ART TOURISM A NEW SELLING POINT FOR MALAYSIA

From Kenny Teng Khoon Hock

HONG KONG, Aug 10 (Bernama) -- The Malaysian Tourism Ministry has identified
art as the new product to boost the country's tourism sector, with events such
as art auction among activities on the cards.

Tourism Minister Dr Ng Yen Yen said Malaysian art could be promoted to the
global travel market.

"The art auction is a landmark event in the Malaysian art history and a
first step towards establishing a strong secondary art market," she said after
presenting certificates of appreciation to 20 tour agencies and seven local
media organisations at the Friends of Malaysia Gala Night, here Monday night.

She said the ministry would also hold the 1Malaysia Contemporary Arts
Tourism Festival, for three months from next month, covering Kuala Lumpur,
and the states of Penang, Melaka and Johor.

Ng, who is on a four-day tourism promotion campaign to Hong Kong and
Shenzhen, China, said she believed that Hong Kong would be among the strongest
markets for the new product given the strength of the art community here.

The first art auction, which ended last weekend, involved 62 paintings worth
over RM1 million. It was organised by Henry Butcher Art Auctioneers Sdn Bhd with
the support of the National Arts Gallery and BrandLaureate.

Ng said Malaysia would also continue to promote other tourism products such
as the Malaysia Mega Sale Carnival, Food festival, Shoe Festival and the F1
Petronas Malaysian Grand Prix.

Malaysia has set the target of reaching 36 million annual tourist arrivals
and RM3 billion (US$937 million) weekly tourism receipts by 2020.

"We have drawn up strategies to build density, develop clusters and
high-value sectors in the industry," she said.

She said the government was very committed in promoting the tourism sector
because it contributed nine per cent to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and the
industry was among 11 sectors that had been identified as priority areas in the
National Key Economic Area (NKEA).

Meanwhile, she said the ministry encouraged more hotels in Malaysia to
further venture into providing meeting infrastructure to tap into the MICE
(meetings, incentives, conventions and expositions) market.

"The MICE industry is an important segment and the country has set up a
Malaysia MICE bureau to attract foreign companies," she said.

Present at the event were Malaysian Consul-General in Hong Kong Cheong Loon
Lai, Hong Kong Tourism Malaysia Director Zaliha Zainuddin and Tourism Malaysia
International Division director Chong Yoke Har.
-- BERNAMA


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