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YB DATO’ SERI MOHAMED NAZRI BIN TAN SRI ABDUL AZIZ

MINISTER OF TOURISM AND CULTURE

AT THE PRESS CONFERENCE FOR THE MALAYSIA TOURISM AWARDS

2014/2015

PARLIAMENT BUILDING

31 MARCH, 2015

Salutations:

Members of the media

Ladies and gentlemen

1. Thank you for your presence here this afternoon for the press conference on the Malaysia Tourism Awards 2014/2015.

2. Before I go into that, allow me to recap Malaysia’s tourism performance for 2014. The collective efforts of the local tourism trade players and our partners overseas have brought in 27.4 million tourist arrivals into Malaysia, registering a hike of 6.7%. Correspondingly, tourist receipts rose by 10% contributing RM72 billion to the country’s revenue.

3. Apart from these figures, Malaysia won several accolades recently including:

• Best Family Destination by Lonely Planet India

• Asia’s Best Golf Destination by World Golf Awards

• Malaysia ranked No. 1 Muslim Destination

4. All these would not have been possible without the assistance and commitment of our tourism and media partners here and abroad, and I thank everyone for their support.

Ladies and gentlemen,

5. The tourism industry in Malaysia has grown tremendously in such a short span of time. While the Government is focused on developing this important area for the Malaysian economy, the support and commitment of the tourism trade players in Malaysia and our partners abroad have been instrumental in raising Malaysia’s tourism profile.

6. It is to them that we pay tribute with the Malaysia Tourism Awards 2014/2015, which recognises and honours local and international tourism industry players for outstanding and innovative products and services. It is held once every two years and this will be the 19th edition of the esteemed awards.

7. First introduced in 1987 by the Ministry of Culture, Arts and Tourism, it was originally called the "Malaysia Tourism Gold Awards" but was renamed "Malaysia Tourism Awards" in 1993 to better reflect the distinction of the awards and the corporate image of Tourism Malaysia.

8. This prestigious awards is a tribute to those who have excelled and supported the development of tourism in Malaysia. It also acts as an incentive for participants to strive for the highest level of professionalism and quality in both products and services.

9. It has expanded from a tourist-and-travel centric recognition programme into one that encompasses all service industries. It also honours industry players who break new boundaries to take risks in creating distinctive products and services that offer unique and memorable experiences of Malaysia.

10. As such, I am pleased to announce that nominations for the Malaysia Tourism Awards 2014/2015 have begun. The Malaysia Tourism Awards 2014/2015 now has 14 categories and 50 sub-categories for nominations. Several improvements have been made to the Malaysia Tourism Awards to better reflect the global landscape of tourism today.

a. Of the 14, two are new categories and they are:

i. Best Travel Documentary on Malaysia – this award is to recognise the best travel documentary on Malaysia produced in either electronic or online channels

ii. Best Digital Promotion of Malaysia – this award is for the best online tourism promotion on Malaysia

b. The Best Foreign Tour Operator category has been expanded from 10 sub-categories to 18

c. The Best Tourism Publication is now not restricted to tourism magazines, but also considers the contributions made by local and international publications such as coffee table books and guidebooks that have given good coverage on Malaysia.

11. Members of the Malaysia and international travel trade fraternity are invited to submit their nominations for the following 14 award categories:

a. Best Local Tour Operator

b. Best Foreign Tour Operator

c. Best Tourism Article

d. Best Tourism Publication

e. Best Hotel Services

f. Best Tourist Attraction

g. Best Tour Package

h. Best Tourist Guide

i. Innovative Shopping Centre

j. Best Homestay

k. Best Spa

l. Innovative Restaurant

m. Best Travel Documentary on Malaysia (New category)

n. Best Digital Promotion of Malaysia (New category)

12. Nomination forms can be downloaded at www.motac.gov.my or www.tourismmalaysia.gov.my. Members of the international tourism trade are asked to contact the nearest Tourism Malaysia overseas office for submission details.

13. The closing date for submission of nominations is 30 June 2015.

Ladies and gentlemen,

14. To conclude, I wish to thank the tourism industry players in Malaysia and abroad who have partnered with us and given their commitment to help promote Malaysia. I also thank the local and international media for the exposure and coverage on Malaysia as a tourist destination. Without the efforts of all these quarters, we would not have been able to make tourism such a strong industry for Malaysia.

15. I hope your collective efforts to promote Malaysia will continue well into the next few years. This year, being Malaysia Year of Festivals, and the next few years are critical as we work towards achieving the goals of the Malaysia Tourism Transformation Plan of 36 million tourists and RM168 billion tourist receipts by the year 2020.

16. I urge all industry players to work with a spirit of innovation and creativity, and to create unique Malaysia experiences and distinctive service elements to satisfy tourist expectations. I count on you, then, ladies and gentlemen, to offer your gracious hospitality, your most charming smile, and your commitment to great service to all the visitors and tourists who reach our shores.

END