Feb 13, 2015

Dato' Seri Nazri Speech YBM Sales Mission Mumbai 2015

SPEECH BY
YB DATO’ SERI MOHAMED NAZRI TAN SRI ABDUL AZIZ
MINISTER OF TOURISM & CULTURE MALAYSIA

AT THE TRAVEL TRADE DINNER & LAUNCHING OF MYFEST 2015
IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE SALES MISSION TO INDIA

REGAL BALLROOM, TRIDENT HOTEL, MUMBAI, INDIA
13 FEB 2015, FRIDAY, 7:30 PM

SALUTATIONS:

Distinguished members of the Mumbai travel trade fraternity,

Members of the media,

Ladies and gentlemen,

PLEASANTRIES

A very good evening and Namaste.

1. It is a great pleasure to be here in the glitzy city of Mumbai to celebrate the launch of Malaysia Year of Festivals or MyFest 2015.

2. It aims to broaden the perception of Malaysia internationally, beyond the scenic beauty of the country to include attributes like our unique multicultural society and rich cultural heritage.

3. Allow me to first express my thanks and appreciation to the Government of India for the warm welcome and gracious hospitality extended to me and my delegation, and secondly to welcome all of you to this event.

4. I am very happy to be here tonight to personally give you an update of the situation in Malaysia as well as the latest development of our tourism industry. I look forward to getting your feedback on how we can forge closer relationship and enhance business opportunities.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

IMPORTANCE OF INDIAN MARKET

5. Tonight, let us celebrate Malaysia’s strong and growing relationship with India. This magnificent country has always been an important market for Malaysia. It has consistently been one of the top 10 tourist generating markets to the country, and has continuously made significant contributions to our tourist arrivals and tourist receipts.

6. I believe that better air links has helped transform our tourism relationship. Over 643,000 Indian tourists visited Malaysia from January to October last year, representing a growth of 20.7% compared to the same period in the previous year. This is partly due to the increase of additional flights by Malaysia Airlines, Malindo Air, Air Asia, and Air India Express to Malaysia, with a combined total of 159 direct flights to various destinations in India, which translate into 29,584 seats capacity per week.

7. This year, we intend to achieve the arrival target of 800,000 from the Indian market, a number that is ambitious but possible with the right marketing strategy and approach.

8. According to the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), India will be the third fastest generator of travel and tourism demand from 2010 - 2019 with an annualised growth of 8.2%.

9. The WTTC also stated that India shall depict the fifth fastest growth in business travel from 2010 - 2019 at the annualized rate of 7.6%, only behind China (among large nations).

10.I assure you, Malaysia would definitely want a slice out of that growing Indian outbound tourism.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

MALAYSIA YEAR OF FESTIVALS (MYFEST) 2015 & OTHER ATTRACTIONS

11.This year is the Malaysia Year of Festivals (MyFest) 2015, which is a continuation from the VMY campaign last year. The campaign is designed to give tourists an amazing holiday experience, with an emphasis on the cultural aspect of the many different festivals celebrated by Malaysia’s multi-cultural society.

12.Themed “Endless Celebrations”, a total of 50 cultural events have been identified as the hallmark of our nation’s cultural celebrations and festivals, and we look forward to welcoming you and the rest of the world to join in on the festivities this year.

13.We have several new events line up to celebrate MyFest 2015. Among them are the Orang Asli and International Aborigines Art Festival, Malaysia International Mask Festival, Royal Floria Putrajaya, and E-Street Festival Putrajaya.

14.For MyFest 2015, we aim to have 29.4 million tourist arrivals and RM89 billion in tourist receipts, leading up to our ultimate goal of 36 million tourists and RM168 billion in tourist receipts by 2020.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

15.To keep Malaysia special in the eyes of the Indian tourists, we continue to encourage our agents to create tailor-made tourism products and packages that cater to their preferences.

16.For example, we have developed and promoted tourism products that embrace the concept of luxury such as spa vacations, golfing holidays, Malaysia as a wedding and honeymoon destination, helicopter tours, and parks and gardens for the more affluent Indian tourists.

17.There are many award-winning international hotels and resorts throughout Malaysia that offer spa treatments and exceptional service. We are also set to witness the opening of many more world-class luxury hotels in the coming months such as the St. Regis, Harrods, Four Seasons Place KL, W Hotel, and The Regent.

18.Wedding and honeymoon is another growing segment that has captured the hearts of many Indian couples who have chosen various exotic destinations in Malaysia to celebrate the sacred union of marriage.

19.As for shopping, Kuala Lumpur was listed as the 4th Best Shopping City in the World by CNN for two consecutive years, while Globe Shopper Index ranked it the second best in Asia Pacific in 2012. Among our award-winning retail establishments are Pavilion, Suria KLCC, Starhill Gallery and Johor Premium Outlet which is also Southeast Asia’s first premium outlet.

20.As one of the leading family destinations in the Southeast Asia region, I also suggest you visit two of our major theme parks, Legoland and Puteri Harbour Family Theme Parks, to experience world class family bonding activities. Other theme parks and children entertainment centres you can visit include Kidzania, iCity, Sunway Lagoon Theme Park, Lost World of Tambun, A’ Famosa Resort and of course Genting Higlands Theme Park.

21.For sun, sand and beach, choices are aplenty too. If you don’t have enough time to explore, why not just follow CNN’s 2013 recommendations? Its 100 Best Beaches in the World has listed three from Malaysia. Ranked 13 was Perhentian Kecil Island in Terengganu; Juara Beach in Tioman Island was No. 21, while Tanjung Rhu in Langkawi was No. 49.

22.As business travel remains the main reason for Indians to travel overseas, Malaysia is offering its MICE services to business travellers too. For your information, Malaysia is becoming a popular destination for business tourism due to the availability of excellent venues, infrastructure, facilities and services.

23.We have an impeccable track record for hosting many of the world's largest and most prestigious international conventions with record attendances. Among them includes the Million Dollar Round Table 2014 attended by 5,000 delegates as well as the Women Deliver 3rd Global Conference 2013 with 4,500 delegates, and 7th International Aids Society (IAS) HIV Conference in Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention 2013 with 5,220 delegates.

Ladies and gentlemen,

CONCLUSION

24.It is my sincere hope that industry players especially in India can all work together with your Malaysian partners to make MyFest 2015 a success.

25.With that, I conclude my speech. Once again, thank you very much for joining us at this dinner and I wish you all a very productive and enjoyable evening.

Thank you.

ends

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