MALAYSIA OPTIMISTIC OF ATTRACTING ONE MILLION TOURISTS FROM CHINA

KUALA LUMPUR, July 30 (Bernama) -- The government is optimistic of achieving
its target of getting one million tourists from China to visit Malaysia by end
of the year, despite the influenza A(H1N1) pandemic.

Expressing her confidence, Tourism Minister Dr Ng Yen Yen said this being
that various strategies and promotions had and were being carried out by Tourism
Malaysia with the cooperation of other players in the industry.

She said there had been a drop of 5.1 per cent in tourist arrivals from
China in the country during the period from January to June this year with only
466,685 people, from 491,682 tourists in the corresponding period last year.

"Last month alone, Malaysia suffered a 20.5 per cent decrease in arrivals of
Chinese tourists with only 58,351 people compared to 73,355 tourists in the same
month in 2008," she told a press conference on her recent tourism sales mission
to China, here, Thursday.

Ng said the trip, between July 10 and 24, was her second mission to China
during which her entourage visited Beijing, Shanghai, Wuhan and Guangzhou, as
well as held several meetings and dialogues with tourism industry players there
to promote Malaysia.

"Why China again? It is because tourist arrivals from China has been
affected by the H1N1, with their number having dropped badly," she added.

Ng said the HIN1 pandemic also affected tourist arrivals from Taiwan, Japan
and Korea.

"As far as H1N1 is concern, Malaysia is very safe. We have taken necessary
preventive measures," she added.

Ng also said that low cost carrier, AirAsia Bhd, had signed an agreement
with the Wuhan authority to provide direct flight between Kuala Lumpur and Wuhan
beginning October.

She also said that the China Southern Airlines had agreed to provide direct
flights to Langkawi twice weekly effective Aug 4, adding that such a move would
further boost Malaysia as a tourist destination for the people in China.
-- BERNAMA