Indonesian TV news segment Metro Hari Ini, posted on YouTube, claiming it was part of Malaysia Truly Asia 2009 advertisement.

They stated the traditional pendet dance is of Balinese Hindu origin and had no place in a Malaysian Tourism commercial. One of the Enigmatic Malaysia series entitled The Melakan Portugese — Preserving Their Heritage had last year been awarded the Sarasvati Award 5th Special Jury Prize at the sixth Bali International
Film Festival 2008 on Oct 11.

At press time Malay Mail was unable to get a response from KRU Studios with regards to the allegations.

Yesterday Malay Mail reported the furore of the Indonesians over the commercial in which the Jakarta Post reported a rally was staged on Aug 22 by dozens of Balinese artists, as well as the Regional Representatives Council members representing Bali and ISI scholars, at Denpasar Cultural Park.

In the Jakarta Post report, it stated the Antara news agency had quoted rally coordinator Prof Wayan Dibia of Denpasar Indonesian Institute of Art (ISI) that the two dancers featured in the clip were alumni of ISI.

In the Metro Hari Ini news segment posted on YouTube, it stated the depiction of the two dancers in the clip was tantamount to Malaysia staking claim over the cultural dance and stated this was not the first time Malaysia had sought to claim part of its neighbouring county’s heritage as its own.

Aside from Malaysia’s claim on batik in 2007, controversy reigned when the Rasa Sayang folk song was used in a Malaysian Tourism commercial, a song that the Indonesians claim hails from Maluku of the Indonesian archipelago.

Indonesia seeks clarification on pendet dance

JAKARTA: The Indonesian government will check if the use of the popular Balinese pendet dance in Malaysia’s tourism ads was the latter’s attempt to claim it as their own, reported the Jakarta Post.

Its Culture and Tourism Minister, Jero Wacik, reportedly said there were no reasons for Malaysia to exploit the pendet dance without permission from the Indonesian government.

“I will directly talk with the culture minister of Malaysia on the use of pendet dance and to find out who made the advertisements,” Jero said in an interview aired on a private televison channel on Sunday.

“The entire world knows the Pendet dance belongs to Bali. So it is a must for Malaysia to get the permits first from Indonesia before using it. I will also find out whose project it was and if it was funded privately or by the Malaysian government.”

He said Malaysia’s tourism ads for “Visit Malaysia Year” with the pendet dance were aired on the Discovery
Channel.

Member of the Regional Representatives Council (DPD) Ida Ayu Agung Mas and Balinese artists staged a protest against the Malaysian government at the Denpasar Art Centre on Saturday.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Teuku Faizasyah also said on Sunday that his office would clarify the case with the Malaysian government.

“It is very unlikely Malaysia wants to claim it since the dance has been very popular in Bali.”

Faizasyah called on Indonesians to avoid being emotional in response to the issue, since it was not clear whether the ads were made by the government or private firms.

Source : MalayMail

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

Malaysian hotels hit by foreign thieves: Bolder Latin American syndicates

LATIN American syndicates have struck again and they are getting bolder. Smartly dressed, they easily pass off as hotel guests or tour agents.

Six hotels in the city have been targetted with the latest reported on July 15, though it is still unclear whether this is a single group or several acting with the same mode of operation.

Hoteliers are now deeply concerned with the number of incidents that have occurred since May.

These sets of pictures show foreigners, believed to be Latin Americans, at work. (Click here to see CCTV images)

In one, a woman, elegantly dressed, snatches a purse as she walks past a table at a hotel coffee house at breakfast time. The crime went unnoticed and was only later detected on closed circuit television CCTV cameras. She was not caught.

Malay Mail in the past, has carried several articles on Latin American syndicates targetting hotel guests and making off with their belongings.

Some have been arrested while some are still at large. Those arrested have been prosecuted, jailed and deported.

These are images taken from several hotels in the city which have become the syndicates latest victims.

In the latest case on July 15, the suspects, in a group of three - two males and a female - made off with a luggage belonging to a hotel guest.

Their act was caught on CCTV cameras in which they seemed to have followed the victim into the hotel.

