WELCOME SPEECH BY

Y.BHG. DATO’ HJ. AZIZAN NOORDIN

DEPUTY DIRECTOR GENERAL (PROMOTION)

TOURISM MALAYSIA

‘GETTING TO KNOW MALAYSIA’ SESSION

IN CONJUNCTION WITH TURKMENISTAN AIRLINES

INAUGURAL FLIGHT TO KUALA LUMPUR

13 FEB 2015, FRI, 5PM

SALOMA THEATRE RESTAURANT, KUALA LUMPUR

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SALUTATIONS:

MR. ABDYRAHMAN MAMMETNIYAZOV

Head of the Department of International Relations

State Committee for Tourism of Turkmenistan

Representatives from Turkmenistan Airlines,

Members of the Turkmenistan travel trade and media,

Members of the Malaysian travel trade,

Ladies and gentlemen.

OPENING/PLEASANTRIES:

1. Good afternoon and welcome to this special ‘Getting to Know Malaysia’ session, which aims to give you a better understanding of our tourism industry. It is held in conjunction with Turkmenistan Airlines’ inaugural flight to Kuala Lumpur yesterday. This inaugural flight certainly represents a significant milestone in tourism cooperation between Malaysia and Turkmenistan.

2. We are extremely excited to have this weekly flight from Ashgabat to Kuala Lumpur, as it is an aviation link that will help enhance the tourism business between our two countries.

3. Besides, it will also help strengthen the networking with the industry players in order to promote both destinations more aggressively. Having direct flight like this will also enhance support and stimulate more interest among the tour operators in selling travel packages to both destinations.

4. The arrival of this direct flight is also timely as we are currently celebrating the Malaysia Year of Festivals (MyFEST) 2015. Hence, with more tourists from Turkmenistan, it will also help us to achieve our target.

Ladies and gentlemen,

MALAYSIA – IDEAL TOURIST DESTINATION FOR TURKMENISTAN TOURISTS:

5. The diverse attractions in Malaysia including our rainforests, islands and beaches, and other natural wonders will definitely appeal to the tourists from Turkmenistan.

6. Our vibrant major cities also offer non-stop entertainment, shopping and exciting modern lifestyle. We also have enriching homestay programme and fun theme parks that cater to families who want to spend quality time together, as well as excellent dining options for those who love great food.

7. Malaysia’s uniqueness also lies in its people, who are comprised of a colourful and interesting combination of various races and ethnicities living together in harmony. They help shape the exotic culture and heritage of Malaysia, and contribute to our beautiful architecture, unique cultural festivals, delicious cuisines and more.

8. As I’ve mentioned just now, 2015 is the Year of Festivals. It follows the success of Visit Malaysia Year 2014 and intends to give visitors a magical holiday experience with a special emphasis on the various festivals celebrated by Malaysia’s multicultural society.

9. For instance, next week, on the 19th, the Chinese community in Malaysia will be celebrating the Chinese New Year. In conjunction with this festival, the Ministry of Tourism and Culture Malaysia will be organising a National Chinese New Year Open House on 28 February, where people from all walks of life as well as tourists can join in the fun and merriment of the celebration.

10. Working together with the Malaysian industry players, the Ministry of Tourism and Culture Malaysia has also identified various key events, attractions and tourism products to be marketed and promoted throughout the year.

11. Therefore, I strongly encourage all of you return to Malaysia again, as there is always something new to discover and experience in the country.

12. In these few days, we will be bringing you to some of the tourist destinations in Malaysia including Putrajaya, our Federal Administrative Capital; the beautiful island of Langkawi, and also the historical city of Melaka, which is one of our very own UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

13. We want to give you a first-hand experience of the various sights and sounds there. Our intention is simple. We hope the media will be motivated to write interesting articles on Malaysia, while the tour agents will have better ideas on what and how to package Malaysia, thus creating more exciting and creative tour packages to the country.

Ladies and gentlemen,

CLOSING:

14. This inaugural flight is merely the turning point to better relations between us. I look forward to see greater

collaboration by the tour and travel industry operators in Turkmenistan and Malaysia in developing attractive tourism packages to promote the flow of tourists between the two countries.

15. Before I conclude, once again, I would like to take this opportunity to extend our deepest gratitude to all of you for your support in our tourism promotional campaigns. We hope industry players in Turkmenistan can work closely together with their Malaysian partners to make MyFest 2015 a success

16. Till then, let me conclude by thanking all of you once again, for having accepted our invitation to be here. On behalf of Tourism Malaysia, I look forward to welcoming more visitors from Turkmenistan to not only Kuala Lumpur, but also other parts of Malaysia, to explore the many fascinating tourism offerings in the country.

Thank you.