Hotel bookings have been affected due to uncertainty over when the 13th general election will be held.
According to hoteliers, this has not only affected room reservations but also seminars, meetings and weddings.
1881 Chong Pian Cultural Hotel director Seah Kok Heng said it has not received many bookings from locals even though it is the school holidays.
“We only have 40% to 50% occupancy this month.
“Usually, our hotel would be at least 80% full during school holidays,” he said.
Seah added that this could be due to uncertainty over the GE date, while some may be tightening their belts after Chinese New Year.
Empire Hotel group general manager Ricky Ho said bookings for seminar meetings have slowed down this week.
“Corporations would prefer to hold them after the elections,” he said.
Malaysian Association of Hotel Owners executive director Shaharuddin M. Saaid said many people have put on hold their travel plans, business deals and even weddings due to the elections.
“They are waiting for the GE to take place,” he added.
However, Malaysian Association of Hotels vice-president Christina Toh said bookings were picking up as many people believe the GE will not take place this month.
“They are confident it will be after the school holidays,” she said in a phone interview yesterday.
In the last few days, hotels nationwide have been receiving last-minute bookings, she said.
Toh, who is also Dorsett Regency Kuala Lumpur's general manager, added that the domestic market contributes about 20% to 30% of hotel stays.
Many Malaysians met during the MATTA Fair held earlier this month said they were putting their vacation plans on hold until after the elections
Source : STAR
Showing posts with label malaysia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label malaysia. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Monday, March 11, 2013
No one will be very surprised that I have picked Malaysia as one of the most exciting hotel destinations around the world. It was the ninth most visited country during 2011 with 24.7 million tourist arrivals, and it likely will have remained in the top 10 during 2012 when new data is released by the United Nation World Tourism Organization.
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| David Grossniklaus |
Economic growth fueled by trade agreements with neighboring countries in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations region combined with a young and dynamic workforce offers some of the ingredients for long-term growth. While the global economy might show signs of contraction and increased inflation, real gross domestic product in Malaysia is expected to grow at almost 5% per annum until 2020, according to the Economist Intelligence Unit.
Looking at the big picture
Malaysia’s GDP growth is expected to have reached 5.2% in 2012, according to the EIU. According to a World Travel and Tourism Council report, travel and tourism directly contributed 6.7% to the country’s total GDP in 2011 and is expected to contribute 4% during 2012. The travel and tourism sector provided direct employment to more than 750,000 people during 2011 and indirectly contributed to more than 1.5 million jobs across Malaysia. The WTTC data suggest that travel and tourism will continue to benefit employment growth by 2.8% per annum until 2022.
Malaysia’s GDP growth is expected to have reached 5.2% in 2012, according to the EIU. According to a World Travel and Tourism Council report, travel and tourism directly contributed 6.7% to the country’s total GDP in 2011 and is expected to contribute 4% during 2012. The travel and tourism sector provided direct employment to more than 750,000 people during 2011 and indirectly contributed to more than 1.5 million jobs across Malaysia. The WTTC data suggest that travel and tourism will continue to benefit employment growth by 2.8% per annum until 2022.
Supporting Malaysia’s economic travel industry growth, the airline industry plays a key role in the pace of hotel development. New airplane orders can be translated to new supply not only in capital Kuala Lumpur but also in the more remote regions such as Sabah or Sarawak.
Joining the OneWorld alliance earlier this year, Malaysian Airlines will be able to benefit particularly from partner airlines on some strategic routes to Europe and Australia. Improved connection with key source markets certainly will be beneficial for the hotel industry. This is particularly true as Tourism Malaysia reported tourist arrivals during 2012 declined for those coming from Australia (-9%), United Kingdom (-0.4%) and New Zealand (-19.2%).
Malaysia and China recently signed an economic agreement that will boost economic exchanges between both countries. Arrivals from China should increase in the long run, building off the 12.4% increase recorded during 2012, according to Tourism Malaysia.
Hotel performance
Hotels in Malaysia during 2012 experienced mixed results in the three key performance metrics tracked by STR Global, sister company of HotelNewsNow.com.
Occupancy decreased 0.6% to 66.7%, average daily rate was up 3% to 340.96 Malaysian ringgits ($110.07) and revenue per available room increased 2.3% to 227.36 ringgits ($73.40).
Hotel supply is expected to increase 7% by 2014, according to STR Global.
Kuala Lumpur
Hotel occupancy in Kuala Lumpur increased 1.4% to 74.3% during 2012 while ADR grew 4.5% in local currency to 354.52 ringgits ($114.45), according to STR Global.
Despite the addition of two large hotels that opened at the end of 2012—the Grand Hyatt (455 rooms) and the Majestic Hotel (300 rooms)—and the 482-room Aloft, which will open this year, hotel performance is expected to remain unchanged in 2013, according to Horwath HTL’s “Hotel yearbook 2013: Scenarios for the year ahead.”
Looking forward, STR Global hotel pipeline data shows that the city’s hotel inventory will to continue to grow by 5.5% through 2014. Brand such as Regent Hotels & Resorts and Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts have projects expected to open during 2015.
The regions
Penang looks to continue a period of strong demand growth, with an uptick in supply during the next three years to accommodate an increase in tourist arrivals, according to the Horwath HTL report.
Meanwhile, Langkawi, an archipelago of 104 islands in the Andaman Sea some 30 kilometers (18.6 miles) off the mainland coast of northwestern Malaysia, is hurting. The region has seen its own building boom in recent years, which, when coupled with broader economic challenges, has dampened hotel performance. Langkawi saw occupancy decline 9.2% to 58.9% during 2012. ADR in local currency dropped 7.9% to 620.66 ringgits ($200.74), according to STR Global.
The good news is new hotel supply on the island is expected to remain practically unchanged (+0.3%) until 2014, which should help stabilize rate and occupancy, according to STR Global.
Developers are getting their shovels ready in other regions as well, such as Johor, where a Sheraton and Amanresort are planned, according to the Horwath HTL report.
Looking at the main economic drivers and the prospect of growth in the travel and tourism industry, I have placed Malaysia on my watch list of destinations that will see a significant transformation in the coming years.
