BANGALORE, 8 September 2015 – Malaysia’s tourism industry has once again proven itself in the international arena after the country received the PATA Gold Award for ‘Marketing Media – Travel Poster’ at the PATA Gold Awards Luncheon and Presentation today. Hosted by the Macau Government Tourist Office, the event took place at the Bangalore International Exhibition Centre (BIEC) in conjunction with the PATA Travel Mart 2015.

The PATA Gold Award was awarded to Tourism Malaysia’s ‘Visit Malaysia Year - Sarawak’ promotional poster, which was released last year. It was selected based on its layout/design, photography, writing, informational value, promotional value, and benefits to readers and results generated.

The award was received by the Deputy Director General (International Promotion) of Tourism Malaysia Dato’ Haji Azizan Noordin. “The poster captured the essence of Mulu Caves perfectly. Mulu Caves are part of Gunung Mulu National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and Sarawak’s largest national park. It is indeed an inspiring sight to see millions of bats making their exodus to feeding grounds, creating this magnificent formation in the sky”, said Dato’ Azizan.

Another feather in the cap was Tourism Academy at Community College Langkawi, Taylor’s University receiving the PATA Grand Award in the Education and Training category. The award was received by the Ministry of Education’s Director General of Department of Community College Education Dato’ Amir Md Noor. “This recognition is well deserved. Taylor’s University has been actively engaged in the Government’s National Economic Transformation Plan and their team has been successfully implementing remarkable tourism and hospitality projects locally and internationally,” said Dato’ Amir.

This year, PATA received a total of 269 entries from 83 travel and tourism organisations and individuals, the highest number since 2007. This year’s awards recognises the achievements of 29 separate organisations and individuals. PATA presented 29 Grand and Gold Awards to organisations such as Accor Asia-Pacific, Cox and Kings Ltd, Hong Kong International Theme Park Ltd, Hong Kong Tourism Board, Jetwing Hotels Ltd, Korea Tourism Organization, Taiwan Tourism Bureau, and Taylor’s University.

The PATA Gold Awards recognises exceptional achievement in a variety of endeavours, acknowledging and rewarding the very best that the Asia Pacific’s travel industry has to offer. The winning projects set industry standards for excellence and innovation, serving as examples for others to follow.

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.

Malaysia celebrated its fourth VISIT MALAYSIA YEAR (VMY) in 2014 with the theme “Celebrating 1Malaysia Truly Asia”. The promotion of the country continues with the MALAYSIA YEAR OF FESTIVALS (MyFEST) campaign in 2015 with the theme “Endless Celebrations” emphasising the various festivals celebrated by its multicultural society. Both campaigns are key drivers towards achieving the country’s target of 36 million tourist arrivals and RM168 billion in receipts by 2020, as outlined in the Tourism NKEA (National Key Economic Area).