TOURISM MALAYSIA TO CONTINUE BOOSTING DOMESTIC TOURISM

KUALA LUMPUR, July 3 (Bernama) -- Tourism Malaysia will continue to give
emphasis to domestic tourism in helping the industry face the effects of
the economic downturn and Influenza A(H1N1) outbreak, its secretary-general
Ong Hong Peng said Friday.

He said domestic tourism had a lot to offer and it helped strengthen family
relations.

On that note, he said local tourists could experience the Arabian "Samrah
Festival", a showcase of Middle Eastern music and song performances in Bukit
Bintang every Friday and Saturday from July 10 to Aug 31.

"Not many Malaysians have the opportunity to fly to the Arab countries to
experience their culture, so this is the right time for them to experience it in
our own country," he told reporters after opening the three-day Malaysian
Domestic Tourism Fair 2009 at the Putra World Trade Centre here.

"With the launching of this fair, I hope it will encourage Malaysians to go
on vacation locally and at the same time, help buffer the effects of the
economic downturn and the H1N1 outbreak," he said.

Meanwhile, National Tourism Council president Mohd Zainal Abd Kadir
said the "Zoom! Malaysia" campaign launched in May 2008 to promote domestic
destinations to Malaysians, had received positive feedback.

"Up to March this year, we have recorded 7.86 million local tourists, a
slight increase of 0.9 per cent from 4.6 million last year," he said.

-- BERNAMA