The Ministry of Tourism honoured several tourism industry players for their excellent performance at the Malaysia Tourism Awards 2008/2009 at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre on 9 January 2010.

Graced by the Deputy Prime Minister YAB Tan Sri Muhyiddin Hj Mohd Yassin, who represented the Honorable Prime Minister of Malaysia, the event was attended by over 800 guests from the travel and tourism industry.

A total of 39 premier awards were given out on that night to winners in 12 categories. The highlight of the awards was the Prime Minister's Tourism Award which went to YBhg. Tan Sri Dato' Seri Panglima Abdul Kadir Sheikh Fadzir who was the past Minister of Culture, Arts and Tourism. Meanwhile, the Minister of Tourism's Special Award was presented to Tuan Haji Sahariman Hamdan, President of the Malaysia Homestay Association.

In addition to that, a total of 22 merit awards were presented to foreign tour operators who were the best producers of Malaysian packages and tourists to Malaysia. Another 14 finalists in the categories of innovative tour programme, innovative tourist attraction, innovative restaurant and innovative tourism publication were similarly honoured. (Full list of winners in jpg file attached)

YB Dato' Sri Dr. Ng Yen Yen, Minister of Tourism Malaysia, lauded the winners and finalists for their product and service excellence and also praised industry players who had shown innovativeness and creativity in their quest to enhance the tourism scene.

"As is our tradition for the last 16 years, tonight we honour Malaysia's brightest ‘stars' - outstanding individuals and organisations who are committed to growing a culture of excellence and who show the spirit of enterprise by continually innovating their product offerings. Their efforts have ensured that Malaysia remains competitive and attractive as the not-to-be missed destination to visit," said YB Dato' Sri Ng.

She believed that the Malaysia Tourism Awards is in line with the Honorable Prime Minister's aspirations for the nation's higher growth and development and urged all in the tourism industry to support the 1Malaysia concept.

She said, "As members of the tourism industry, I believe that we are the best people to exemplify and promote the spirit of 1Malaysia to our foreign guests. With our close and daily interactions with the locals and local culture in our daily work, we are, in essence, realising the 1Malaysia concept."

Through the packaging and presentation of Malaysia's diverse assets, industry players can offer tourists the experience in a variety of ways "through the sampling of ethnic cuisines; the study of architectural heritage of our cities; the participation in traditional culture and lifestyle such as dance and handicraft; the exploration of important historical sites; and the exposure to multi-ethnic communities and their ways of living," added YB Dato' Sri Dr Ng.

Overall, the Malaysia Tourism Awards covered 14 categories:

• Prime Minister's Special Award (new)
• Minister of Tourism's Award,
• Innovative Foreign Tour Operator,
• Innovative Tourism Magazine,
• Innovative Restaurant
• Innovative Shopping Outlet
• Innovative Homestay
• Innovative Tourist Attraction,
• Best Tour Operator,
• Best Hotel Services,
• Best Tour Programme,
• Best Tour Guides,
• Best M.I.C.E. (No winner)
• Creative Tourism Article on Malaysia (Winners to be announced at a special media function at a later date)

Recipients from each category were presented with a trophy and certificate each, while finalists received Merit certificates.

Malaysia Tourism Awards
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.

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.

The Malaysia Tourism Awards is the highest accolade for individuals and organizations, whose outstanding contributions play a significant role in the success of Malaysia's tourism industry. Into its 16th year, it has expanded from a tourist-and-travel centric recognition programme into one that encompasses all service industries and where local patronage is equally relevant.

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.

The 2000 Malaysia Tourism Awards marked the first awards ceremony to give recognition to foreign partners in the tourism industry who had equally contributed towards the success of Malaysia's tourism industry by promoting Malaysia overseas. The awards offered during this particular year for foreign participants were Best Tourism Article, Innovative Tourism Publication and Best Foreign Tour Operator (covering Europe, West Asia/Africa, South Asia, ASEAN, East Asia, America and North Asia).

For more information, contact the Corporate Communications Unit, Ministry of Tourism, Malaysia at +603 4043 0462, or email monafairuz@motour.gov.my.

Issued by: Communications & Publicity Division, Tourism Malaysia
Date: 11 Jan 2010
Tel: +603 2615 8188; Fax: +603 2615 8299
Email: anisramli@tourism.gov.my Website: www.tourismmalaysia.gov.my