Vientiane, 20 September 2023 – In an effort to introduce and highlight Malaysia’s tourism products to the Laotian market, Tourism Malaysia organised the Malaysia Truly Asia Festival from 16th to 17th September 2023 at Parkson Mall in Vientiane.

The event drew over 12 booths representing Tourism Malaysia, Lao National Tourism (Tourism Development Department), and travel agents namely Vientiane Travel, Ninhomlao Tour, Next Travel, Worldwide Travel, Analine Travel, Venuto Travel, Deluxe World Tour, Family Tour, MD Travel, and Laos Destination Travel Service.

Among the activities carried out throughout the two-day event were stage performances, Malaysian cultural dance performances, games, quizzes, and lucky draws for those who have made their reservations and deposits for their Malaysia tour packages.

“As the festival coincides with Malaysia Day, it was not only a celebration of Malaysia’s independence but also of Malaysia as a unique, diverse family that welcomes newcomers to enjoy the beauty of our homeland,” said H.E. Ambassador Edi Irwan, Ambassador of Malaysia to Laos.

Ms. Sordaly Chantavong, Marketing Manager of Tourism Malaysia Laos also addressed the current travel arrangements between the two countries: “While we may not have direct flights yet to Malaysia, Laotians have the option of taking Scoot Air and transit through Singapore, or AirAsia and Thai Airways where they can transit through Bangkok.”

Also present at the event was Ms. Phonemaly Inthaphome, the Director General of the Tourism Development Department, Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism and representatives of the diplomatic corps.

From January to December 2022, Malaysia recorded 7,010 Lao tourist arrivals to Malaysia, and saw an increase of 901.0% in the first five months of 2023 (January-May) with 7,187 Laotian arrivals. For 2023, Malaysia has set its target of 16.1 million international tourist arrivals with RM 49.2 billion (USD 11.19 billion) in tourism revenue.

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About Tourism Malaysia

Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board, also known as Tourism Malaysia, is an agency under the Ministry of Tourism, Arts & 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. For more information, visit Tourism Malaysia’s social media accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and TikTok.

For enquiries, please contact:

Sordaly Chanthavong
Marketing Manager, Tourism Malaysia Laos
sordaly@tourism.gov.my
Tel: +856 21 262 373

Muadz Samat
Assistant Director, Corporate Communications Division
muadz@tourism.gov.my
Tel: +603 8891 8755