David can be contacted on david.grossniklaus@ehl.ch Follow him on Twitter @dgrossniklaus.
Source
Thursday, March 07, 2013
New Majestic Hotel returned to its former glory
New Majestic Hotel returned to its former glory
The Majestic Hotel – YTL Hotels & Properties Sdn Bhd’s latest addition. The old wing has been refurbished and a new wing added.
EVERY day is a good day. But today, Dec 8, is an extra special day for the Lims, formerly owners of Hotel Majestic, and the Yeohs of the YTL group. To a greater extent, it is also a special day for Victoria Institution (VI), Kuala Lumpur former students.
The paths of the Lim and Yeoh families crossed at the Hotel Majestic in Jalan Sultan Hishamuddin, Kuala Lumpur. That hotel will be officially reopened for business today, after a long span of 28 years.
Lim Heng Suan is the son of the former managing director of the hotel, Lim Thye Hee, a VI old boy.
Heng Suan's late father used to run the family hotel business and before him, his father. The Lims were the owners of the hotel which started with 51 rooms as Kuala Lumpur's premier hotel. It was built by the late Datuk Loke Wan Tho (1915-1964), a film magnate, in 1932. Loke was the ninth of 11 children of Loke Yew (1845-1917), a Chinese-born business magnate who made good in Kuala Lumpur. Loke Yew was one of the founders of VI and a prominent member of the Chinese community. Wan Tho himself was educated at VI.
The hotel also played an important part in the lives of former students as the Victoria Institution Old Boys' Association used to hold its annual dinner and dance on the rooftop balcony of the Majestic Hotel.
Today's party will be of a different sort. It will officially introduce the new owners, YTL Hotels and Properties Sdn Bhd and the Yeoh family. It will also be a walk down memory lane for those who worked, lived and partied there during its heydays, particularly the Lims.
Says Datuk Mark Yeoh Seok Kah, executive director of YTL Hotels andYTL Corp Bhd: “We invited Lim (Heng Suan) to be the guest of honour. He is really so excited about coming back to the restored Hotel Majestic.”
An image from the National Archives showing the Hotel Majestic Kuala Lumpur in January 1977. The old Majestic Hotel is a precious relic of Malaysian history that was built in 1935, and is now being refurbished into a heritage hotel by YTL Group after being left vacant for many years.
The hotel was closed in 1984 in order to house the National Art Gallery. The move was not without resistance, however, as many did not agree to the hotel making way for an art gallery.
In 1995, the Government, Syarikat Tanah dan Harta Sdn Bhd (a Finance Ministry Inc company) and YTL Corp Bhd signed an agreement to privatise the National Art Gallery building project.
The YTL group built and completed the new art gallery, which is located in Jalan Termeloh, off Jalan Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur in 1998 in exchange for Hotel Majestic, which was gazetted as a heritage building. But it was not until 2008 that the group received approval to refurbish and develop the hotel.
Says Yeoh: “Kuala Lumpur needs a classic hotel.”
That hotel is the nation's pride and an important remnant of the country's colonial heritage. There are reports that the new hotel was an investment of about RM250mil but Yeoh is reluctant to put any figure to it.
There is much history and nostalgia in that part of town for those who grew up in Kuala Lumpur. The Majestic Wing, which has about 50 rooms, fronts the KTM railway station, and is among Kuala Lumpur's most famous buildings. That structure, described as Neo-Moorish/Mughal or Persian style, was designed by British architect Arthur Benison Hubback (1871-1948), who was also a brigadier-general in WWI. He designed the Rail Way Administrative Building, Masjid Jamek, Carcosa Seri Negara, which at one time, was a 13-room hotel located in the Lake Gardens, now known as Taman Tasik Perdana, and the extension of the Royal Selangor Club of Kuala Lumpur. Hubback also designed other buildings in Ipoh and Seremban.
While the Majestic Wing faces the KTM station, the YTL group has added a new wing, known as the Tower Wing fronting the Sulaiman Building, an Art Deco treasure from the 1930s. It formerly housed the Syariah Courts. That is another structure that is robust with character with its thick walls and arches.
These buildings, together with the Sultan Abdul Samad Building, which is a bit further away and which fronts Dataran Merdaka, add to the rich tapestry of Hotel Majestic.
Mark Yeoh in the orchid conservatory of Majestic Hotel.
As the city grew, the nucleus eventually moved to the Kuala Lumpur City Centre (KLCC) area and the iconic Petronas Twin Towers, but this older part of Kuala Lumpur continues to hold its own.
Says Yeoh: “Hotel Majestic is the only hotel in Kuala Lumpur to be included in the Leading Hotels of the World (LHW) luxury collection.”
Other hotels in the listing are The Ritz London, The Pierre in New York City, Hotel le Bristol in Paris, and Villa d'Este in Lake Como, Italy.
Philip Ho, Asia Pacific vice-president, Leading Hotels of The World describes the new hotel as “a masterpiece that is truly one of a kind.”
A third structure, known as The Smokehouse, has been added for smokers along with an orchid conservatory known as The Orchid Room which showcases a variety of species.
Much of the structure in the main wing has been retained, included the dome in The Colonial Cafe.
Says Yeoh of the group's latest hotel: “We did a survey. More meeting rooms and a huge banquet would help boost the hotel.”
Up to RM1mil worth of business, particularly for wedding receptions and dinners, has been booked until next March.
On the group's hospitality business, Yeoh says the company plans to add more hotels to its stable. Besides Hotel Majestic, the group's other latest hospitality acquisitions include three Marriott in Australia, and a hotel in Bath, UK. It also launched Gaya Island Resort in Sabah recently.
Yeoh's first hotel was Pangkor Laut Resort, probably one of Pangkor Island's most luxurious and world renowed resorts today. It did not have this accolade when he first took over.
“When I took over that hotel, we were offering it as RM50 per head a day. We were brought in as contractors.”
On the group's successful hospitality business, he says: “I may seem to be ahead of the game today but that is because I made more mistakes than the others.
