KUALA LUMPUR, 6 October 2016 – A total of 84 celebrities and media from ten ASEAN countries are participating in the fourth edition of the ASEAN Celebrity Explore Quest Malaysia, organised by Tourism Malaysia. Themed “ASEAN in My Heart”, the event combines exploration, photo & Instagram contest, telematch, product updates and group performances.

A press conference was held today at Shangri-La Hotel by the Minister of Tourism and Culture Malaysia Dato’ Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz who also hosted a dinner to welcome all the participants.

The Explore Quest will start at Sunway Lagoon Theme Park tomorrow after the official flag off by the Deputy Director General (Advertising & Digital) of Tourism Malaysia Dato’ Sri Abdul Khani Daud at 9.30am. It is scheduled to end in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, on 13 October.

This year, the programme will bring the participants to Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya, and Sabah, where various activities and challenges involving culture, people, nature and food, await them. It is a fun way to introduce and promote new destinations and products in the country through new celebrities and media who have a strong following back home.

The participants will be exposed to some of the best tourism products in the country, which will enable them to help promote and sell Malaysia better. The media can produce articles to provide valuable information to their readers, while the celebrities can share their experiences and photos via social media to attract their fans and followers to Malaysia. Besides boosting the promotion of the country’s tourism destinations, the participation of ASEAN celebrities and media in the programme will also help raise awareness of ‘Visit ASEAN@50’ tourism campaign.

Malaysia Airlines is the official airline for the ASEAN Celebrity Explore Quest Malaysia 2016 while Gaya Travel is its media partner. The event is also supported by Sabah Tourism Board, Sunway Lagoon, Shangri-La Hotel Kuala Lumpur, D’Saji Titiwangsa and Sutera Harbour Resort Sabah.

The ASEAN market remains the largest contributor of tourist arrivals to Malaysia. In 2015, the market contributed 19.1 million tourists and RM44 billion in receipts, constituting 74% of the country’s total arrivals of 25.7 million and 63.7% of its total receipts of RM69 billion respectively. From January to June 2016, tourist arrivals from the ASEAN market recorded an increase of 5% against the same period last year.

For further information on ASEAN Celebrity Explore Quest Malaysia 2016, kindly contact:
Mohd Izal Mohd Nor (Mr)
Deputy Director of International Promotion (Southeast Asia), Tourism Malaysia
Tel: 603-8891 8252
Email: mohdizal@tourism.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 2015, Malaysia registered 25.7 million tourist arrivals and RM69.1 billion in receipts.

Through the Tourism NKEA (National Key Economic Area), 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 and achieve the country’s target of 36 million tourist arrivals and RM168 billion in receipts by 2020.

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 Relations Unit:
Mohd Libra Lee Haniff, Deputy Director, Corporate Communication Division
Tel: +603-8891 8752
Email: mohdlibra@tourism.gov.my

Editorial Unit:

Anis Rozalina Ramli (Ms), Senior Editor, Corporate Communication Division
Tel: +603-8891 8759
Email: anisramli@tourism.gov.my