The victim placed his backpack on the floor behind him. A male suspect, wearing a black jacket, pretends to be a tour agent, with a white tag on his jacket.

Meanwhile, the female suspect pretends to be a hotel guest while another male suspect observes the surrounding.

It was so well planned, that the victim did not notice his bag had been stolen at first. The hotel was alerted to the incident later.

The syndicate not only strike at the lobby but also coffee houses and conference rooms, mingling with the crowd before making their move.

They have made off with laptops, digital cameras, purses, handbags and luggage all in broad daylight.
In one case, a suspect was arrested while trying to escape with a luggage.

He was caught by a bell boy who noticed him walking away with a bag belonging to a hotel guest. He was stopped and arrested. His accomplice, a woman, however, managed to escape. This attempted theft occurred on July 2.

Recent cases of foreigner hotel thieves

July 8, 2008: The “Snake Charmers”, a Middle- Eastern couple, with a child, stole money through hypnotism and sleight of hand. They were spotted near a five-star hotel in Jalan Bukit Bintang approaching its entrance at 11pm. As the child played around the entrance the couple scouted for potential victims. However, they were recognised by hotel security and ran off before they could be caught. The “snake charmers” are believed to have struck more than 10 times in Kuala Lumpur and other States in the last two years.

Sept 20, 2008: A suspect, believed to be Middle Eastern or Latin American caught on CCTV footage, stole a room key card from a guest at the poolside and immediately went up to the room and stole her valuables. The guest went back to her room with a replacement key, to discover her laptop, wireless mouse, Internet cable and plug, computer case and digital camera missing. Earlier that same day at 3pm, the suspect had struck at another hotel and stole a woman’s handbag while she went to the toilet with her children. Though she was with her husband, he was too busy reading the newspapers to realise what had happened.

Sept 26, 2008: A hotel burglar, thought to be of Middle Eastern or Latin American origin, was caught on CCTV in five-star hotels in the city. In a late night incident on Sept 18, a hotel guest checking in at the counter, placed his luggage beside him on the floor. While the guest was busy, a man stood behind him, as though he was also queuing behind him but calmly bent down and took the guest’s hand-carry luggage, placed it on his shoulder and stood there for a few seconds before walking off.

Aug 23, 2008: A woman, masquerading as an Arab during the “Arab season”, snuck up to an Arab family having breakfast at a hotel in Batu Ferringhi and grabbed a handbag that was on a chair. However, the theft was noticed and she was held by the father of the family and sent to the Batu Ferringhi police station.

Aug 24, 2008: A female guest from a hotel in Penang was checking out and had placed her handbag next to a sofa in the hotel lobby before going to the reception counter to settle her bill. She returned to the sofa minutes later and found her handbag missing, losing her IC, credit cards, car keys and RM3,000. CCTV recordings showed three South American men sitting down on the sofa next to the woman, eyeing her handbag closely. They had dropped a set of keys on the floor to distract the woman.

April 17, 2009: Korean national Kevin Kee Bung Rhee, 46, lost his laptop, pda, and camera to a wily thief when he was at the check-in counter of the Petaling Jaya Hilton. He had placed his hand luggage beside him and it suddenly went missing. CCTV footage showed a man dressed in a T-shirt, long pants and sneakers, reaching out beside Kee and making off with his luggage.

CCTV images of foreign syndicates at work

HOTEL 1

A sequence of A woman and a man believed to be Latin American went in a coffee shop and made off with valuables including a purse which victims left on their tables while they went to get the food from the buffet counter during breakfast time. They were all smartly dressed and walked out of the hotel coolly minutes later.

HOTEL 2 (JULY 2)
A Peruvian detained by hotel secuity personnel
after he tried to escape with luggage belonging
to a hotel guest.

HOTEL 3 (JULY 3)
Two suspects made off with a bag belonging to
the woman seen in the image. She left her bag
at the table while she joined her husband and
son at the buffet counter.

