KUALA LUMPUR, DEC 2: Tourism Malaysia revealed its integrated Digital Marketing Programme today as a complementary marketing effort to its existing Visit Malaysia Year (VMY) 2014 global marketing and advertising campaign.

It was launched by YB Dato’ Seri Mohamed Nazri bin Tan Sri Abdul Aziz, Minister of Tourism and Culture, during the Tourism Malaysia Directors Conference 2013.

YB Dato’ Seri Mohamed Nazri says, “The global media consumption is rapidly shifting towards the digital world and so it’s only apt that we follow suit and go where the future lies.”

Tourism Malaysia Director-General, YBhg Dato’ Mirza Mohammad Taiyab says, “Throughout the VMY 2014 promotional campaign this year, Tourism Malaysia has been leveraging its digital assets to optimize presence in the digital sphere, increasing and maintaining a strong relationship with fans and followers and ultimately converting them into actual tourists or repeat visitors.” 

He adds, “Statistics up to September 2013 show a record of 18,756,476 tourist arrivals, a 3.3% increase compared to the same period last year.”

The integrated digital marketing programme encompasses the following: 

• YouTube Brand Channel

• Web TVs – Trulyasia.TV & My Tourism TV (MyTTV)

• Social Media - TM Official Facebook (Local/Domestic & International)

• Twitter – TM Official Twitter

• ShareMY – travelling via Social Sharing

• TM Official Website & TM Official Mobile Travel App – The Malaysia Trip Planner

The digital marketing programme has also shown impressive results. Tourism Malaysia recorded over 12.5 million total views across all their YouTube video content on the YouTube channel including more than 9.4 million minutes of online videos watched this year. Among the YouTube videos that recorded over 2 million views each were Visit Malaysia Year 2014 Promotional TV commercial which yielded 2,425,024 views; Eco and Adventure (2,746,016 views); Eco and Culture (2,464,602 views); Undeniable Malaysia (2,411,159 views); and Shopping and Food (2,152,181 views).

Several digital media campaigns conducted on Google Search, Online Display, Mobile and YouTube have also recorded impressive exposure and engagement.

On the social networking front, ShareMy is Tourism Malaysia’s latest initiative to encourage the exploration of Malaysia as a tourist destination in the online social realm.

The first of its kind for Malaysia, ShareMy is an ever-growing library of information and experience on everything Malaysian, shared and accessed by users from any part of the world. For example, a Russian living in Moscow could search for what fellow Russians like to eat in Malaysia. Or a Malaysian in Bintulu could learn of the sights to see in Ipoh.

Meanwhile, TrulyAsia.TV uses the powerful and engaging medium of video and the Internet to show entertaining videos and live events on Malaysia, reaching out to potential visitors who want to have a preview of what Malaysia offers.  

TrulyAsia.TV has also won three awards and was nominated for another: 

• Winner: APICTA Award - Best of Tourism and Hospitality

• Winner: GoMobile Innovation Awards - Best Mobile Content and Application

• Winner: GoMobile Innovation Awards - Best Overall Application

• Nominated: World Summit Awards for e-Culture and Heritage Category

The other WebTV is Malaysia Tourism TV (MyTTV), an online platform developed in December 2012 as an internet TV portal which covers various interesting information on tourism in the country. MyTTV Channel’s programs highlight a variety of beautiful attractions in Malaysia featuring the major tourist spots that are filled with rich heritage, wonderful nature, and local life happenings. 

Tourism Malaysia’s digital assets also include the award-winning Tourism Malaysia official website that has features and facilities to deliver better contents and experiences to its visitors such as multilingual function, hotel and airline booking function, online mobile application to assist visitors with itinerary planning and personalized website content according to country of origin.

Planning a memorable holiday is made simple with the Malaysia Trip Planner, the official travel app from Tourism Malaysia. This application, launched in July 2013, gives travelers personalized, inspiring and practical information on Malaysia, and all you can see and do. The application organises travel plans into an itinerary that has all of the visitor’s trip details in one place. Moreover, it provides extensive information on Malaysia’s various attractions and enables quick and easy sharing with friends via Facebook and Twitter. 

Tourism Malaysia also utilises Facebook to reach out to audiences as well as to promote the destination. The "Malaysia Truly Asia" Fan Page, created by Tourism Malaysia in February 2010, has reached nearly 58,000 likes/fans. Meanwhile, the “Cuti-Cuti 1Malaysia” (CC1M) Facebook, launched in 2011 specifically for local/domestic visitors, has almost reached 1.9 million likes/fans.

Meanwhile, Tourism Malaysia Official Twitter with almost 190,000 followers has also proved to be an important avenue for Tourism Malaysia’s promotion and publicity efforts.

For more information regarding Tourism Malaysia Integrated Digital Marketing Programme, kindly contact Ms. Harliza Ahmad, Assistant Director, Advertising Division, at harliza@tourism.gov.my or +603 8891 8734.

ENDS