MAS to lower its fares in Europe

High MAS fares may put off European tourists

AMSTERDAM: Malaysia Airlines’ (MAS) expensive fares may deter European tourists from
travelling to Malaysia during Visit Malaysia Year 2007 (VMY 2007).

“They (European tourists) are saying that if we don’t do something about MAS fares, tourist arrivals from Europe particularly the United Kingdom will drop by 50% next year,” said Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor.

“Tour operators and agents in the UK, Ireland and Holland said MAS must lower its fares to Europe and allow early bookings to encourage more Europeans to visit Malaysia,” he told Malaysian reporters here Friday.

Tengku Adnan said that he would ask the Transport Ministry to hold immediate discussions with MAS to lower its fares in Europe.

He said the demands of the European tourists, especially British tourists, must be taken seriously as they were among the top contributors to Malaysia’s foreign exchange earnings.
For instance, he said 240,030 tourists from Britain visited Malaysia last year and spent RM914.6 million in the country.

The launch of VMY 2007 in Dublin (Nov 2), London (Nov 48), Glasgow (Nov 9-10) and Amsterdam (11-12) was well covered by the local media and well received by the local communities there.

Tourism Malaysia is selling various holiday packages for the VMY 2007. They include shopping holiday, agro and nature holiday, educational tour, honeymoon package, spa holiday, golf holiday as well as diving, fishing, marine adventure and cosmetic surgery holiday.

Tourism Malaysia also encourages tourists to make Malaysia their second home through the “Malaysia My Second Home” package. – Bernama


News Source : STAR

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