“The hotel business is a brutal business. And I am grateful that after 10-20 years, my management has remained with me. That is my biggest joy. It is easy to bring in the hardware. It is the software, the people who greet and look after guests, which makes the difference. They are the frontliners. Imagine an inverted triangle. I am at the bottom,” says Yeoh.
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Banyan Tree Pavilion Kuala Lumpur
Pavilion presents
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Exclusive Preview by Appointment Only
Tel No 1800 22 8088
The Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts is slated to open in 2015 as part of the Pavilion project on Jalan Conlay near Bukit Bintang.
Kuala Lumpur: The Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts will be the latest luxury hotel brand that will have a presence in Malaysia.
Slated for opening in 2015, Banyan Tree will be a part of the Pavilion project called Banyan Tree Signatures Kuala Lumpur, located on Jalan Conlay near Bukit Bintang.
Banyan Tree did not respond directly to Business Times queries on its opening. So did Kuala Lumpur Pavilion which did not answer any queries.
Both parties are expected to sign a collaboration agreement on October 18 2011, whereby information about the project will be revealed.
Based on "preliminary information" on the project dated May 2011, there will be 441 units of private residences, 51 units of serviced residences and 50 units of hotel.
The fact sheet on the web, which has not been verified by either party, indicates that some 490 units of residences are for sale at an average price of RM2,000 per sq ft. However, sources say almost all units have been sold.
Industry estimates tag the cost of construction, not including land cost, to be around RM800 million.
Pavilion and Banyan Tree's relationship in the project remains unclear.
Banyan Tree Holdings Ltd manages and develops premium resorts, hotels and spas in Asia Pacific. The group has ownership in niche resorts and hotels.
Singapore Stock Exchange-listed Banyan Tree Holdings website states that it is now involved in some 30 resorts and hotels, over 60 spas and 80 galleries, as well as three golf courses.
Source : Business Times
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]
Tuesday, October 04, 2011
Malaysian hotel owners stall global foray
The owners and brands which have representation abroad continue to be the same players such as Holiday Villa Hotels & Resort, IGB Corp, Sunway, Berjaya, Genting Group and Impiana.
Kuala Lumpur: Over the past decade, there have been fewer number of new Malaysian hotel owners and operators expanding abroad.
With the exception of Tune Hotels, there are no new names venturing abroad and making a mark in a big way, said the President of the Malaysian Association of Hotel Owners (Maho) Datuk Seri Abdul Aziz Abdul Rahman.
He noted that the owners and brands which have representation abroad continue to be the same players such as Holiday Villa Hotels & Resort, IGB Corp Bhd, Sunway, Berjaya, Genting Group and Impiana.
For example, Holiday Villa owns/manages some 25 hotels here and abroad, while Sunway has hotels in Cambodia, Vietnam and China.
Meanwhile, Tune Hotels, which now has 10 hotels in Malaysia, Indonesia and the UK, has plans for 72 hotels overseas in the next five years.
Owning a hotel usually needs high capital expenditure but the returns could take even up to 10 years to recover, depending on the average room rate.
Abdul Aziz pointed out that growth can be deterred by the lack of connectivity into a destination.
He said that commercial decisions by airlines to cut destinations was not in the best interest of those who may have plans to expand.
Tune Hotel, he said, is a good example of how an airline plays an important role in a hotel operator's expansion.
Maho's executive director Shaharuddin M Saaid said that other factors which discourage brands from going abroad is the lack of confidence and expertise.
"Brand reputation and acceptance is vital for overseas operation which not many local hotel management companies have," he said, citing the need for a strong networking and customer base when venturing abroad
Shaharuddin feels local players would be more encouraged to move in the foreign realm, should there be an assurance or availability of attractive investment policies, financing facilities, high yield and good return on investment.
And it is rare, although not unheard of, for a player to move and build a brand abroad without first establishing a brand here. But, sometimes, growing in Malaysia too can be challenging.
Source : Business Times
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]
Kuala Lumpur: Over the past decade, there have been fewer number of new Malaysian hotel owners and operators expanding abroad.
With the exception of Tune Hotels, there are no new names venturing abroad and making a mark in a big way, said the President of the Malaysian Association of Hotel Owners (Maho) Datuk Seri Abdul Aziz Abdul Rahman.
He noted that the owners and brands which have representation abroad continue to be the same players such as Holiday Villa Hotels & Resort, IGB Corp Bhd, Sunway, Berjaya, Genting Group and Impiana.
For example, Holiday Villa owns/manages some 25 hotels here and abroad, while Sunway has hotels in Cambodia, Vietnam and China.
Owning a hotel usually needs high capital expenditure but the returns could take even up to 10 years to recover, depending on the average room rate.
Abdul Aziz pointed out that growth can be deterred by the lack of connectivity into a destination.
He said that commercial decisions by airlines to cut destinations was not in the best interest of those who may have plans to expand.
Tune Hotel, he said, is a good example of how an airline plays an important role in a hotel operator's expansion.
Maho's executive director Shaharuddin M Saaid said that other factors which discourage brands from going abroad is the lack of confidence and expertise.
"Brand reputation and acceptance is vital for overseas operation which not many local hotel management companies have," he said, citing the need for a strong networking and customer base when venturing abroad
Shaharuddin feels local players would be more encouraged to move in the foreign realm, should there be an assurance or availability of attractive investment policies, financing facilities, high yield and good return on investment.
And it is rare, although not unheard of, for a player to move and build a brand abroad without first establishing a brand here. But, sometimes, growing in Malaysia too can be challenging.
Source : Business Times
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Helicopter Tour Package New Tourist Attraction In Malaysia
Tourists can now enjoy scenic bird's eye views of the country from a helicopter tour.
Six travel agencies will be offering the high-end tour service initially under the 1Malaysia Helicopter Tour Packages which were launched by Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen at the Skypark Business Aviation Centre, Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport, here.
"The helicopter tour packages are expected to attract more high-yield tourists, which in turn will increase the tourism industry's contribution to our economy," she told reporters after the launch.
She said tourists would get to view the magnificent architectural wonders, historical landmarks, cities, buildings, villages and plantations in Malaysia from above via the helicopter tours.
"The tours range from 15, 30 to 60 minutes and priced from RM1,250 to RM4,950, with the helicopters able to seat three to six people," she added.
