MALAYSIA PAVILION CROWD-PLEASER AT ARABIAN TRAVEL MARKET

By Muin Abdul Majid

DUBAI, May 6 (Bernama) -- With a single stroke of the gong, Sheikh Ahmed bin
Saeed Al Maktoum, Dubai Civil Aviation president and Emirates Airlines chairman,
opened the Malaysia Pavilion at the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2009 which began
here Tuesday.

The majestic-looking two-level structure was constructed in one of the
cavernous halls of the Dubai International Conference and Exhibition Centre
(DICEC), the venue of the May 5 to 8 ATM, billed as the premier tourism fair,
not only for the Middle East but also the global tourism industry.

Embellished with a soothing water feature, posters depicting typical
Malaysian
sceneries, as well as traditional jars, 'tudung saji' (Can be use to cover the
food while it's on the dining table), and other decorative
items, the Malaysian pavilion is an instant crowd puller.

"I have never been to Malaysia but I may go there for my next vacation as it
sure does look like an interesting country," said an exhibitor from Europe who
was taking photographs of the pavilion.

The structure is flanked by the pavilions of Indonesia and Singapore,
Malaysia's neighbours also vying to attract visitors from the Middle East
region.

Malaysia's famed natural beauty is a recurrent theme in the decorative
scheme of the pavilion.

Tourism Malaysia has also brought in a cultural troupe comprising six
talented
youths to enliven the atmosphere with, among others, 'kompang' performances
and traditional Malay dance routines.

At the back of the structure are several rows of booths housing 84
organisations, both from the government and private sectors, that form the
Malaysian delegation at the 16th edition of the ATM.

Present at the launch were Malaysian Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates
(UAE) Yahaya Abdul Jabar, consul-general in Dubai Syed Mohamad Hasrin
Tengku Hussin, Tourism Ministry deputy secretary-general (tourism) Abdul
Ghaffar A. Thambi and Tourism Malaysia deputy director-general (planning) Azizan
Noordin.

Also there were Tourism Malaysia regional director for Africa, West and
South
Asia Abdul Rahman Shaari; overseas director for Saudi Arabia, Levant, Yemen and
North Africa Ahmad Husni Ahmad Basri; Tourism Malaysia Dubai director Tuan
Razali Tuan Omar; and Malaysia Airlines regional manager for Middle East and
Africa Merina Abu Tahir.

Last year, Malaysia drew 22.05 million visitors, including 264,338 arrivals
from the Middle East, generating RM49.56 billion (US$13.76 billion) in receipts.

The Southeast Asian nation of 27 million is eyeing for more visitors from
places like the Middle East, China, Japan, Korea and Asean, as well as promoting
domestic tourism in a bid to counter a drop in the number of long-haul visitors
amid the current global economic crisis and credit crunch.

The show's organisers, Reed Travel Exhibitions, has revealed that this
year's event would be one of the largest instalments in its 16-year history.

They believe the sign-up of over 2,100 exhibitors and stand-sharers from 69
countries, including 70 new-to-market representatives, not only underlines the
Middle East's importance to the industry's global recovery but also illustrates
the show's potential to foster greater business development via enhanced
business friendliness and knowledge-sharing capabilities.

The ATM was launched in 1994, and the 2008 event opened with its largest
ever exhibitor base of 2,229 participants from 70 countries.

-- BERNAMA