MALAYSIA, CHINA TO STEP UP TOURISM COOPERATION IN GLOBAL CRISIS

By Tham Choy Lin

SHANGHAI, Nov 20 (Bernama) -- Malaysia and China agreed on Thursday to map
out new measures to step up their cooperation in tourism which will be affected
by the global financial crisis.

Deputy Tourism Minister Sulaiman Abdul Rahman Abdul Taib
discussed the matter with Wang Zhifa, vice-chairman of China National Tourism
Administration (CNTA) and proposed that a Malaysian delegation return to China
in either January or February.

"We have to meet again to seriously discuss what measures can be taken and
the way forward," Sulaiman told Bernama before leaving for home after a
three-day working visit and to attend the China International Travel Mart 2008
(CITM 2008) which opened Thursday.

Wang, who welcomed the suggestion, said pragamatic measures were needed to
optimise resources in the current difficult times.

"China and Malaysia have made big progress in enhancing our cooperation in
the tourism field. Now, we need to work together to confront the global
financial crisis and cope with the difficulties," Wang said.

The CNTA number two said it was important for the two countries to make
efforts to ensure that tourist flow between the two countries continued and to
give support to travel shows to attract potential visitors to Malaysia and
China.

China is a key market as recession bites into the global tourism industry
and several tour operators at CITM 2008 said the impact would be felt next year.

While projections had diminished for many developed economies, China's
economic growth is forecast to be in the region of 9 per cent in the coming
years.

Malaysia is among the top 10 countries for Chinese travellers who generated
RM1.67 billion for the Malaysian tourism industry last year.

Tourism Malaysia figures show that arrivals from China in the first 10
months of this year grew 27.3 per cent to 802,956 compared with nearly 790,000
for the whole of 2007.

Meanwhile, 21 Malaysian exhibitors including three state governments --
Selangor, Sabah and Sarawak -- are taking part in the four-day CITM 2008 which
attracted 104 countries, the biggest number to date.

-- BERNAMA