The six travel agencies involved in the tour packages include Shajasa Travels & Tour Sdn Bhd, Elite Luxury Vacations (M) Sdn Bhd, Langkawi Helicopter Xtours and Kota Kinabalu Aerial Tour.
Dr Ng said the helicopter pilot should be a good story-teller to explain and promote the country to tourists.
She said the 1Malaysia Helicopter Tour Packages were part of the ministry's initiative to come up with innovative and creative tourism products to cater to diverse tourists' interests and budgets.
Source : bernama
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]
Six travel agencies will be offering the high-end tour service initially under the 1Malaysia Helicopter Tour Packages which were launched by Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen at the Skypark Business Aviation Centre, Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport, here.
"The helicopter tour packages are expected to attract more high-yield tourists, which in turn will increase the tourism industry's contribution to our economy," she told reporters after the launch.
She said tourists would get to view the magnificent architectural wonders, historical landmarks, cities, buildings, villages and plantations in Malaysia from above via the helicopter tours.
"The tours range from 15, 30 to 60 minutes and priced from RM1,250 to RM4,950, with the helicopters able to seat three to six people," she added.
The six travel agencies involved in the tour packages include Shajasa Travels & Tour Sdn Bhd, Elite Luxury Vacations (M) Sdn Bhd, Langkawi Helicopter Xtours and Kota Kinabalu Aerial Tour.
Dr Ng said the helicopter pilot should be a good story-teller to explain and promote the country to tourists.
She said the 1Malaysia Helicopter Tour Packages were part of the ministry's initiative to come up with innovative and creative tourism products to cater to diverse tourists' interests and budgets.
Source : bernama
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]
Malaysia To Attract More High Yield International Business Travellers
Malaysia wants to attract more high yield international business travellers to the country as they spent three times more than leisure tourists, says Zulkefli Hj Sharif, Chief Executive Officer of the Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB).
In a media briefing here today, Zulkefli said international business tourism visitors spent an average of RM7,418 per trip in Malaysia compared with RM2,257 for leisure visitors.
International business travellers also spent an average of RM1,268 per day compared with RM337 for other travellers.
MyCEB was established by the Ministry of Tourism in 2009 to further strengthen Malaysia's business tourism brand and position for the international meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions (MICE) market.
Zulkefli said 1,278,014 international business travellers visited Malaysia in 2010, an increase of two per cent from 2009.
They were estimated to have spent RM10.6 billion in 2010 and the economic impact value of their spending was estimated at RM17.6 billion, he said.
Given that the average length of international conventions is 3.9 days, the length of stay for international business tourism visitors including pre- and post-touring is 5.85 days.
An estimated 46 per cent of international delegates extend their stay for pre and post travel providing benefits to regional communities and that an estimated 25 per cent of all international participants have an accompanying partner or spouse with them.
Last year, Malaysia leapt three notches to 28th position in the latest International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) country rankings and the government is pushing for the country to be one of the top five destinations in the world by 2020.
In 2010, MyCEB supported 28 convention bids representing 38,500 delegates and an economic value of RM438 million. It also assisted 124 meetings and conventions, 16 exhibitions and 49 corporate incentive groups, which contributed an estimated economic impact of RM775 million to the country.
Zulkefli said the latest ICCA rankings reflected growth by Malaysia's association meetings business amidst competition from other countries.
Key developments include the expansion of the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre by an additional 10,000 sq metres by end-2013, the Penang International Convention and Exhibition Centre by 2014 and the proposed development of the MATRADE Centre (93,000 sq metres) by 2014.
Other new infrastructure to support the growing industry include the upcoming Kuala Lumpur International Airport, the integrated urban mass rapid transit system and the construction of a series of pedestrian walkways throughout the capital city as part of the Greater Kuala Lumpur plan.
Source : Bernama
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]
In a media briefing here today, Zulkefli said international business tourism visitors spent an average of RM7,418 per trip in Malaysia compared with RM2,257 for leisure visitors.
International business travellers also spent an average of RM1,268 per day compared with RM337 for other travellers.
MyCEB was established by the Ministry of Tourism in 2009 to further strengthen Malaysia's business tourism brand and position for the international meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions (MICE) market.
Zulkefli said 1,278,014 international business travellers visited Malaysia in 2010, an increase of two per cent from 2009.
They were estimated to have spent RM10.6 billion in 2010 and the economic impact value of their spending was estimated at RM17.6 billion, he said.
Given that the average length of international conventions is 3.9 days, the length of stay for international business tourism visitors including pre- and post-touring is 5.85 days.
An estimated 46 per cent of international delegates extend their stay for pre and post travel providing benefits to regional communities and that an estimated 25 per cent of all international participants have an accompanying partner or spouse with them.
Last year, Malaysia leapt three notches to 28th position in the latest International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) country rankings and the government is pushing for the country to be one of the top five destinations in the world by 2020.
In 2010, MyCEB supported 28 convention bids representing 38,500 delegates and an economic value of RM438 million. It also assisted 124 meetings and conventions, 16 exhibitions and 49 corporate incentive groups, which contributed an estimated economic impact of RM775 million to the country.
Zulkefli said the latest ICCA rankings reflected growth by Malaysia's association meetings business amidst competition from other countries.
Key developments include the expansion of the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre by an additional 10,000 sq metres by end-2013, the Penang International Convention and Exhibition Centre by 2014 and the proposed development of the MATRADE Centre (93,000 sq metres) by 2014.
Other new infrastructure to support the growing industry include the upcoming Kuala Lumpur International Airport, the integrated urban mass rapid transit system and the construction of a series of pedestrian walkways throughout the capital city as part of the Greater Kuala Lumpur plan.
Source : Bernama
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Tourism Ministry Utilises Social Website To Promote Domestic Tourism
The Tourism Ministry has utilised the social website Facebook to promote domestic tourism among IT-literate Malaysians, especially the youngsters, said its Deputy Minister Datuk Dr James Dawos Mamit.
He said the ministry had developed six Facebook applications for Tourism Malaysia which cost a total of RM1,758,432 with each page costing RM293,072.
