MALAYSIA SPENT NEARLY US$133 MLN TO PROMOTE TOURISM FROM 2008 to 2010

KUALA LUMPUR, April 19 (Bernama) -- Malaysia spent approximately RM398.9
million (US$132.96 million) on advertising between 2008 and last year to promote
the tourism industry, locally and abroad.

Deputy Tourism Minister Dr James Dawos Mamit said the impact of the
advertising campaign was visible in the increase in the number of foreign
tourist arrivals to the country.

In 2008, he said, there were 22,052,488 foreign tourist arrivals, and the
number increased by 7.2 per cent to 23,646,191, the following year.

"The number of tourist arrivals to Malaysia continued to increase by 3.9 per
cent to 24,577,196 last year," he said in reply to Senator Mariany Mohammad Yit
in the Senate (upper house of Malaysia's Parliament) sitting here Tuesday.

Mariany had wanted to know the volume of advertising expenses borne by the
government to promote the country, and the number of tourist arrivals chalked
between 2008 and last year.

Dawos said apart from advertising campaign, the ministry had also carried
out trade missions to potential countries like China and India to lure tourists
from there.

He said the missions were also participated by tourism industry players,
like travel agencies, so that they could collaborate with local agencies in
creating attractive travel packages for mutual benefit.

Dawos said the ministry had also received cooperation from Malaysian
consulate offices, as well as Tourism Malaysia offices operating in 44
countries, to promote the tourism industry.

"Tourism Malaysia offices have also helped the ministry in analysing the
potential tourist arrivals from where they were operating, besides participating
actively in trade missions at their respective destinations," he added.