Sep 23, 2013
CULINARY TOURS TO ATTRACT HONGKONGITES TO MALAYSIA
PUTRAJAYA, 23 SEPTEMBER 2013 – In a bid to attract more Hong Kong tourists to Malaysia, Tourism Malaysia has collaborated with Wing On Travel to introduce a unique holiday package called “Kuala Lumpur, Ipoh, Penang 5 Days Gourmet Tour” which highlights Malaysia’s diverse culinary legacy.
“We’re very excited to launch this ‘Kuala Lumpur, Ipoh, Penang 5 Days Gourmet Tour’ programme in Hong Kong. It’s an opportunity for us to show a different side of Malaysia to those who have visited Malaysia before. It’s also our way of refreshing awareness and retaining interest in Malaysia especially with Visit Malaysia Year 2014 just around the corner. We hope that this effort will attract Hongkongites to re-visit Malaysia,” says Ms. Baizuri Baharum, Director of Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board (Hong Kong Office).
The tour programme begins in Penang with visits to fruit orchards to savour fresh seasonal fruits such as rambutan, mangosteen and durian. Mouth-watering dishes such as assam laksa, barbecued stingray and shrimp noodles will be introduced to participants when they visit Gurney Drive. As participants explore Little India in George Town, they will get to taste roti canai and teh tarik.
Tea time treats are also part of the tour programme and in Ipoh, delicate Nyonya cakes, soya bean desserts and Ipoh white coffee will be served.
The highlight of the culinary tour is the hands-on cooking class in Kuala Lumpur where participants will have the unique opportunity to cook local dishes alongside Malaysia’s celebrity chef. Chef Dato’ Ismail will take the group through the entire process from shopping for ingredients at the local market to cooking the meal and finally sharing the food with each other over lunch.
The cooking and dining fest throughout the five days is complemented by visits to historic monuments in all three cities. In Penang, tour participants will get to see the UNESCO World Heritage Site as they are chauffeured about in a local trishaw. Meanwhile, their explorations of Putrajaya will reveal magnificent building and bridge architecture within the administrative capital.
Ms. Baizuri says, “In the past, sightseeing may have been the main purpose of travelling. However, these days, the trend for ‘experiential travel’ is growing in popularity. Tourists want to explore a destination beyond the beaten paths and really immerse themselves with the locals through authentic experiences.
“So through this culinary tour of Malaysia, we hope to give Hongkongites the experience of true Malaysia – cooking Malaysian food, eating at a hawker centre, shopping at our wet markets.”
She adds, “We plan to introduce more experiential travel packages in the future where the focus is more on the quality rather than the quantity of experiences. We hope this will encourage other tour operators to be more creative in developing Malaysia holiday packages. Ultimately, we want tourists who visit Malaysia to bring back not only beautiful photos and souvenirs of the country, but as well, memorable, unique and priceless experiences!”
Wing On Travel is offering the “Kuala Lumpur, Ipoh, Penang 5 Days Gourmet Tour” at a price of HK$4,999 onwards, with departure dates beginning 20 September 2013. The first group of 40 participants are currently in Malaysia on this tour. For more details, please visit wingontravel.com
Contact info:
Aliza Mansor
Senior Assistant Director
International Promotion Division
(North & East Asia)
Tourism Malaysia
3rd Floor, Tower 1
No. 2, Jalan P5/6, Presint 5
62200 Putrajaya
Tel: +603-8891 8216 (Direct)
Fax: +603-8890 8200
Email: aliza@tourism.gov.my
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 2012, Malaysia registered 25 million tourist arrivals and RM60.6 billion in tourist receipts, placing the country firmly as the 10th most popular tourism destination in the world.
In 2014, Malaysia will celebrate its fourth VISIT MALAYSIA YEAR (VMY) with the theme “Celebrating 1Malaysia Truly Asia”. The VMY 2014 promotional campaign has started this year with a series of year-long special events and activities leading to VMY 2014. It will contribute to the Government’s target to receive 36 million tourist arrivals and RM168 billion in receipts by 2020, as outlined in the Malaysia Tourism Transformation Plan (MTTP) 2020.
Press contact:
Media Relations Unit:
Mr. Razaidi Abd Rahim, Senior Asst. Director, Communications & Publicity Division
Email: razaidi@tourism.gov.my
Editorial Unit:
Ms. Anis Rozalina Ramli, Senior Editor, Communications & Publicity Division
Email: anisramli@tourism.gov.my
