Jan 7, 2015

Dato' Mirza DG Welcome Remark Conference Wuhan Wanda Travel Group

WELCOME REMARKS
Y.BHG. DATO’ MIRZA MOHAMMAD TAIYAB
DIRECTOR GENERAL,
TOURISM MALAYSIA

CONFERENCE WITH WUHAN WANDA TRAVEL GROUP

BERJAYA TIMES SQUARE MANHATTAN 3,
7 JANUARY 2015
1400 - 1700

Ms Yu Lei – Assistant General Manager of Hubei Wanda New Airlines

International Travel Agency,

Mr Jason Aw Yang,

CLS Group Director Members of the Media,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

1. Good afternoon. Although it is your last day in Malaysia, I still wish to bid you a warm welcome. Or, as we say in this country, “Selamat Datang!” I am very happy to see such a big group from China being among the first guests to explore Malaysia in this new year.

2. I understand that you have been in Malaysia since 2nd January, visiting some of our popular tourist attractions. I trust that your explorations of Malaysia have been fruitful.

3. In fact, your visit to Malaysia is timely as 2015 is the Malaysia Year of Festivals (MyFEST). Being a multi-cultural country, we are lucky to share a rich heritage and cultural tradition among our mix population of Malay, Chinese, Indian, Eurasian, Sikh, Iban, Kadazan, Peranakan and other ethnic communities. Our fusion of cultures which can be seen in our language, our customs, food and celebrations, has become a big draw and the basis of our Malaysia Truly Asia tagline for many years.

4. Naturally, the Malaysia Year of Festivals reflects this colourful experience of Malaysia. We have identified 50 key events in 2015 that portray the colourful and rich culture of our people, and thus the theme for the year, “Endless Celebrations.”

5. As you explore Malaysia and its tourist attractions, I believe you will also find that our events have the potential to draw the interest of your clientele as well. Some of the events that may be of interest to the China market:

? Formula One Petronas Malaysia Grand Prix, 27-29 Mar, Sepang

? Malaysia International Shoe Festival, 3-5 April, KL

? Penang Flora Festival, 31 May, Penang

? Putrajaya Flower and Garden Festival, June, Putrajaya

? Penang Durian Festival, July, Penang

? Lantern Festival, 19 Sep, KL

? Malaysia Open Houses

6. We know from experience that many of our tourists simply love the shopping bargains in Malaysia. While the Bukit Bintang-KLCC premium shopping area in Kuala Lumpur has become a firm favourite and must-visit on the itinerary, we would like to draw your attention to several new mall openings.

? The Strand in Kota Damansara

? IOI City Mall, Putrajaya

? Opening soon: Mitsui Outlet Park KLIA, the largest factory outlet centre in Southeast Asia and just 6km from the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA)

? Opening soon: Genting Premium Outlets

7. Malaysia is also known as a family-friendly destination, with many theme park offerings.

? Legoland

? Sanrio Hello Kitty Town

? Kidzania

? Opening soon: Twentieth Century Fox World will consist of more than 25 rides and attractions based on top movies such as Ice Age, Rio, Night at the Museum and Alien vs Predator, to name a few.

8. In terms of new luxury hotels, we are set to welcome the opening of St. Regis this year. Meanwhile, The Regent is scheduled to open next year, W Hotels in 2016, Four Seasons Place KL in 2017, while the 7-star Harrods Hotel is expected to open in 2018.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

9. China is the most significant tourist source market for Malaysia. Without your support, I believe it would not be easy to attract 1,791,432 Chinese tourists to Malaysia last year, an increase of 14.9 % compared to the previous year. In terms of tourism, China has always been one of Malaysia’s key source markets. To be exact, the most important market besides our immediate neighbours.

10. We look forward to working closely with the Wuhan Wanda Travel Group especially this year to revive the China tourists’ confidence in Malaysia. We have our team of officers stationed in Beijing, Guangzhou and Shanghai, as well as in Hong Kong, to provide you with the support you need.

11. Lastly, I wish you all a fruitful conference and please enjoy the rest of your stay in Malaysia with your family and friends.

Thank you.

END

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