MALAYSIA PROMOTES TOURISM TO ARABS IN DUBAI

By Mohamad Bakri Darus

DUBAI, June 3 (Bernama) -- A visit to Dubai is incomplete without a visit to
the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world.

The magnificent 160-storey tower, which officially opened to the public on
Jan 4, last year, is 828 metres tall. Its construction cost is estimated to be
about US$1.5 billion.

The tower’s observation deck, which is at level 124, can be reached via the
fastest elevator in the world, with a speed of 10 metres per second.

The observation deck is usually filled with visitors who are eager to enjoy
a panoramic view of the largest city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Visitors can witness the modern architecture and fast-paced development of
the city, as well as the seas and desert that surround it.

"The Burj Khalifa is the new landmark of Dubai, attracting tourists from all
over the world to view the city from the highest level," said Nor Shaharom
Mansor, assistant director at Emaar Properties, the company that manages the
Burj Khalifa.


FROM FISHING VILLAGE TO BUSINESS HUB

Dubai used to be a small fishing village on arid land; today, it has
transformed itself into a prime tourist and business destination in the Gulf
region.

Its main language is Arabic, but English is commonly used in daily
transactions, as the city is home to people from various nationalities.

This modern city also boasts an efficient transport network, including a
monorail service.

In addition, Dubai has a reputation for being a shopping haven for both
general and branded goods. The most popular malls among tourists are the Dubai
Mall and the Dubai Outlet Mall.

Another favourite tourist shopping area is Naif Road, which is similar to
Jalan Masjid India in Kuala Lumpur. Visitors can find several items, including
souvenirs, at the mall at reasonable prices.

The traders are mostly foreigners of Indian, Bangladeshi or Pakistani
descent. They sell a wide range of products, from garments, carpets, shoes,
watches and mobile phones to electronic products and souvenirs.


ATTRACTING ARAB TOURISTS TO MALAYSIA

Dubai recently held a tourism event called the Arabian Travel Market 2011.

Tourism Minister Dr Ng Yen Yen headed the Malaysian delegation to the
four-day exhibition, which started on May 2 at the Dubai International
Convention and Exhibition Centre.

Despite the majesty of the Burj Khalifa and Dubai’s reputation as a shopping
haven, Arab visitors eagerly visited the Malaysian pavilion at the Travel
Market.

The pavilion, which was built to resemble the structure of a traditional
Malay house, was constantly busy with visitors who wanted to learn more about
Malaysia as a tourist destination.

The participation of 87 Malaysian government and private agencies at the
tourism fair also set a precedent for Indian, Iranian, African and
Latin-American tourism markets.

Dr Ng, who acted as Malaysia’s key salesperson, was friendly and affable
with Arab visitors.

She also added her personal touch to an appreciation dinner celebrating the
tour agencies and airlines in Dubai by acting as host and master of ceremonies
for the night.

The main attractions promoted to Middle Eastern travelers were beach and
island holidays, shopping, dining and eco-tourism. There were also special
promotions for educational and health tourism, honeymoon and spa destinations,
as well as the ‘Malaysia, My Second Home’ programme.

Arab tourists were also invited to experience the upcoming Islamic month of
fasting, known as "Ramadan" in Malaysia, through the distribution of booklets
from Tourism Malaysia.

The booklets are comprehensive guides to accommodation, activities, mosques
and venues for breakfast and pre-dawn meals in Malaysia. They also list 67
Middle Eastern restaurants in Malaysia that are near mosques.


TARGETING MORE WEST ASIAN TOURISTS

The Tourism Ministry is targeting around 700,000 tourists from India and
235,000 tourists from various West Asian countries this year.

Last year, Malaysia received 689,000 Indian tourists and 228,668 visitors
from West Asia.

"We hope to attract 20,000 more tourists from South Africa annually," Dr Ng
told Bernama.

The total number of tourists who visited Malaysia last year was 24.6
million. This year, the target has been set at 25 million.

The 2010 World Tourism Organization report ranked Malaysia ninth among the
world’s most visited countries.

According to Dr Ng, Indian tourists are now interested in holding their
wedding celebrations in Malaysia.

"One couple has already booked a wedding ceremony in Malaysia for November
this year. They will be spending over US$1.5 million on the celebration, with
hundreds of people in their entourage," she said.

Dr Ng noted that due to political instability in Egypt and Syria, several
tourists from Saudi Arabia are also turning to Malaysia as a holiday
destination.

"We will also continue promoting Malaysia in Saudi Arabian cities, such as
Jeddah, Riyad, Dammam, Al-Khobar and Dhahran," she added.


AIRLINES PROMOTING TO ARAB TOURISTS

During a meeting with Sheikh Ahmed Saeed Al Maktoum, the Chairman of
Emirates Airlines, Dr Ng was informed of the airline’s willingness to fly Latin
American tourists to Malaysia.

The airline is one of the largest in the world and currently has routes from
Dubai to Sao Paolo in Brazil.

Emirates Holidays, a subsidiary of Emirates Airlines, is also looking into
the possibility of including Malaysia as one of its "must-visit" destinations in
its tourism packages.

"It has opened up new and dynamic tourism business opportunities for us,"
said Abdul Hamid Ahmad Maulana, the General Manager (Corporate Sales and
Marketing) of Puteri Hotels Sdn Bhd.

Meanwhile, Azman Umar, the Langkawi Development Board General Manager,
said the tourism fair was the best platform to promote the exciting tourist
attractions of Langkawi and the rest of Malaysia to Arabs, Europeans and Latin
Americans.