MELAKA, 6 November 2016 – Malaysia’s annual year-end shopping event, the 1Malaysia Year-End Sale, is here again with participating retailers and malls throughout the country all set to entice shoppers with attractive bargains and exciting programmes.

The two months shopping extravaganza, from 1 November until 31 December, was officially launched today by the Deputy Minister of Tourism and Culture Malaysia Datuk Mas Ermieyati Samsudin at Freeport A’Famosa Outlet, Alor Gajah.

The launching ceremony was also graced by Tourism Exco and State Representative from Melaka, tourism industry players, and retailers, as well as 32 foreign media brought in by Tourism Malaysia under its Mega Fam Programme. They media, who came from Brunei Darussalam, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Republic of Mauritius, Singapore, and Thailand, are here to cover the event and help promote Malaysia’s extensive tourism offerings, particularly shopping.

Experiential Shopping

To boost the country’s shopping sector, Tourism Malaysia has embarked on promoting Experiential Shopping packages that enable shoppers to go on a shopping spree while enjoying Malaysia’s best cuisines, entertainment or leisure activities, and visiting attractive tourist spots located near the malls or retail hubs.

The 1Malaysia Year-End Sale is the peak time for shoppers to get the most out of Experiential Shopping as most of the major shopping malls and retail outlets are offering attractive bargains, discounts and in-store redemptions that are too hard to resist. Besides shopping, there is also a line-up of various exciting entertainment events that promises lots of fun and adventure for shoppers to enjoy with their families.

Freeport A’Famosa Outlet is among the retailers that offer the best Christmas deals during the sales campaign. For those who love unique art pieces, Kraftangan Malaysia is showcasing a wide array of beautiful craft and textile products from various countries at the Kuala Lumpur International Craft Festival, held at Kompleks Kraf Kuala Lumpur from 24 to 27 November.

A Journey Through Time, an exclusive annual event that showcases luxury timepieces and jewellery, is among the major highlights of the 1Malaysia Year-End Sale. This year marks the 10^th anniversary of this grand event, which is held from 4 to 13 November at Starhill Gallery.

The three annual sales carnivals in Malaysia have helped spur economic growth in the past years. In 2015, shopping registered the highest tourist expenditure, overtaking accommodation for the first time, with a share of 31.3% of the country’s total tourist receipts.

NEW MALLS

New excitement awaits shoppers as new malls and lifestyle hubs are ready to jazz up the local retail landscape. Apart from Freeport A’Famosa Outlet (opened in January 2016), other new line-ups include DA MEN Mall, Isetan Mitsukoshi concept store and Pavilion Elite (all in the Klang Valley), as well as Design Village Outlet Mall in Penang. A new premium outlet centre, Genting Premium Outlets, is set to open soon in Genting Highlands, Pahang.

FAST FACTS

1. Malaysia has three annual nationwide sales campaigns – 1Malaysia Super Sale (March), 1Malaysia Mega Sale Carnival (June-August) and 1Malaysia Year-End Sale. The campaigns are organised by Tourism Malaysia through its shopping promotion arm, Secretariat Shopping Malaysia.

1. Shopping is one of the most lucrative sectors of the Malaysian tourism industry. It has been included in the Tourism National Key Economic Areas (NKEA). Out of the 12 Entry Point Projects (EPPs), three are related to shopping:

• EPP 1: Positioning Malaysia as a duty-free shopping destination.
• EPP 2: Designating vibrant shopping precincts in Malaysia with Bandar Utama, Bandar Sunway, Subang Jaya, Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman, George Town, Johor Bahru, Melaka, Sabah, and Sarawak, identified as new shopping zones.
• EPP 3: Establishing new premium outlets in Malaysia, namely Johor Premium Outlet, Mitsui Outlet Park KLIA Sepang, Freeport A’Famosa Outlet, and Genting Premium Outlets.

1. In 2015, the shopping sector surpassed the accommodation sector for the first time to become the biggest contributor to Malaysia’s tourist expenditures. It constituted RM21.6 billion or 31.3% of the total tourist receipts of RM69.1 billion.

1. Malaysia’s shopping sector has also garnered various international accolades. Among the latest:

• Kuala Lumpur – World’s 5^th Best Shopping Destination 2016 – by Expedia UK
• Kuala Lumpur – 2^nd World’s Top Shopping City – based on the Muslim Travel Shopping Index 2015

ENDS

For more media releases, media info and media features on Malaysia’s tourism industry, kindly visit the Media Centre of Tourism Malaysia’s website at http://www.tourismmalaysia.gov.my/

MALAYSIA TOURISM PROMOTION BOARD OR TOURISM MALAYSIA is an agency under the Ministry of Tourism & Culture, Malaysia. Tourism Malaysia focuses on the specific task of promoting Malaysia at all levels. Since its inception, Tourism Malaysia has grown by leaps and bounds and it has emerged as a major player in the international tourism scene. In 2015, Malaysia registered 25.7 million tourist arrivals and RM69.1 billion in receipts.

Through the Tourism NKEA (National Key Economic Area), collaborative efforts between the Ministry of Tourism and Culture, other Government agencies and the private sector have been enhanced to help secure Malaysia’s position as a leading tourist destination and achieve the country’s target of 36 million tourist arrivals and RM168 billion in receipts by 2020.

The targets set under the Tourism NKEA will be achieved through the implementation of twelve Entry Point Projects (EPPs) clustered under five themes: Affordable Luxury; Nature Adventure; Family Fun; Events, Entertainment, Spa and Sports; and Business Tourism.

Press contact:

Media Relations Unit:

Mohd Libra Lee Haniff, Deputy Director, Corporate Communication Division
Tel: +603-8891 8752
Email: mohdlibra@tourism.gov.my

Editorial Unit:

Anis Rozalina Ramli (Ms), Senior Editor, Corporate Communication Division
Tel: +603-8891 8759
Email: anisramli@tourism.gov.my