TOURISM MALAYSIA'S FRANKFURT OFFICE TAPS MICE MARKET

By Manik Mehta

FRANKFURT, June 22 (Bernama) -- With the global leisure tourism traffic
affected by the economic downturn, Tourism Malaysia's Frankfurt office is
aggressively tapping the meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions
(MICE) sector to push up the tourism trade.

"The MICE sector accounts for less than 10 percent of the tourism traffic to
Malaysia, yet that sector generates some 20 percent of the total tourism
revenue," said Syed Yahya Syed Othman, the Frankfurt-based director of Tourism
Malaysia.

"Thus, the MICE sector is inherent with good business potential still to be
tapped, particularly in the European markets," he said in an interview.

As part of its efforts to court the MICE players, Tourism Malaysia's
Frankfurt office has been participating in trade fairs and organising roadshows
in Germany.

IMEX, a major MICE exhibition held recently in Franfurt, saw a contingent of
14 high-profile MICE players, including the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre,
Sarawak Convention Centre, Asian Overland, Borneo Passes, and Sutra Harbour
Resort.

Malaysian participants at the IMEX exhibition witnessed an "unusually robust
interest" from visitors in the Malaysian pavilion.

"Tourism Malaysia averaged 15 appointments a day at the IMEX. We had
visitors not only from Germany but from around the world, seeking specific
detailed information about MICE facilities and offers available in Malaysia,"
Syed Yahya said.

However, Malaysia is still not known enough for its MICE sector. The KLCC,
which has its own representative in Germany, received 60 to 80 visitors at the
IMEX exhibition, according to Syed Yahya whose office is trying to provide
special packages for MICE participants.

For instance, for a group of 350 participants, the group will be reimbursed
about 20,000 euros under the Myceeb (Malaysian Convention, Exhibition Bureau)
programme, he said.

"We also arranged to get special fares from Malaysian Airlines, the national
carrier, for such visitors. IMEX was better this year than last year despite the
economic downturn in Germany," he added.

Syed Yahya also highlighted the "close coordination" his office maintained
with the various MICE venues in Malaysia.

"We work closely with all the MICE sites in Malaysia. For example, we have
just sent a group of 12 journalists to Malaysia and they are meeting Peter
Brokenshire, managing director of the KLCC," he said.

Preparations are meanwhile being made by the Frankfurt office to participate
in the International Convention Exhibition in Bremen from July 24 to 27.

At the exhibition in Bremen, Syed Yahya said Malaysia would try to make a
strong pitch for its conventions and exhibitions.

"We are also promoting Malaysia's exhibition venues. We are recruiting for
our exhibitions at the KLCC, which I am told is booked out for the next two
years," he said.

An area of special interest for Malaysia is the incentive business,
according to Syed Yahya who is trying to identify German companies that would be
inclined to send their staff on incentive travel to Malaysia.

The Frankfurt office is working with the Malaysia External Trade Development
Corporation (Matrade) and Malaysian Industrial Development Authority (MIDA) to
get the names of German companies which have operations in Malaysia or are
maintaining some links there.

"Such companies would consider sending their staff on incentive travel to
Malaysia where they already have some business interest," Syed Yahya said.

"The present recession is also a blessing in disguise because German
companies would find our prices quite low. Malaysia offers value for money," he
said.

-- BERNAMA