Hotel & Tourism SMARTreport #35

Hotel & Tourism
SMARTreport #35
2017 Summer Edition 33
MALAYSIA NAMED AS
OFFICIAL PARTNER COUNTRY
OF ITB BERLIN 2019
The Malaysian Ministry of Tourism and
Culture and ITB Berlin have announced
that the South East Asian nation will
be the show’s official partner country
in 2019.
Announcing the reasoning behind
the country’s choice of year, YB
Dato’ Seri Mohamed Nazri bin Abdul
Aziz, Minister of Tourism and Culture
for Malaysia explained, “Our longterm
target is to achieve 36 million
tourist arrivals and RM168 billion
(€37.1 billion) in receipts by the year
2020, based on the Malaysia Tourism
Transformation Plan.”
The official signing took place during
the recent ITB China trade show in
Shanghai between Dato’ Sri Abdul
Khani Daud – Deputy Director General
(Promotion) of the Malaysia Tourism
Promotion Board and the Head of ITB
Berlin, David Ruetz, witnessed by the
Minister of Tourism and Culture.
This promotional project is part of
a much broader plan by Malaysia to
increase awareness of the natural and
human assets of the country over the
next years. Kinabalu National Park in
Sabah, Gunung Mulu National Park
in Sarawak, Melaka and George
Town cities and the archaeological
heritage of the Lenggong Valley are
four of the UNESCO designated World
Heritage sites in Malaysia that will be
highlighted
Dato’ Sri Abdul Khani Daud – Deputy
Director General (Promotion) - Malaysia
Tourism Promotion Board (left), YB Dato’ Seri
Mohamed Nazri bin Abdul Aziz, Minister of
Tourism and Culture for Malaysia (centre),
David Ruetz, Head of ITB Berlin (right)
MALAYSIA:
18% Y/Y RISE
IN CRUISE
PASSENGERS
Langkawi
Between January and May 2017, a total
of 253 international cruise ships called at
Malaysia’s 11 ports, indicating an increase
of 9.48% compared to the same period
in 2016. For the same period, the country
received 405,554 cruise passengers
compared to 330,473 passengers,
signifying an increase of 18.51%.
Affordable exchange rates, modern
infrastructure and facilities, warm
weather, friendly people, a stable
government, and numerous tourist
attractions that are easily accessible
from the ports make Malaysia the ideal
stopover for cruise line operators.
Malaysia’s cruise terminals such as
Langkawi, Penang, Port Klang and
Melaka are located close to local
attractions, offering cruise passengers the
experience of a big-city atmosphere and
easy access to ecotourism attractions,
beaches, authentic culture and exotic
cuisine. Food is a major attraction in
Penang and passengers can not only
sample the famous variety of cuisine
but also enjoy cooking lessons during
shore excursions. Meanwhile, the Kota
Kinabalu port in Borneo is a gateway to
the natural beauties of the rainforest and
orangutan watching which are popular
among many segments of the cruise
market.
It’s all part of the Malaysian Government’s
recognition of tourism as a key economic
area for the country’s growth, with cruise
tourism being one of 12 focus areas for
development over the next eight years