"The pages include product promotions, tourism destinations and activities such as 'Cuti Cuti 1Malaysia', Citrawarna 1Malaysia, 1Malaysia Mega Sales Carnival, Year End Sales Carnival and Fabulous Food 1Malaysia," he said in reply to a question from Loke Siew Fook (DAP-Rasah) who had asked on the justification for the expenditure at the Dewan Rakyat today.
Dawos added that an advertising company, Impact Creations Sdn Bhd, was responsible for all advertisements and events of the ministry and Tourism Malaysia or the domestic market for 2011 until 2013.
However, the RM1.8 million expenditure was questioned by several members of Parliament who claimed that it was a waste.
Loke said it was irrelevant as the social website could be accessed free of charge while Khairy Jamaluddin (BN-Rembau) asked whether the ministry had set any key performance indicators to monitor the advertising agency's performance.
Source : Bernama
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]
He said the ministry had developed six Facebook applications for Tourism Malaysia which cost a total of RM1,758,432 with each page costing RM293,072.
"The pages include product promotions, tourism destinations and activities such as 'Cuti Cuti 1Malaysia', Citrawarna 1Malaysia, 1Malaysia Mega Sales Carnival, Year End Sales Carnival and Fabulous Food 1Malaysia," he said in reply to a question from Loke Siew Fook (DAP-Rasah) who had asked on the justification for the expenditure at the Dewan Rakyat today.
Dawos added that an advertising company, Impact Creations Sdn Bhd, was responsible for all advertisements and events of the ministry and Tourism Malaysia or the domestic market for 2011 until 2013.
However, the RM1.8 million expenditure was questioned by several members of Parliament who claimed that it was a waste.
Loke said it was irrelevant as the social website could be accessed free of charge while Khairy Jamaluddin (BN-Rembau) asked whether the ministry had set any key performance indicators to monitor the advertising agency's performance.
Source : Bernama
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
KL Festival Set To Attract 700,000 Visitors
The month-long Kuala Lumpur Festival 2011 starting July 1 is expected to attract about 700,000 local and foreign visitors.
Ministry of Information Communication and Culture secretary-general Datuk Seri Kamaruddin Siaraf said the targeted turnout could be achieved with the increase of events from 104 at 47 locations last year to 122 at 51 locations this year.
He said the festival with the theme "Where the Arts Come Alive" was in line with the government's effort to lift Kuala Lumpur as the hub of arts and culture internationally.
Jointly organised by the Ministry of Information Communication and Culture, the Ministry of Tourism, and the Ministry of Federal Territories and Urban Well-being, he said KL Festival attracted the participation of 18 companies and non-governmental organisations, he told a pre-launch news conference at KL Tower here Monday.
Kamaruddin said visitors would be feted to arts, including visual and performing arts, and cultural activities, traditional games, Malaysian cuisine and literary events.
Schedules and details of the events will be posted on the KL Festival website at www.klfestival.org and the facebook-klfest secretariat, he added.
The festival will be launched simultaneously by three ministers -- Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim, Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen and Datuk Raja Nong Chik Raja Zainal Abidin at the KL Tower's 1Malaysia Cultural Village on June 25.
Source : Bernama
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]
Ministry of Information Communication and Culture secretary-general Datuk Seri Kamaruddin Siaraf said the targeted turnout could be achieved with the increase of events from 104 at 47 locations last year to 122 at 51 locations this year.
He said the festival with the theme "Where the Arts Come Alive" was in line with the government's effort to lift Kuala Lumpur as the hub of arts and culture internationally.
Jointly organised by the Ministry of Information Communication and Culture, the Ministry of Tourism, and the Ministry of Federal Territories and Urban Well-being, he said KL Festival attracted the participation of 18 companies and non-governmental organisations, he told a pre-launch news conference at KL Tower here Monday.
Kamaruddin said visitors would be feted to arts, including visual and performing arts, and cultural activities, traditional games, Malaysian cuisine and literary events.
Schedules and details of the events will be posted on the KL Festival website at www.klfestival.org and the facebook-klfest secretariat, he added.
The festival will be launched simultaneously by three ministers -- Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim, Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen and Datuk Raja Nong Chik Raja Zainal Abidin at the KL Tower's 1Malaysia Cultural Village on June 25.
Source : Bernama
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Tourism Ministry Opens Facebook Account To Further Promote Tourism
The Tourism Ministry created the Facebook account "Citrawarna 1Malaysia" because it is aware of the social networking site's potential to promote popular locations in Malaysia to visitors, said its minister Datuk Seri Ng Yen Yen.
"We know that we are now at this social media era and we have to keep with the times. Our target (in using the application) are young people and we encourage them to go the site and share their experiences with others," she said after launching the "Citrawarna 1Malaysia" Facebook account here Wednesday.
The application created in conjunction with the annual Citrawarna 1Malaysia event which will take place at Dataran Merdeka on Saturday is to enable the public to access the ministry's www.facebook.com/cuticuti1malaysia site and participate in various contests in the form of dance games.
The participant with the highest score as of the end of June gets to win an iPad while there will also be 10 consolation winners who will be given vouchers to dine at Saloma Bistro.
Ng added that the Facebook feature was part of the ministry's transformation plans to further improve its delivery system.
Source : Bernama
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]
"We know that we are now at this social media era and we have to keep with the times. Our target (in using the application) are young people and we encourage them to go the site and share their experiences with others," she said after launching the "Citrawarna 1Malaysia" Facebook account here Wednesday.
The application created in conjunction with the annual Citrawarna 1Malaysia event which will take place at Dataran Merdeka on Saturday is to enable the public to access the ministry's www.facebook.com/cuticuti1malaysia site and participate in various contests in the form of dance games.
The participant with the highest score as of the end of June gets to win an iPad while there will also be 10 consolation winners who will be given vouchers to dine at Saloma Bistro.
Ng added that the Facebook feature was part of the ministry's transformation plans to further improve its delivery system.
Source : Bernama
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]
Monday, March 28, 2011
More South Indian Tourists To Land On Malaysian Shores
South India is poised to become a major source of tourists for Malaysia, with holiday-makers from states like Kerala and Tamil Nadu, capitalising on the increasing air accessibility to Southeast Asian capitals.