HOTEL 4 (JULY 11)
Two men believed to be Latin American leaving
a hotel. The guy in front has a camera bag slung
on his shoulder. The camera which was worth
about RM1,300 was stolen from a lounge of a hotel
in the city. They were believed to be the same
suspects that struck a hotel in Ampang last month.

HOTEL 5 (JULY 13)
A suspect carrying a laptop bag which was said
to have been stolen from a function at a hotel.
He easily moved in and mixed with the crowd and
no one noticed anything amiss as no one knew
each other.

HOTEL 6 (JULY 15)
The foreigners said to be a Latin American Gang
that made off with a luggage belonging to a hotel
guest. There are three of them.

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

Malaysia Tourism Industry - 2nd Highest Contributor

THE Malaysian tourism industry has developed and become the second highest contributor for the Malaysian economy.

"Despite the current global recession, last year, Malaysia recorded an increase of 5.1 per cent in tourist arrivals, from 20.97 million tourists in 2007 to 22.05 million in 2008," said Datuk Dr Ong Hong Peng, secretary-general of the Ministry of Tourism at Institut Karisma's convocation yesterday.

"There is an urgent need for more qualified and registered tourist guides. Currently we have a total of 4,837 active tourist guides in Malaysia and only 10.3 per cent are skilled in foreign languages," Ond said.

"The Ministry is strongly encouraging existing tourist guides to enrich themselves through greater command of foreign languages such as Dutch, German, Russian, French and Arabic. We are embarking on providing foreign language courses to address this need and encouraging more people to take up this career, including school-leavers and those unemployed."

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

Charged by Hotel for Minibar Items

Charged by hotel for unused items
-by DAWN CHAN, NAJIAH NAJIB and NURFAINIE IRDINA GANI -

KHAIRANI, of Bandar Sri Damansara, is annoyed that a hotel in Penang had charged her credit card for minibar items she didn’t take. She made an advance payment of RM550 when she booked a room at the Evergreen Laurel Hotel for the first two days of Hari Raya.

When she checked in on Oct 24, the front office staff asked for her credit card for a pre-authorised sale.

“The hotel didn’t mention about any additional charges when I checked out on Oct 26,she says.

KHAIRANI says on Oct 31, she discovered via on-line that her credit card was charged RM74.75 on Oct 27 for six canned drinks taken from her room’s minibar, four of which were alcoholic.

“When I called the hotel for clarification, the front office manager insisted that I had taken the items. I insisted I never took the drinks.“ This is outrageous. I’m a Muslim. Is he suggesting that I consume alcohol? asks KHAIRANI.

EVERGREEN Laurel Hotel executive assistant manager Anthony Ang apologises to the complainant for the misunderstanding. He says the hotel will lift the charges from her credit card. Ang says the complainant has been informed and the matter has been resolved .

News Source : MalayMail

[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news]

Impiana Push for Higher Occupancy

IMPIANA KLCC Hotel & Spa are hoping to boost their occupancy rate from 60 per cent to 80 per cent next year.

Its general manager, Mark Rummery, said although this year’s rates, which averages RM185 a room, was satisfactory, the four-star hotel is aiming to upgrade it to RM220 in 2007.

“The first quarter of this year was tough for us being a new hotel.

“But being close to the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre really helps. Our occupancy would increase whenever there is a convention,” he said.

So what does Impiana KLCC have in store for Visit Malaysia Year 2007?

“We have yet to decide on a promotion for VMY 2007 but we will be assisting the Malaysian Tourism Board in fostering the industry,” said Rummery.

He said the hotel will be promoting an Indochina buffet during the Christmas and New Year season as compared to the local and Western delicacies offered by other hotels.

For jazz lovers, Impiana KLCC recently signed up a local trio, Eye2Eye Jazz Mix, who will be performing at Tonka Bean Cafe.Deli, the hotel’s 24-hour dining restaurant.

Rummery said the hotel’s pool and spa, which is under construction, will be completed with a Balinese theme by year-end.

Impiana KLCC is owned by Heritage Lane Sdn Bhd and run by Impiana Hotels & Resorts Management Sdn Bhd (IHRM), a wholly-owned subsidiary of KAB Group.

News Source : MalayMail
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