PUTRAJAYA, 1 Oct 2013: Tourism Malaysia made its presence felt in France when it heavily promoted the Visit Malaysia Year 2014 at the International French Travel Market (IFTM) Top Resa from 24 to 27 September at Paris Expo, Porte de Versailles. IFTM Top Resa is among the tourism industry’s leading event for networking, doing business, innovating and keeping abreast of market developments across the leisure, business and events sectors.

This year’s IFTM Top Resa saw Malaysia occupying a 62.5 square metre booth for its trade delegation consisting of eight travel agencies, three hotels and resorts, and three tourism bodies.

During the four-day trade show, Tourism Malaysia organised various networking events, delivered presentations on Malaysia’s attractions, and arranged for meetings with trade and media partners. The Director General of Tourism Malaysia Y.Bhg. Dato’ Mirza Mohammad Taiyab officially launched the Visit Malaysia Year 2014 Sales Challenge during the cocktail function on 24 September, an incentive programme for French travel agents to promote Malaysia holiday packages to their clients. He also revealed the improved Tourism Malaysia website specially created for the French market.

Tourism Malaysia booth was visited by several dignitaries including the French Minister for Craft Industries and Trades, Commerce and Tourism Madame Sylvia Pinel, President of the French Travel Agents Association (SNAV) George Colson, President of ASIA Voyages Jean-Paul Chantraine and also Jean Todt.

Following IFTM Top Resa, Tourism Malaysia organises the Visit Malaysia Year 2014 Grand Seminar today for French travel agents to learn in greater depth about Malaysia’s tourism offerings. The one-day seminar, conducted via quizzes, briefings and e-learning modules, will also have presentations by the Kuala Lumpur City Hall and Malaysia Airlines. The participants will also learn more about the mechanics of the Visit Malaysia Year 2014 Sales Challenge.

France is an important source market for inbound tourists to Malaysia showing impressive growth in the past decade. In 2003, Malaysia received only 23,845 arrivals from France. Last year, a total of 136,172 French tourists visited Malaysia. At the half year mark of 2013, Malaysia received a total of 75,145 arrivals from France.

Background: Last year’s IFTM Top Resa saw nearly 1,200 exhibitors, 28,000 industry professionals and nearly 1,000 journalists and media attendance.

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 2012, Malaysia registered 25 million tourist arrivals and RM60.6 billion in tourist receipts, placing the country firmly as the 10th most popular tourism destination in the world.

In 2014, Malaysia will celebrate its fourth VISIT MALAYSIA YEAR (VMY) with the theme “Celebrating 1Malaysia Truly Asia”. The VMY 2014 promotional campaign has started this year with a series of year-long special events and activities leading to VMY 2014. It will contribute to the Government’s target to receive 36 million tourist arrivals and RM168 billion in receipts by 2020, as outlined in the Malaysia Tourism Transformation Plan (MTTP) 2020.    

Press contact:
Media Relations Unit:
Mr. Razaidi Abd Rahim, Senior Asst. Director, Communications & Publicity Division
Tel: +603-8891 8768
Email: razaidi@tourism.gov.my

Editorial Unit:
Ms. Anis Rozalina Ramli, Senior Editor, Communications & Publicity Division
Tel: +603-8891 8759
Email: anisramli@tourism.gov.my