HAT YAI, THAILAND, 31 October 2014: Tourism Malaysia launched the Malaysia Year of Festivals 2015 (MyFEST) campaign in Southern Thailand at a tourism trade and media appreciation event today at Lee Gardens Plaza Hotel, Hat Yai.

More than 100 travel agents and members of the media from the Southern Thailand region attended the reception and were updated on the 2015 campaign, which celebrates Malaysia’s diverse cultures, festivals, cuisines, shopping experiences, and other events. The briefing also highlighted several attractions in Malaysia including Star Wars Mini Park, Legoland Water Park, Sanrio Hello Kitty theme park, Johor Premium Outlets and Langkawi Island.

The Director General of Tourism Malaysia Dato’ Mirza Mohammad Taiyab hosted an appreciation dinner to personally thank the travel agents and media for their support in promoting Malaysia in Southern Thailand. He also presented them with certificates of appreciation for their contribution to the growth of Thai arrivals to Malaysia.

Among the dignitaries who attended the event were Consul General of Malaysia in Songkhla Mohd Faizal Razali, the Director of International Promotion Division-ASEAN Syed Yahya Syed Othman, the Deputy Commander of Second Naval Area Command Rear Admiral Niwech Butsri, and the Deputy Commander of the 42nd Military Circle Senior Colonel Thanin Suwannakadee.

The MyFEST campaign, themed “Endless Celebrations,” will leverage on the momentum already established during the on-going Visit Malaysia Year 2014 and feature the various festivals celebrated by Malaysia’s multi-cultural society.

The Thai market is the fifth biggest tourist generating market to Malaysia. In 2013, a total of 1,156,452 Thai tourists visited Malaysia, constituting 4.5% of the country’s total arrivals.

The most popular tourist destinations and products in Malaysia for Thai tourists include Kuala Lumpur, Legoland and Hello Kitty in Johor, Sunway Lagoon in Selangor, George Town in Penang, Kota Kinabalu in Sabah, Genting Highlands in Pahang, and Pulau Perhentian in Terengganu.

“With the Visit Malaysia Year 2014 coming to an end soon, Malaysia will continue to welcome visitors with yet another year of endless celebrations and festivals with the Malaysia Year of Festivals 2015 campaign. It intends to give visitors a magical holiday experience with a special emphasis on the various festivals celebrated by the country’s multicultural society throughout the year.

“Besides festivals and celebrations, visitors will also be able to enjoy an array of interesting products namely shopping, cuisine, and theme parks that are available throughout the country,” said the Director of Tourism Malaysia Thailand Sulaiman Suip.

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 Malaysia continues with the MALAYSIA YEAR OF FESTIVALS (MYFEST) campaign in 2015 with the theme “Endless Celebrations” emphasising the various festivals celebrated by Malaysia’s multicultural society. Both campaigns are key drivers towards achieving Malaysia’s tourism targets of 36 million tourist arrivals and RM168 billion 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