NEW DELHI, 14 Feb 2017: Tourism Malaysia is promoting sustainable tourism and niche tourism products at the 24th edition of the South Asia Travel and Tourism Exchange (SATTE 2017) from 15 to 17 February. The three-day programme will be held at the Pragati Maidan convention centre, and will be an opportunity for buyers and sellers to network with each other and develop new tourism products and packages.

SATTE 2017 was jointly launched by the Union Minister of State for Tourism & Culture (Independent Charge) and Civil Aviation, Govt. of India Dr. Mahesh Sharma and Minister of Tourism and Culture, Malaysia Dato' Seri Mohamed Nazri Aziz, here today. Also gracing the event was Thailand’s Minister of Tourism and Sports H.E. Mrs. Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul, amongst other eminent personalities from participating countries and key people from travel and trade associations.

Held annually, SATTE is one of India’s leading travel trade events. This year, it is expected to attract more than 750 participants from over 35 countries and 28 Indian states, and about 20,000 visitors.

The Malaysia delegation is led by Dato' Seri Mohamed Nazri accompanied by officials from the Ministry of Tourism and Culture, Tourism Malaysia, state representatives and members of the Malaysian travel trade fraternity.

Speaking at SATTE, Dato' Seri Mohamed Nazri said, "Sustainable tourism development is no longer just a mere cliche, but has become a major contributor to a more environmentally sustainable economy. With the right investment, tourism can be a lead change agent in the move to a green economy by driving economic growth and job creation. At the same time, it simultaneously improves resource efficiency, minimises environmental degradation as well as raises environmental awareness among travellers."

UNWTO has designated 2017 as the “International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development” and Malaysia is keen to promote its four UNESCO Heritage Sites, namely, Kinabalu National Park in Sabah, Gunung Mulu National Park in Sarawak, Melaka and George Town cities and the archaeological heritage site of the Lenggong Valley.

With niche tourism on the rise, Malaysia is also pushing its special interest packages for premium shopping, luxury travels, sports tourism such as golf, and Malaysia as a wedding and honeymoon destination.

At SATTE, Tourism Malaysia will also organise various programmes for travel trade players to meet up and network among themselves, providing Malaysia’s tourism industry players the opportunity to strengthen ties with their Indian counterparts.

India is the sixth top tourist generating market for Malaysia with a total 722,141 Indian visitors recorded in 2015. Last year, from January to October, Malaysia received a total of 540,530 Indian tourists. Malaysia hope to achieve 1 million arrivals from the India market this year.

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. It focuses on the specific task of promoting Malaysia as a preferred tourism destination. Since its inception, 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, placing it among the major tourism destinations of the world.

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