TOURIST ARRIVALS UP LAST MONTH DESPITE H1N1

KUALA LUMPUR, July 23 (Bernama) -- Although the number Influenza A(H1N1)
cases continued to rise in the country, tourist arrivals last month achieve an
impressive 7.5 per cent growth compared with the 0.3 per cent drop in May.

Tourism Minister Dr Ng Yen Yen said the number of tourist arrivals to
Malaysia was 11.35 million last month, a 3.5 per cent increase from the 10.96
million for the corresponding period last year.

She believed that medical tourism was one sector that could bring great
benefit to the country, with a projected contribution of RM540 million in 2010
with 625,000 medical tourists flowing into the country to get medical
service. This was possible for the fact that Malaysia offered a wide range of
state-of-the-art private medical centres and an impressive array of
sophisticated diagnostic, therapeutic and inpatient facilities.

"In addition, Malaysia is also the place to see the fusion of Eastern
traditional healing methods blending with the modern sciences of the West," she
said in her speech at the International Healthcare Conference and Exhibition
2009.

Her speech was delivered by the ministry's deputy secretary-general
(Managment), Dr Junaida Lee Abdullah, who also launched "Patients Beyond Border"
a book by Healthy Travel Media CEO and a reputable author in Medical Tourism
Josef Woodman.

Dr Ng said Malaysia was also reported in the recent Deloitte Medical Tourism
report 2008 to be the most preferred destination in East Asia for medical
treatment.

She urged the private hospitals promoting medical tourism to work closely
with tourism operators to capitalise on every opportunity available to promote
Malaysia's natural and multi-cultural attractions.

On the book, she said it was the first comprehensive, easy-to-understand
guide to medical tourism for Malaysia and was published with the collaboration
and support of the Association of Private Hospitals Malaysia (APHM) and Tourism
Malaysia.
-- BERNAMA