ID :
73587
Mon, 08/03/2009 - 19:03
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/73587
The shortlink copeid
TOURISM MALAYSIA IN US CHANGES STRATEGY IN CHANGING WORLD
By MANIK MEHTA
NEW YORK, Aug 3 (Bernama))-- In a world that has radically changed since a
year, with the global economic crisis still lingering and crippling many
industries and business segments, Tourism Malaysia has changed its strategy in
an effort to adapt itself to the new landscape that is characterised by a fierce
sense of Darwinism for the industry, and declining resources of the consumers.
The changed strategy is also reflected in the changed priorities of Tourism
Malaysia in the United States, according to its New York based director
Salahuddin Mohd Ariffin.
Salahuddin, who recently returned from Kuala Lumpur after attending a
conference of Tourism Malaysia's overseas directors - the meeting was chaired by
Tourism Minister Ng Yen Yen - received the latest updates and directives from
the minister who discussed strategies, plans, etc. to bolster tourism in the
changed economic situation.
"The conference was necessary because tourism, like other sectors, is
experiencing a decline in general terms," explained Salahuddin in an interview
with Bernama at the Tourism Malaysia representation office in New York.
The Tourism Malaysia director said that targets for many of the overseas
offices had been revised downwards in view of the depressive economic situation
which has drastically cut the financial power of many consumers and, in effect,
reduced their ability and willingness to undertake expensive trips to distant
countries.
"Our target for attracting tourist traffic from around the world has been
revised downwards from 20 million to 19 million in 2009, but raised to 21
million for 2010 because of the perceived improved situation in the coming
year," explained Salahuddin.
With the drop in traffic, the targeted revenue from tourism for 2009 is
expected to be around RM43 billion (US$12.28 billion), he added.
For the US market, the traffic from January to June 2009 showed a decline of
0.1 percent over the year-earlier period.
"Traffic from the US market was hardly affected and we hope that the months
ahead will show an improvement," Salahuddin maintained.
In absolute figures, there were 111,163 arrivals from the US market between
January-June 2009, a slight decline from 111,539 arrivals in the year earlier
period.
For the entire year 2009, the projected US arrivals target set by
Tourism Malaysia's head office had been 250,000, a 12 percent growth over 2008,
but taking into consideration the severe economic downturn in the US market,
Tourism Malaysia revised the projected figure down to 232,000.
The minister asked the overseas directors to concentrate on tourism
segments such as SOL - "sophisticated office ladies" - which, in effect, means
targeting upper-end consumers with greater money spending capacity, rather than
just promoting leisure tourism and the run-of-the-mill kind of traffic which can
inflate arrival figures but not necessarily provide a significant boost in
revenue.
"The sophisticated high-spending upper-end tourists tend to engage in
activities that benefit an entire chain of tourism segments. Besides spending
on exclusive tourism trips, these customers also spend heavily on shopping,"
Salahuddin said.
The minister also highlighted the tourism potential inherent in another
segment - the constituency of seniors and retirees who have saved considerable
money and may want to spend their money on a good exclusive holiday fare.
Tourism Malaysia's programme called Golden Third Age (G3A) addresses
retirees who have money and are looking for a destination, which provides them
facilities suited to their age and temperament, while assuring them of a
tranquil, unique and undisturbed experience.
"In order to tap this market segment, we are approaching the American
Association of Retirees whose members have a monthly income potential of some
US$2,500 to US$3,000 with retirement benefits, and who can also enroll
themselves for our 'Malaysia My Second Home' (MM2H) scheme under which they can
claim a pass for indefinite stay in Malaysia," Salahuddin said.
He pointed out that applicants for the MM2H, besides being eligible for
long-term residence, also enjoy other benefits such as the opportunity to
conduct their overseas business, buy car and property in Malaysia, etc.
Another market that Salahuddin hopes to break into is the education segment.
"We have launched the 'Student Bridge Programme' aimed at encouraging US
students to come to Malaysia under an exchange programme which allows foreign
students to study in Malaysia and, conversely, Malaysian students at foreign
universities.
"We have internship programmes for foreign students in Malaysia;
we have student travel programmes as well as home-stay programmes that allow
foreign students to live with Malaysians as part of their families and learn the
culture, food, traditions, etc. first hand," Salahuddin said, adding that such
experience will afford them a window of opportunity to appreciate the "Malaysia,
Truly Asia" lifestyle.
Tourism Malaysia is also promoting a so-called "twinning programme" that
seeks to strengthen and augment sister relationship between Malaysian and US
universities.
"This is an excellent means to promote understanding and goodwill
between the two sides. After all, tourism's uppermost task is also to promote
understanding and goodwill besides, of course, generating revenue for the home
country," he said.
