BERLIN, 9 March 2016 – The Minister of Tourism and Culture Malaysia Dato’ Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz is leading the Malaysian delegation to participate in Europe’s largest and most prominent tourism fair, the International Tourismus Börse (ITB) Berlin 2016, from 9 – 13 March.

This year marks the 42^nd anniversary of Malaysia’s participation in this prestigious event, which is a strong testimony to the country’s continued interest in the European market and its commitment to attract more tourists from this market.

A total of 169 participants from 49 organisations in Malaysia are joining Tourism Malaysia to promote the country at the ITB Berlin. They are comprised of a good mix of hotels and resorts, travel agents, tourism products owners, airlines, and state tourism boards.

Dato’ Seri Mohamed Nazri officially launched the Malaysia Pavilion at ITB Berlin today. It will showcase the rich diversity and culture of the country and its wide variety of tourism attractions, crafts and cuisine.

Besides that, Dato’ Seri Mohamed Nazri also launched the Taxi wrap campaign, which involves 100 taxis, and run for the entire month of March. The door wrap features some of Malaysia’s most popular tourism products, such as the Gawai festival, a prominent cultural celebration for the Dayak people of Sarawak, and its beautiful beaches. This is complemented by the Big Banner advertisement, which will be on display at the Berlin Main Train Station, and will run for two months, from early March to end of April.

During the ITB Berlin this year, there will also be a signing of a Marketing Collaboration Agreement with Singapore Airlines, where Tourism Malaysia will work together with Singapore Airlines Group Carriers to bring in more tourists to top destinations like Penang, Langkawi, Sabah and Sarawak.

Tourism Malaysia and Singapore Airlines have agreed to cooperate on advertising and promotional campaigns, as well as familiarisation programmes for travel trade and media, among other initiatives. This programme will run for two years from 1 April 2016 to 31 March 2018.

The Minister of Tourism & Culture is also scheduled to meet representatives of top airlines and key travel agencies in Europe, as well as attend media interviews to promote Malaysia’s latest tourism products and attractions.

“I believe that these marketing efforts will result in strong customer demand and confidence in the Malaysia market. The increased accessibility to Malaysia will positively affect the tourism industry of both our countries, and encourage more tourists to travel between Germany and Malaysia,” Dato’ Seri Mohamed Nazri said.

The German market remains an important market to Malaysia, with more than 134,893 German tourists visiting Malaysia from January to November last year. This year, the government is targeting to have 30.5 million tourist arrivals with RM103 billion in receipts.

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 2014, Malaysia registered 27.4 million tourist arrivals and RM72 billion in receipts, making tourism its second largest foreign exchange earner.

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:
Shukri Hanafiah, Senior Deputy Director, Corporate Communication Division
Tel: +603-8891 8767
Email: shukrihanafiah@tourism.gov.my

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