With India's changing economic topography, plus the availability of cheaper flights, visitors from southern cities are increasingly selecting Malaysia as their value-for-money destination.
"South India is one of our focal points to draw tourists to Malaysia. It is becoming a favourite family destination, mainly due to the accessibility and shorter travel time.
"We are expecting a double digit growth this year from south India," P. Manoharan, Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board director for India told Bernama today.
With over 60 weekly flights from South India alone, more Indians from cities like Chennai, Cochin, Hyderabad and Tiruchi find it cheaper and convenient to travel to Malaysian tourist spots, compared to domestic holiday travels.
India's thriving outbound travel is forecast to grow at about 13 per cent annually, driven largely by the robust economy, which had boost up disposable income.
The United Nations World Tourism Organisation estimates that India's outbound tourists would hit 50 million by 2020, as more Indians eye overseas holidays.
Last year, about 690,000 Indians landed on Malaysian shores. This year, figures are expected to expand by another 17 per cent.
"Friendly environment, cultural similarities and shopping are some elements that continue to attract Indian tourists to Malaysia. It is a potential market," added Manoharan.
Source : Bernama
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]
With India's changing economic topography, plus the availability of cheaper flights, visitors from southern cities are increasingly selecting Malaysia as their value-for-money destination.
"South India is one of our focal points to draw tourists to Malaysia. It is becoming a favourite family destination, mainly due to the accessibility and shorter travel time.
"We are expecting a double digit growth this year from south India," P. Manoharan, Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board director for India told Bernama today.
With over 60 weekly flights from South India alone, more Indians from cities like Chennai, Cochin, Hyderabad and Tiruchi find it cheaper and convenient to travel to Malaysian tourist spots, compared to domestic holiday travels.
India's thriving outbound travel is forecast to grow at about 13 per cent annually, driven largely by the robust economy, which had boost up disposable income.
The United Nations World Tourism Organisation estimates that India's outbound tourists would hit 50 million by 2020, as more Indians eye overseas holidays.
Last year, about 690,000 Indians landed on Malaysian shores. This year, figures are expected to expand by another 17 per cent.
"Friendly environment, cultural similarities and shopping are some elements that continue to attract Indian tourists to Malaysia. It is a potential market," added Manoharan.
Source : Bernama
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]
Wednesday, March 09, 2011
Malaysia’s tourism appeal drops
Malaysia has taken a slight dip in the Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Index, according to a report by the World Economic Forum.
The 2011 report, which covers over 139 countries, showed that Malaysia dropped three places to 35th, after being 32nd in 2009. Its closest neighbour, Singapore, maintained its original position, registering at 10th on the index.
Malaysia’s other neighbour, Thailand, was ranked lower on the global travel scale. Thailand had dropped two places to 41st, while Indonesia had improved, rising seven spot to 74th.
The report also showed that Malaysia had one of the highest percentage of budgets when it came to travel and tourism. According to the report, Malaysia seemed to have one of the highest average travel and tourism investment spending as a percentage of GDP (gross domestic product) between 2006 and 2010. The country was second only to Egypt in terms of average investment spending as a percentage of total economy investment spending (between 2006 and 2010).
Even so, the large amounts of cash pumped into the tourism industry did not seem to change the country’s travel scene for the better, according to the report’s individual indices. Out of 139 countries, Malaysia was competitive in terms of tourism pricing (third). On the other hand, it was shown to be a rather unsafe place to visit (83rd for safety and security). It also seemed to have problem with health and hygiene (75th), and a lack of tourism infrastructure (74th).
According to the report, other matters also plagued the country such as environmental sustainability (64th), and ICT infrastructure and the availability of qualified labour (50th).
On the other hand, the country scored fairly well in terms of policy rules and regulations (21st), affinity for travel and tourism (17th) and natural resources (22nd).
The report also showed that the only clear edge that Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand had over smaller Singapore was their price competitiveness and natural resources. This may be due to the island nation’s smaller size and higher currency value.
Source : Malaysia Today
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]
Wednesday, March 02, 2011
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
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]
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
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Malaysia smashes arrivals record
MALAYSIA registered 24.6 million international arrivals and tourism receipts of RM56.5 billion (US$18.5 billion) last year, the highest numbers recorded to-date, surpassing the government's 2010 targets of 24 million arrivals and RM55 billion in tourism revenue.
Arrivals from India registered the highest growth over 2009 at 17.1 per cent, followed by South Korea (16.2 per cent), the United Arab Emirates (16 per cent), Iran (14.3 per cent) and Cambodia (12.7 per cent).
China was the only non-South-east Asian country in the top five arrival markets with 1.13 million visitors, an increase of 10.8 per cent over 2009.
Singapore maintained its position as the largest tourist-generating market for Malaysia with 13.04 million arrivals, followed by Indonesia (2.51 million), Thailand (1.46 million), China and Brunei (1.12 million).
This year, the Malaysian tourism ministry is targeting 25 million arrivals and RM60 billion in tourism receipts.
Source : TTG
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]
Arrivals from India registered the highest growth over 2009 at 17.1 per cent, followed by South Korea (16.2 per cent), the United Arab Emirates (16 per cent), Iran (14.3 per cent) and Cambodia (12.7 per cent).
China was the only non-South-east Asian country in the top five arrival markets with 1.13 million visitors, an increase of 10.8 per cent over 2009.
Singapore maintained its position as the largest tourist-generating market for Malaysia with 13.04 million arrivals, followed by Indonesia (2.51 million), Thailand (1.46 million), China and Brunei (1.12 million).
This year, the Malaysian tourism ministry is targeting 25 million arrivals and RM60 billion in tourism receipts.
Source : TTG
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]
Monday, February 07, 2011
Tourism Ministry Targets 25 Million Tourist Arrivals This Year
The Tourism Ministry is targeting an increase of 25 million tourists visiting the country this year, compared with 24 million last year, with a projected tourism revenue of RM60 billion.
Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen said in order to achieve the target, her ministry would continue efforts to woo more visitors to visit Malaysia.
