KUALA LUMPUR, 11 Nov 2013 – A total of 107 celebrities, media and tour agents from ASEAN gathered in Malaysia to participate in the week-long ASEAN Explore Quest Malaysia 2013, which begins today until 17 November.

The programme, specially organised by Tourism Malaysia for the first time, marks an effort to ensure the continual growth of tourist arrivals from the ASEAN market especially during the celebrations of Visit Malaysia Year (VMY) 2014. 

The ASEAN Explore Quest Malaysia 2013 is a combination of exploring, corporate social responsibility, homestay, and photography competitions. The participants will be travelling from Kuala Lumpur to Perak and Langkawi  by train and bus, while engaging in various activities along the way. 

They will get to enjoy city tours, visit KidZania and Kellie’s Castle, experience rail tourism, witness a mock traditional Malay wedding ceremony, and participate in community activities and traditional games. 

In conjunction with the event, a press conference chaired by the Director General of Tourism Malaysia, Dato’ Mirza Mohammad Taiyab, was held today at the Seri Pacific Hotel Kuala Lumpur. It was followed by a welcome dinner to thank all the participants for their support to the programme. 

“As in previous years, the ASEAN market was the largest contributor of tourist arrivals to Malaysia in 2012, recording 18.8 million visitors. It encompassed 75.1 percent of the country’s total arrivals,” said Dato’ Mirza.

“As such, Tourism Malaysia will continue to carry out promotions to constantly excite the markets with new attractions and holiday ideas to rejuvenate their interest in returning time and time again,”  he continued.

The programme offers the media and travel agents first-hand information on the country’s tourism products, which will enable them to promote and sell Malaysia better and with more confidence. Other elements like culture, people, and nature will also be given emphasis in all the activities especially for the photography competition.

Through the tours, it is hoped that travel agents can provide more exciting and attractive holiday packages, while the media can share their first-hand experiences with their readers.

The ASEAN Explore Quest Malaysia 2013 also involves the participation of ASEAN celebrities, who will help to boost the promotion of the country’s tourist destinations and raise the awareness of VMY 2014 through social media and their fan clubs. They include supermodel and singer Phan Le Ai Phuong from Vietnam, TV host and choreographer Sheenalyn Vera Cruz from the Philippines, actress Chaw Chaw Yu Mon Kyaw Tint from Myanmar.

In order to ensure the success of this programme, Tourism Malaysia has forged a smart partnership with The Star and Star Radio Group which comprises Suria FM, Capital FM, Red FM and 988 (the official media partners), Malaysia Airlines (the official airline), and AirAsia (the official low cost carrier). 

In addition, Tourism Malaysia also received support from various organisations, which include the Perak State Government, the Langkawi Development Authority (LADA), and Malayan Railways (KTM), as well as DiGi, KidZania Kuala Lumpur, Munchy’s, Nippon Paint, Pensonic and Pepsico.

In 2012, a total of 18.8 million tourists from ASEAN countries visited Malaysia. For this year, the country has set a target to attract 19.9 million tourists from this region. For the first half of 2013, Malaysia has already received 9.2 million tourists from ASEAN countries. 

ENDS