KUALA LUMPUR, 27 October 2017–The Ministry of Tourism and Culture, Malaysia (MOTAC) in collaboration with the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) is delighted to present the 6^th Global Summit on Urban Tourism (6^th GSUT).

This year, it is an honour for Kuala Lumpur to be chosen by the UNWTO as the first Asian city to host the 6^th Summit which will be held at Majestic Hotel from 4 – 6 December 2017. UNWTO has previously hosted the GSUT in Luxor, Egypt (2016); Marrakech, Morocco (2015); Barcelona, Spain (2014); Moscow, Russia (2013); and Istanbul, Turkey (2012).

Aptly themed “Sustainable and Competitive Tourism on the New Urban Agenda”, the 6^th Summit will promote a globally shared vision and a strategic approach to re-address the tools to adapt to the new paradigms in urban tourism while achieving coherence among the tourism activities, urban development policies and the economic and social benefits for the local inhabitants through integrated planning, efficient governance, knowledge management and professionalism in operations.

6^th GSUT will have four sessions discussing on the following three topics, namely, Tourism and the New Urban Agenda, Key Factors for Urban Tourism, and Success Stories on Urban Tourism Performance. As in previous years, the sixth edition of the Summit will bring notable speakers who will share their thoughts on sustainable and competitive urban tourism and explore tourism policies and strategies which facilitate inclusive economic growth, job creation and empowerment of the urban stakeholders.

This conference is expected to attract some 500 local delegates and 300 international participants among others world leaders in tourism, high level policy makers, specialists and experts from the public and private sectors, academicians, local authorities, municipalities and international and/or regional associations/networks of local authorities and City DMOs, academic institutions, urban planners and architects to exchange ideas and experiences, update their knowledge and expand the existing network for future sustainable and competitive urban tourism growth and development.

6^th GSUT will be graced and officiated by Dato’ Sri Mohd Najib Tun Abdul Razak, Prime Minister of Malaysia, accompanied by Dr. Taleb Rifai, Secretary General of UNWTO; Dato’ Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz, Minister of Tourism and Culture Malaysia; Tan Sri Hj. Mohd. Amin Nordin Abd Aziz, Mayor of Kuala Lumpur; and Dr. Joan Clos, Executive Director of UN Habitat.

Please visit Bernama.com and Bernama News Channel (BNC) for more information on 6^th GSUT.

Those interested to attend the conference are invited to register online via the UNWTO official website at http://destination.unwto.org/event/6th-global-summit-urban-tourism. Registration is open until 20 November 2017. For further information, please contact Ms. Firna Azura Ekaputri Marzuki at 6gsut@motac.gov.my or Mr. Sascha Stange at sstange@unwto.org

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.tourism.gov.my/

MALAYSIA TOURISM PROMOTION BOARD OR TOURISM MALAYSIA is an agency under the Ministry of Tourism & Culture, Malaysia. It focuses on the specific task of promoting Malaysia as a preferred tourism destination. Since its inception, it has emerged as a major player in the international tourism scene. In 2016, Malaysia registered 26.8 million tourist arrivals and RM82.1 billion in receipts, placing it among the major tourism destinations of the world.

Press contact:

Media Relations Unit:

Edzuar Zar Ayob Azari, Senior Deputy Director, Corporate Communication Division
Tel: +603-8891 8767
Email: edzuar@tourism.gov.my

Editorial Unit:

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