She said the efforts included continuing discussions with local and foreign airlines to provide more direct flights to major towns in the country.
"We may be able to meet the target by increasing the number of flights from abroad to the major towns like Kuala Lumpur, Kota Kinabalu, Penang or Melaka," she told reporters after attending a Chinese New year programme organised by the Tourism Ministry at the Dataran Raub, here Saturday night.
Dr Ng, who is also the Member of Parliament for Raub, hoped that this year there would be more tourists who would be staying up to 10 days, thus spending more in the country.
She said the ministry was targeting to woo more tourists from Russia, India, China, Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom, Belgium, Holland and the Middle East.
Source : Bernama
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]
Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen said in order to achieve the target, her ministry would continue efforts to woo more visitors to visit Malaysia.
She said the efforts included continuing discussions with local and foreign airlines to provide more direct flights to major towns in the country.
"We may be able to meet the target by increasing the number of flights from abroad to the major towns like Kuala Lumpur, Kota Kinabalu, Penang or Melaka," she told reporters after attending a Chinese New year programme organised by the Tourism Ministry at the Dataran Raub, here Saturday night.
Dr Ng, who is also the Member of Parliament for Raub, hoped that this year there would be more tourists who would be staying up to 10 days, thus spending more in the country.
She said the ministry was targeting to woo more tourists from Russia, India, China, Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom, Belgium, Holland and the Middle East.
Source : Bernama
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]
Tourism Ministry aiming for RM61bil spending target
The Tourism Ministry will work to increase direct flights from more countries as it pushes to meet its tourist spending target of RM61bil this year, said its minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen.
Dr Ng said her ministry had exceeded the RM55bil tourist spending target set under its Key Performance Indicator (KPI) last year and would be coming up with various strategies to meet the RM61bil set for it this year.
She said the ministry would work to expand existing markets and open new ones to meet the target but one of the problems it faced was the lack of accessibility.
“There is a big wave of tourists from Britain, Australia and New Zealand that we can tap but we still do not have direct flights by their national carriers.
“We need to do something to strengthen the accessibility (from these destinations),” she told reporters after attending the MCA Chinese New Year open house here yesterday.
Dr Ng said the ministry would also be focusing on attracting long stay visitors especially from Europe and for this it would come up with events that would help draw them to Malaysia.
She said the Cabinet had agreed to waive the need for visas for Taiwanese visitors to help attract more tourists from that country while the number of tourists from China was expected to continue to grow this year.
Dr Ng said the Egyptian unrest would have little impact on tourism as tourist arrivals from the country was low.
The main markets for Malaysia in the Middle East were Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Kuwait, she added.
Source : STAR
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]
Dr Ng said her ministry had exceeded the RM55bil tourist spending target set under its Key Performance Indicator (KPI) last year and would be coming up with various strategies to meet the RM61bil set for it this year.
She said the ministry would work to expand existing markets and open new ones to meet the target but one of the problems it faced was the lack of accessibility.
“There is a big wave of tourists from Britain, Australia and New Zealand that we can tap but we still do not have direct flights by their national carriers.
“We need to do something to strengthen the accessibility (from these destinations),” she told reporters after attending the MCA Chinese New Year open house here yesterday.
Dr Ng said the ministry would also be focusing on attracting long stay visitors especially from Europe and for this it would come up with events that would help draw them to Malaysia.
She said the Cabinet had agreed to waive the need for visas for Taiwanese visitors to help attract more tourists from that country while the number of tourists from China was expected to continue to grow this year.
Dr Ng said the Egyptian unrest would have little impact on tourism as tourist arrivals from the country was low.
The main markets for Malaysia in the Middle East were Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Kuwait, she added.
Source : STAR
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Malaysian homestay reservation portal goes live
MALAYSIA Homestay Cooperative and Malaysia Homestay Association have jointly launched an online portal, MalaysiaHomestays.com, which allows individual and group travellers to book and receive instant confirmation of their reservations.
The portal, which went live January 2, is in line with Malaysia tourism ministry and stakeholder plans this year to extend promotions beyond Asia, and reach out to long-haul markets such as the Netherlands, UK and Germany in Europe and Australia.
Tourism Malaysia will start promoting the homestay packages at international travel markets such as ITB Berlin and World Travel Market this year.
MalaysiaHomestays.com
Source : TTG
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]
The portal, which went live January 2, is in line with Malaysia tourism ministry and stakeholder plans this year to extend promotions beyond Asia, and reach out to long-haul markets such as the Netherlands, UK and Germany in Europe and Australia.
Tourism Malaysia will start promoting the homestay packages at international travel markets such as ITB Berlin and World Travel Market this year.
MalaysiaHomestays.com
Source : TTG
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]
Thursday, January 06, 2011
Firefly eyes one million passengers at KLIA
Fly Firefly Sdn Bhd,a unit of Malaysia Airlines, which will begin its operations at KL International Airport (KLIA) on Jan 15, aims to fly one million passengers in and out of the airport this year. Managing director Datuk Eddy Leong said the target was achievable as this year would be an interesting year for the company; there was a clear sign of economic recovery, compared to last year when things were a bit dicey.
“Apart from that, our newly launched airport ticketing counter at the main terminal building of KLIA will help to reach the growth target and, at the same time, to better serve and offer greater convenience to passengers,” he said yesterday after the opening of the counter. Leong said opening a ticket counter was in line with its decision to base its new Boeing 737-800 operations at KLIA and would focus on offering unbeatable value at the lowest fares.
“This is made possible with our decision to use the Boeing 737-800 aircraft, with a capacity of 189 seats, which has allowed us to achieve among the lowest costs of available seat per kilometre among our competitors,” he said.
He also said passenger growth at the Skypark Terminal in Subang was expected to surpass two million this year after growing to 1.5 million last year.
He said the group planned to expand its services around this region in the third quarter of next year.
“Obviously, ASEAN will be the main focus for us and we are looking at it very carefully as we are now going through slot approvals,” he said, but did not disclose the specific cities Firefly planned to fly to. Firefly would begin its operations in KLIA on Jan 15 to Kuching and Kota Kinabalu twice daily and, from Jan 24, four times daily and three times daily respectively.
