PUTRAJAYA, 7 September 2017 – The Minister of Tourism and Culture, YB Dato’ Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz, announced the call for nominations for the Malaysia Tourism Awards 2016/2017 today at his office in Putrajaya.

YB Dato’ Seri Mohamed Nazri said, “The support and commitment of the tourism trade players in Malaysia and our partners abroad have been instrumental in raising Malaysia’s tourism profile. It is to them that we pay tribute with the Malaysia Tourism Awards 2016/2017.”

“I take this opportunity to invite everyone to submit their nominations of deserving individuals and organisations in the respective categories of the Malaysia Tourism Awards 2016/2017. I look forward to receiving a good response from the public as it is a way to acknowledge and recognize those who have worked hard to uphold the standards of tourism in this country,” he added.

The prestigious Malaysia Tourism Awards is held once every two years; this is the 20th edition of the esteemed awards.

It recognises and honours local and international tourism industry players for outstanding and innovative products and services. It also acts as an incentive for participants to strive for the highest level of professionalism and quality in both products and services.

Members of the Malaysia and international travel trade as well as the media are invited to submit their nominations for any of the 14 award categories namely:

i. Best Local Tour Operator

• Inbound Tour Operator
• Domestic Tour Operator

ii. Best Foreign Tour Operator

• Southeast Asia Market
• South Asia and West Asia Market
• East Asia and North Asia Market
• Americas, Europe and Oceania Market

iii. Best Tourism Article

a. Printed Publication

• Local Publication
• International Publication

b. Online

• Local
• International

iv. Best Travel Documentary and TV Commercial on Malaysia

• Documentary
• TV Commercial

v. Best Tourist Attraction

• Natural Attraction / Eco-Tourism / Agro-Tourism
• Man-Made Attraction – Theme Park
• Man-Made Attraction – Arts & Culture Attraction

vi. Most Innovative Tour Package

• Off-the-Beaten Track
• Special Interest

vii. Best Hotel Services

• 5-star (city)
• 5-star (resort)
• 4-star (city)
• 4-star (resort)
• 3-star (city)
• 3-star (resort)
• NBOS Fresh Air resort
• Boutique Hotel

viii. Best Tourist Guide

• City Guide
• Nature Guide

ix. Best Shopping Centre

• Integrated Shopping Centre
• Stand-Alone Shopping Centre

x. Best Homestay

xi. Best Spa

• Best Spa (Hotel/Resort)
• Best Spa (Individual Premise)

xii. Innovative Restaurant

• Malay
• Chinese
• Indian
• Ethnic
• International

xiii. Best Entertainment Spot

xiv. Best Airline

• Domestic
• International
• Charter

Two new categories were introduced for this edition of the Malaysia Tourism Awards, namely, “Best Entertainment Spot” and “Best Airline” to acknowledge the private sector effort in accomplishing the Tourism NKEA objectives of establishing a “Dedicated Entertainment Zone (DEZ)” and enhancing connectivity from medium-haul markets to capitalize on the high-yield tourism market.

The “Best Travel Documentary on Malaysia” category has been revamped to “Best Travel Documentary and TV Commercial on Malaysia” while “Best Tourism Article” will focus on articles on Malaysia in both printed and online media by local and foreign writers.

The official Malaysia Tourism Awards form can be obtained from Tourism Malaysia offices and 17 Tourist Information Centres (TIC) in Malaysia. However, it is easily downloadable from the official websites of www.tourism.gov.my and www.motac.gov.my. Closing date is 30 September 2017.

Submissions can be made by the nominee through self-nomination, or by members of the tourism industry and the public. Nomination forms must be completed with nominee profiles as well as related supporting documents.

Entries should be addressed to:

The Judging Committee
Malaysia Tourism Awards 2016/2017 Secretariat,
Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board,
4th Floor, No. 2 Tower 1,
Jalan P5/6,
Precinct 5, 62200 Putrajaya, Malaysia.
Completed entries and enquiries can be emailed to apm2017@tourism.gov.my.

The awards ceremony is tentatively scheduled for January 2018 in Kuala Lumpur.

For further enquiries, please contact:

Malaysia Tourism Awards 2016/2017 Secretariat,
Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board,
4th Floor, No. 2 Tower1,
Jalan P5/6,
Precint 5, 62200 Putrajaya, Malaysia.
Email: apm2017@tourism.gov.my

Contact person:
1) Judging Committee
Pn Rahayu Ahmad (rahayu@tourism.gov.my)
+603-8891 8437

2) Main Secretariat
Pn Amirah Nadiah Mazlan (amirahnadiah@tourism.gov.my)
+603-8891 8421

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.tourism.gov.my/

MALAYSIA TOURISM PROMOTION BOARD OR TOURISM MALAYSIA is an agency under the Ministry of Tourism & Culture, Malaysia. It focuses on the specific task of promoting Malaysia as a preferred tourism destination. Since its inception, it has emerged as a major player in the international tourism scene. In 2016, Malaysia registered 26.8 million tourist arrivals and RM82.1 billion in receipts, placing it among the major tourism destinations of the world.

Press contact:

Media Relations Unit:

Edzuar Zar Ayob Azari, Senior Deputy Director, Corporate Communication Division

Tel: +603-8891 8767

Email: edzuar@tourism.gov.my

Editorial Unit:

Anis Rozalina Ramli (Ms), Senior Editor, Corporate Communication Division

Tel: +603-8891 8759

Email: anisramli@tourism.gov.my