-- BERNAMA
NEW YORK, Aug 3 (Bernama))-- In a world that has radically changed since a
year, with the global economic crisis still lingering and crippling many
industries and business segments, Tourism Malaysia has changed its strategy in
an effort to adapt itself to the new landscape that is characterised by a fierce
sense of Darwinism for the industry, and declining resources of the consumers.
The changed strategy is also reflected in the changed priorities of Tourism
Malaysia in the United States, according to its New York based director
Salahuddin Mohd Ariffin.
Salahuddin, who recently returned from Kuala Lumpur after attending a
conference of Tourism Malaysia's overseas directors - the meeting was chaired by
Tourism Minister Ng Yen Yen - received the latest updates and directives from
the minister who discussed strategies, plans, etc. to bolster tourism in the
changed economic situation.
"The conference was necessary because tourism, like other sectors, is
experiencing a decline in general terms," explained Salahuddin in an interview
with Bernama at the Tourism Malaysia representation office in New York.
The Tourism Malaysia director said that targets for many of the overseas
offices had been revised downwards in view of the depressive economic situation
which has drastically cut the financial power of many consumers and, in effect,
reduced their ability and willingness to undertake expensive trips to distant
countries.
"Our target for attracting tourist traffic from around the world has been
revised downwards from 20 million to 19 million in 2009, but raised to 21
million for 2010 because of the perceived improved situation in the coming
year," explained Salahuddin.
With the drop in traffic, the targeted revenue from tourism for 2009 is
expected to be around RM43 billion (US$12.28 billion), he added.
For the US market, the traffic from January to June 2009 showed a decline of
0.1 percent over the year-earlier period.
"Traffic from the US market was hardly affected and we hope that the months
ahead will show an improvement," Salahuddin maintained.
In absolute figures, there were 111,163 arrivals from the US market between
January-June 2009, a slight decline from 111,539 arrivals in the year earlier
period.
For the entire year 2009, the projected US arrivals target set by
Tourism Malaysia's head office had been 250,000, a 12 percent growth over 2008,
but taking into consideration the severe economic downturn in the US market,
Tourism Malaysia revised the projected figure down to 232,000.
The minister asked the overseas directors to concentrate on tourism
segments such as SOL - "sophisticated office ladies" - which, in effect, means
targeting upper-end consumers with greater money spending capacity, rather than
just promoting leisure tourism and the run-of-the-mill kind of traffic which can
inflate arrival figures but not necessarily provide a significant boost in
revenue.
"The sophisticated high-spending upper-end tourists tend to engage in
activities that benefit an entire chain of tourism segments. Besides spending
on exclusive tourism trips, these customers also spend heavily on shopping,"
Salahuddin said.
The minister also highlighted the tourism potential inherent in another
segment - the constituency of seniors and retirees who have saved considerable
money and may want to spend their money on a good exclusive holiday fare.
Tourism Malaysia's programme called Golden Third Age (G3A) addresses
retirees who have money and are looking for a destination, which provides them
facilities suited to their age and temperament, while assuring them of a
tranquil, unique and undisturbed experience.
"In order to tap this market segment, we are approaching the American
Association of Retirees whose members have a monthly income potential of some
US$2,500 to US$3,000 with retirement benefits, and who can also enroll
themselves for our 'Malaysia My Second Home' (MM2H) scheme under which they can
claim a pass for indefinite stay in Malaysia," Salahuddin said.
He pointed out that applicants for the MM2H, besides being eligible for
long-term residence, also enjoy other benefits such as the opportunity to
conduct their overseas business, buy car and property in Malaysia, etc.
Another market that Salahuddin hopes to break into is the education segment.
"We have launched the 'Student Bridge Programme' aimed at encouraging US
students to come to Malaysia under an exchange programme which allows foreign
students to study in Malaysia and, conversely, Malaysian students at foreign
universities.
"We have internship programmes for foreign students in Malaysia;
we have student travel programmes as well as home-stay programmes that allow
foreign students to live with Malaysians as part of their families and learn the
culture, food, traditions, etc. first hand," Salahuddin said, adding that such
experience will afford them a window of opportunity to appreciate the "Malaysia,
Truly Asia" lifestyle.
Tourism Malaysia is also promoting a so-called "twinning programme" that
seeks to strengthen and augment sister relationship between Malaysian and US
universities.
"This is an excellent means to promote understanding and goodwill
between the two sides. After all, tourism's uppermost task is also to promote
understanding and goodwill besides, of course, generating revenue for the home
country," he said.
-- BERNAMA
