PUTRAJAYA, MALAYSIA, 9 JULY, 2013 – The Ministry of Tourism and Culture and Tourism Malaysia are pleased to announce the call for nominations for the Malaysia Tourism Awards 2012/2013.

The prestigious Malaysia Tourism Awards, which recognises and honours local and international tourism industry players for outstanding and innovative products and services, is held once every two years; this will be the 18th edition of the esteemed awards.

Members of the Malaysia travel trade fraternity are invited to submit their nominations for the twelve award categories below:
•    Best Local Tour Operator
•    Best Foreign Tour Operator
•    Best Tourism Article on Malaysia
•    Best Tourism Magazine
•    Best Hotel Services
•    Best Tourist Attraction
•    Best Tour Package
•    Best Tourist Guide
•    Best Shopping Mall
•    Best Homestay
•    Best Spa
•    Best Restaurant

Nomination forms can be downloaded at www.tourismmalaysia.gov.my / www.tourism.gov.my or www.motac.gov.my. Completed forms and any enquiries are to be submitted to:

The Judging Committee
Malaysia Tourism Awards 2012/2013 Secretariat
Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board
7th Floor, No.2, Tower 1
Jalan P5/6, Precint 5
62200 Putrajaya
Malaysia
Email: apm2012_2013@tourism.gov.my

Members of the international tourism trade are also invited to send in their nominations for the relevant categories. They are asked to contact the nearest Tourism Malaysia overseas office for submission details. (See www.tourismmalaysia.gov.my / www.tourism.gov.my for a list of TM overseas offices)

Closing date is 31 July 2013.

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. 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.

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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