PUTRAJAYA, 27 June 2015 – The country’s biggest shopping extravaganza –– the annual 1Malaysia Mega Sale Carnival and 1Malaysia Unified Sale –– are back again, offering big bargains, huge discounts and fun-filled promotional activities put together by malls, retail stalls and other participating trades throughout Malaysia.

Running for over two months from today till 31 August, both sales pulsate with excitement at a time when Ramadan bazaars also sprout up all over the country, lending a dynamic fusion of colours to the local shopping scene. Street bazaars and shopping malls are also hyping up with numerous offers for the upcoming Hari Raya celebrations and the Merdeka Day public holiday.

The sales events were launched today by the Secretary General of the Ministry of Tourism and Culture Tan Sri Dr. Ong Hong Peng at the Marriot Putrajaya Hotel.

The launching ceremony was also attended by 49 foreign journalists, TV crews and travel agents from 13 countries, namely Bahrain, Bangladesh, China, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, New Zealand, Thailand, UAE, and Vietnam. They are here under Tourism Malaysia’s Mega Fam programme to help promote the country as a premier shopping haven, as well as a top-of-mind tourist destination.

Prior to the launching ceremony, the Mega Fam participants attended a Destination Seminar at Marriott Putrajaya where the Director General of Tourism Malaysia Dato’ Mirza Mohammad Taiyab delivered a presentation on Malaysia’s tourism industry and its latest developments. Representatives from KL City Grand Prix and Jump Street Asia were also there to share their tourism products and attractions with the participants.

Retail stalls and various trades in the country have put together a wide range of products and bargains under the 1Malaysia Unified Sale 2015, which is aimed at creating greater spill-over effects of consumer shopping and boosting trade and business transactions. As at 23 June, a total of 1,267 retailers have registered to participate in the 1Malaysia Mega Sale Carnival and 1Malaysia Unified Sale.

Adding to the excitement of both sales is the #beautifulMalaysia Online Contest, with weekly prizes to be won over 12 weeks from 15 June to 20 September. One grand prize and three consolations prizes are up for grabs every week. Grand prizes include a GoPro Hero 4, iPad Air 2, Canon EOS 100D and OPPO Find 5.

The contest, which is open to participants from all over the world, requires them to submit photos that best encapsulate the beauty of Malaysia in four categories, namely places, festivals, food and shopping. Photos can be uploaded to Instagram using the hashtag #beautifulMalaysia or directly to the contest campaign website (www.tourism.gov.my/beautifulMalaysia).

Winning photos will be featured on postcards at the end of the campaign. These postcards together with other specially designed postcards bearing the theme Beautiful Malaysia will be placed at selected airports in the country. The postcards will also be used to further promote 2015 as Malaysia Year of Festivals, or MyFest 2015. Various festivals and events happening in the country will be highlighted on the postcards, which can easily be picked up by tourists visiting the country.

Besides the contest, two pocket events will also be held to coincide with the 1Malaysia Mega Sale Carnival 2015, namely the Kuala Lumpur Fashion Week (KLFW) 2015 (12 to 16 August) and Time Kulture (29 July to 9 August), which is a timepiece exhibition. Both events will be held at Pavilion Kuala Lumpur.

KLFW 2015 promotes local fashion designers and local brands, and creates opportunities for international recognition and further develops the Malaysian retail market for branded fashionable wear. Time Kulture Exhibition by Swiss Watch Gallery showcases the best of Swiss Watch makers renowned for the finest watch brands and high-end jewellery and accessories.

To boost the country’s shopping sector, Tourism Malaysia has embarked on promoting Experiential Shopping packages with lifestyle elements, encompassing culinary delights, entertainment, and recreation for the whole family. Besides that, places of interest around the malls are also being highlighted in the packages.

Tourism Malaysia has also earmarked specific areas with attractive shopping attributes and categorised them as Extended Shopping Zones. These include Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman Heritage Shopping Zone, Bandar Utama, Bandar Sunway and Subang Jaya in Selangor, George Town in Pulau Pinang, Johor Bahru in Johor, as well as Melaka, Sabah and Sarawak.

The designated zones have been approved in February 2015 during the National Key Economic Areas Tourism Steering Committee meeting. The Extended Shopping Zones will be promoted along with the major shopping districts in Kuala Lumpur, such as Bukit Bintang, KLCC and Central Market.

Tourism Malaysia is also producing the Shopping Malaysia Fun Maps that will make it easier for shoppers to find shopping attractions in different locations. These maps will come in handy for both locals and tourists to enjoy the best shopping experience in Malaysia.

The 1Malaysia Mega Sale Carnival is one of three nationwide shopping campaigns. The other two are the 1Malaysia Grand Prix Sale in March and the 1Malaysia Year-End Sale from November 14 2015 to January 3 next year. Organised by Tourism Malaysia through its shopping promotion arm, Secretariat Shopping Malaysia, the three sales events have helped bring numerous benefits to the local retail sector and boost tourist expenditure in the country.

Malaysia’s shopping sector is a major contributor to the country’s tourist receipts, amounting to RM21.6 billion or 30% of the total receipts of RM72 billion in 2014. The shopping sector continues to hold the second biggest share of tourist expenditure after accommodation, which was only higher by 0.3%.

For more information, kindly contact Salinda Sany (Ms), Senior Assistant Director, Secretariat Shopping Malaysia at +603-8891 8531, or via email at salinda@tourism.gov.my

FAST FACTS:
• Malaysia’s tourist arrivals for 2014 reached 27.4 million, an increase of 6.7% compared to 25.7 million tourists in 2013.
• Tourist receipts for 2014 were RM72 billion, an increase of 10% compared to RM65.4 billion in 2013.
• In 2014, tourists spent RM21.6 billion on shopping in Malaysia, an increase of 9.3% compared to RM19.8 billion in 2013.
• The retail sector constituted 30% of the total tourist expenditure in 2014 against 30.2% in 2013.
• Shopping expenditure continues to hold the second biggest share of tourist expenditure after accommodation.
• MyFest 2015 is expected to help Malaysia achieve the targeted 29.4 million tourist arrivals and RM89 billion in tourist receipts for 2015. These figures will help achieve the target of 36 million tourist arrivals with RM168 billion in tourist receipts by 2020 under the Malaysia Tourism Transformation Plan.

Photo Caption:

(From L-R): YBhg. Dato’ Mirza Mohammad Taiyab, Director General, Tourism Malaysia; YBhg. Tan Sri Dr. Ong Hong Peng, Secretary General, Ministry of Tourism and Culture; and YBhg. Datuk Rashidi bin Hasbullah, Deputy Secretary General (Tourism), Ministry of Tourism and Culture launched the 1Malaysia Mega Sale Carnival on 27 June 2015.

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).

Through the Tourism NKEA, 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. 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:
Corporate Communications & Media Relations Unit:
Azizah Aziz (Ms), Senior Deputy Director, Communications & Publicity Division
Tel: +603-8891 8752
Email: azizahaziz@tourism.gov.my

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