PUTRAJAYA, 29 December 2014 – The Grand Launch of the Malaysia Year of Festivals 2015 or MyFest 2015, scheduled for 10 January 2015, has been postponed to a later date.

The Minister of Tourism and Culture, Malaysia YB Dato’ Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz said it was due to unexpected circumstances such as the heavy flood in several states and the missing Air Asia Indonesia airplane. The Ministry had also expressed sympathy for the flood victims and the family members of passengers onboard the airplane that was reported missing.

“The Ministry of Tourism and Culture had earlier cancelled its Christmas Open House celebration which was scheduled for 27 December 2014 at Pavilion, Kuala Lumpur. The event was instead replaced with 1MOTAC Flood Relief Charity Event which managed to raise donations totalling RM22,000 and other essential items for flood victims,” he added. 

The tourism industry had also been affected as Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang, Kedah, Johor and Negeri Sembilan were among the states which had recorded the highest number of tourist arrivals in 2013.

However, Dato’ Nazri was optimistic that the states affected by the flood would recover and had pledged that the Ministry and its agencies would increase tourism promotion of these states overseas.

MyFest 2015 is a national mission that was announced by the Prime Minister of Malaysia YAB Dato’ Seri Najib Tun Razak in his 2015 budget speech. The campaign is a follow up to Visit Malaysia Year 2014 and aims to maintain Malaysia’s position as a major destination of choice for tourists worldwide and to attract 29.4 million tourist arrivals with tourism receipts of RM89 billion.

Themed “Endless Celebrations”, MyFest 2015 will focus on promoting the country’s diverse cultures, heritage, festivals and attractions.

For more information, please contact Corporate Communications Unit, Ministry of Tourism and Culture at 03-8000 8000 or email info@motac.gov.my.

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 2013, Malaysia registered 25.7 million tourist arrivals and RM65.4 billion in receipts, making tourism its second largest foreign exchange earner and the sixth highest contributor to its Gross National Income (GNI).

Malaysia is celebrating 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:
Media & Publicity 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