Firefly's new airport ticketing counter opens from 8.30am to 5.30pm and sells tickets for all Firefly routes, add-on products such as in-flight meals, check-in baggage allowances and standard and premium sets of services. Come Jan 15, the counter's operating hours would be from 5.30am to 10pm.
Source : TheStar
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]
“Apart from that, our newly launched airport ticketing counter at the main terminal building of KLIA will help to reach the growth target and, at the same time, to better serve and offer greater convenience to passengers,” he said yesterday after the opening of the counter. Leong said opening a ticket counter was in line with its decision to base its new Boeing 737-800 operations at KLIA and would focus on offering unbeatable value at the lowest fares.
“This is made possible with our decision to use the Boeing 737-800 aircraft, with a capacity of 189 seats, which has allowed us to achieve among the lowest costs of available seat per kilometre among our competitors,” he said.
He also said passenger growth at the Skypark Terminal in Subang was expected to surpass two million this year after growing to 1.5 million last year.
He said the group planned to expand its services around this region in the third quarter of next year.
“Obviously, ASEAN will be the main focus for us and we are looking at it very carefully as we are now going through slot approvals,” he said, but did not disclose the specific cities Firefly planned to fly to. Firefly would begin its operations in KLIA on Jan 15 to Kuching and Kota Kinabalu twice daily and, from Jan 24, four times daily and three times daily respectively.
Firefly's new airport ticketing counter opens from 8.30am to 5.30pm and sells tickets for all Firefly routes, add-on products such as in-flight meals, check-in baggage allowances and standard and premium sets of services. Come Jan 15, the counter's operating hours would be from 5.30am to 10pm.
Source : TheStar
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]
http://www.shoppingnsales.com/2011/01/06/11-13-march-2011-matta-fair-2011/
Travel-related expenditure like purchase of airline tickets and accommodation is the top online spend category for Malaysian Internet users, according to a Visa consumer survey.
The 2010 Visa e-Commerce Consumer Monitor found that 82% of Malaysian respondents bought airline tickets over the Internet, and 72% purchased travel accommodation online over the past 12 months.
The survey was based on 3,516 online interviews with regular Internet users in six growing e-commerce markets – China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Taiwan and Thailand.
Respondents from Malaysia reported spending an average of RM6,297 online in the past 12 months. Of this, an average of RM865 was for online purchase of airline tickets, RM473 on travel accommodation and RM456 with online travel agents.
Malaysia Visa country manager Stuart Tomlinson said online booking for air tickets, purchase of financial services or electrical appliances are getting more common and many Malaysian online shoppers feel it is more convenient to shop on the Internet as they can compare prices easily and shop at a time that is convenient to them from home.
"From the survey, we also know that 35% of Malaysian respondents rated payment security as the most important factor when transacting online. Visa provides cardholders with an added layer of security with Verified by Visa with one-time passwords.
"Consumers can make online purchases with their Visa card, with the reassurance that their data will be processed securely, regardless of whether they shop at local or overseas websites," Tomlinson said.
Malaysia is ranked No 3 in online shopping with the average amount spent online in the past 12 months at US$2,006, behind Taiwan and China at US$4,041 and US$2,557, respectively, among the six countries surveyed.
Source : TheSun
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]
The 2010 Visa e-Commerce Consumer Monitor found that 82% of Malaysian respondents bought airline tickets over the Internet, and 72% purchased travel accommodation online over the past 12 months.
The survey was based on 3,516 online interviews with regular Internet users in six growing e-commerce markets – China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Taiwan and Thailand.
Respondents from Malaysia reported spending an average of RM6,297 online in the past 12 months. Of this, an average of RM865 was for online purchase of airline tickets, RM473 on travel accommodation and RM456 with online travel agents.
Malaysia Visa country manager Stuart Tomlinson said online booking for air tickets, purchase of financial services or electrical appliances are getting more common and many Malaysian online shoppers feel it is more convenient to shop on the Internet as they can compare prices easily and shop at a time that is convenient to them from home.
"From the survey, we also know that 35% of Malaysian respondents rated payment security as the most important factor when transacting online. Visa provides cardholders with an added layer of security with Verified by Visa with one-time passwords.
"Consumers can make online purchases with their Visa card, with the reassurance that their data will be processed securely, regardless of whether they shop at local or overseas websites," Tomlinson said.
Malaysia is ranked No 3 in online shopping with the average amount spent online in the past 12 months at US$2,006, behind Taiwan and China at US$4,041 and US$2,557, respectively, among the six countries surveyed.
Source : TheSun
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Malaysia Among Top Islamic Tourist Destinations
Malaysia is now among the top Islamic destinations of tourists, especially Muslims, because the country offers various services and halal products.
In relation to this, Islamic Tourism Centre (ITC) director-general Zainuddin Abdul Wahab said the centre was focusing on providing information and facilities sought by the Muslim community.
"There is much potential in Islamic tourism in Malaysia due to contributing factors such as its liberal policies which offer comfort in various aspects, including food, beverages, personal needs and facilities," he told reporters here Monday.
Zainuddin said, based on studies, tourists, especially Muslims, chose Malaysia because of the convenience of obtaining halal food, prayer houses, health-based tourism, variety of cultures and heritage and peaceful environment.
The ITC is recognised by the tourism ministry and Tourism Malaysia, as well as supported by the Bumiputera Adventure and Travel Companies and the Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents
Source : Bernama
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]
In relation to this, Islamic Tourism Centre (ITC) director-general Zainuddin Abdul Wahab said the centre was focusing on providing information and facilities sought by the Muslim community.
"There is much potential in Islamic tourism in Malaysia due to contributing factors such as its liberal policies which offer comfort in various aspects, including food, beverages, personal needs and facilities," he told reporters here Monday.
Zainuddin said, based on studies, tourists, especially Muslims, chose Malaysia because of the convenience of obtaining halal food, prayer houses, health-based tourism, variety of cultures and heritage and peaceful environment.
The ITC is recognised by the tourism ministry and Tourism Malaysia, as well as supported by the Bumiputera Adventure and Travel Companies and the Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents
Source : Bernama
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]
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