ID :
109494
Wed, 03/03/2010 - 13:04
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/109494
The shortlink copeid
MALAYSIA GETS GREAT PUBLIC RESPONSE AT NEW YORK TRAVEL SHOW
By Manik Mehta
NEW YORK, March 3 (Bernama) -- The just-concluded two-day New York Travel Show produced a great public response for Malaysia, according to the New York office of Tourism Malaysia which participated in the event.
Salahuddin Mohd. Arifin, the New York-based vice-president of Tourism
Malaysia, said he was delighted at the overwhelming response at the event, which
is considered an important barometer for the tourism industry and attracts
mainly retailers and consumers.
"What distinguished this year's turnout at the show was the high quality of
tour operators who came to the event.
"And this was particularly heartening for us because we have just got over
the most serious recession in the USA since the great depression," he told
Bernama.
Discerning the proverbial silver lining in the hitherto dark economic
skies, he said Malaysia appealed to the average American as an exotic
destination.
Some 6.4 million Americans visited Asia in 2008, with India, Cambodia,
Vietnam and Malaysia posting growth.
Among the behavioural characteristics which Tourism Malaysia has discerned
about American tourists is their propensity to make bookings via the Internet
because it is easy. Indeed, 97 per cent of Americans visiting Malaysia are
independent travellers.
An average American traveller spends some 9.5 nights in the country,
according to the Departing Visitors' Survey commissioned by Tourism Malaysia.
The findings also reveal that Americans stay longer in Malaysia in
combination with other destinations in the region such as Thailand or Singapore.
Salahuddin said his office was trying to promote Malaysia as a dual
destination in conjunction with India, Thailand or Singapore.
Despite Malaysia Airline (MAS) discontinuing its flights to the east coast
a few months ago, maintaining only three flights a week to Los Angeles on the
west coast, the US offers good connectivity to all of Asia, including Malaysia.
Salahuddin said he was not particularly worried about Americans trying to
cut costs because they had a culture of setting aside money for vacation travel
even in times of economic crisis.
At the New York show, Tourism Malaysia received enquiries from many tour
operators from the west and east coast and consumers thronged its booth for
information about Malaysia, which was considered an exotic destination, he said.
Salahuddin, who was interviewed on the first day of the show by Jon Haggins,
TV globe trotter, and radio and TV show host and travel expert Stephanie Abrams,
pointed to the accolades poured on Malaysia.
Lonely Planet, a popular travel guidebook, ranked Malaysia as one of the
world's top 10 destinations for 2010 while Kuala Lumpur was included in the top
travel list compiled in The New York Times' online version, which described the
Malaysian capital as a "must-see-destination" this year in the latest edition of
its annual travel list, "31 places to go in 2010."
The NYT travel-section report described Kuala Lumpur as one of Southeast
Asia's coolest and friendliest cities, calling the people of Kuala Lumpur
"die-hard foodies .. and shopaholics, spending weekends trawling boutiques for
the latest looks emerging from the sophisticated local fashion scene".
The Global Traveller Tested Awards ranked Malaysia as the second top
international destination in the world, after Spain.
"These are good indications of Malaysia becoming a very friendly tourist
destination in the world," Salahuddin said, adding that a good growth was
expected this year after attracting 228,571 visitors from the US in 2009, a 2.4
per cent growth over 2008.
Malaysia will participate in Berlin's International Tourism Bourse, the
world's biggest tourism show, from March 10 to 14, with Malaysian Tourism
Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen leading a large delegation comprising senior
officials, tour and travel operators and hoteliers.
-- BERNAMA
NEW YORK, March 3 (Bernama) -- The just-concluded two-day New York Travel Show produced a great public response for Malaysia, according to the New York office of Tourism Malaysia which participated in the event.
Salahuddin Mohd. Arifin, the New York-based vice-president of Tourism
Malaysia, said he was delighted at the overwhelming response at the event, which
is considered an important barometer for the tourism industry and attracts
mainly retailers and consumers.
"What distinguished this year's turnout at the show was the high quality of
tour operators who came to the event.
"And this was particularly heartening for us because we have just got over
the most serious recession in the USA since the great depression," he told
Bernama.
Discerning the proverbial silver lining in the hitherto dark economic
skies, he said Malaysia appealed to the average American as an exotic
destination.
Some 6.4 million Americans visited Asia in 2008, with India, Cambodia,
Vietnam and Malaysia posting growth.
Among the behavioural characteristics which Tourism Malaysia has discerned
about American tourists is their propensity to make bookings via the Internet
because it is easy. Indeed, 97 per cent of Americans visiting Malaysia are
independent travellers.
An average American traveller spends some 9.5 nights in the country,
according to the Departing Visitors' Survey commissioned by Tourism Malaysia.
The findings also reveal that Americans stay longer in Malaysia in
combination with other destinations in the region such as Thailand or Singapore.
Salahuddin said his office was trying to promote Malaysia as a dual
destination in conjunction with India, Thailand or Singapore.
Despite Malaysia Airline (MAS) discontinuing its flights to the east coast
a few months ago, maintaining only three flights a week to Los Angeles on the
west coast, the US offers good connectivity to all of Asia, including Malaysia.
Salahuddin said he was not particularly worried about Americans trying to
cut costs because they had a culture of setting aside money for vacation travel
even in times of economic crisis.
At the New York show, Tourism Malaysia received enquiries from many tour
operators from the west and east coast and consumers thronged its booth for
information about Malaysia, which was considered an exotic destination, he said.
Salahuddin, who was interviewed on the first day of the show by Jon Haggins,
TV globe trotter, and radio and TV show host and travel expert Stephanie Abrams,
pointed to the accolades poured on Malaysia.
Lonely Planet, a popular travel guidebook, ranked Malaysia as one of the
world's top 10 destinations for 2010 while Kuala Lumpur was included in the top
travel list compiled in The New York Times' online version, which described the
Malaysian capital as a "must-see-destination" this year in the latest edition of
its annual travel list, "31 places to go in 2010."
The NYT travel-section report described Kuala Lumpur as one of Southeast
Asia's coolest and friendliest cities, calling the people of Kuala Lumpur
"die-hard foodies .. and shopaholics, spending weekends trawling boutiques for
the latest looks emerging from the sophisticated local fashion scene".
The Global Traveller Tested Awards ranked Malaysia as the second top
international destination in the world, after Spain.
"These are good indications of Malaysia becoming a very friendly tourist
destination in the world," Salahuddin said, adding that a good growth was
expected this year after attracting 228,571 visitors from the US in 2009, a 2.4
per cent growth over 2008.
Malaysia will participate in Berlin's International Tourism Bourse, the
world's biggest tourism show, from March 10 to 14, with Malaysian Tourism
Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen leading a large delegation comprising senior
officials, tour and travel operators and hoteliers.
-- BERNAMA
