NEW DELHI, 29 JANUARY 2015 - Tourism Malaysia is promoting the Malaysia Year of Festivals (MyFest) 2015 in India, in conjunction with the South Asia Travel and Tourism Exchange (SATTE 2015) from today to 31 January 2015. 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.

The Director General of Tourism Malaysia, Dato’ Mirza Mohammad Taiyab, is leading the Malaysian delegation consisting of nine tour agents, five hotel operators, one product owner, two state governments and several Tourism Malaysia officials to promote Malaysia as a preferred tourist destination.

This year is the 22nd year of SATTE since it was first organized in 1994, and is regarded as one of the largest travel trade exhibition in the South Asia region. Last year, SATTE 2014 recorded the participation of 649 exhibitors from 35 countries and 23 Indian states, as well as buyers from 70 cities. The event received 10,000 business meeting requests between buyers and sellers, and a total of more than 11,000 travel trade professionals attended the 2014 show.

This promotional effort is expected to increase the number of Indian tourists to Malaysia significantly, through promoting a greater awareness of Malaysia as an ideal holiday destination, as well as fostering greater cooperation between tour operators and members of the tourism fraternity. It is also a timely effort to create awareness for the “Malaysia Year of Festivals 2015.”

India is one of the top ten markets for Malaysia, with a total of 650,989 tourists recorded in 2013.   Last year, from January to October, total arrivals from India was at 643,335 arrivals, which is a 2.7% growth compared to the same period in 2013.

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 celebrated its fourth VISIT MALAYSIA YEAR (VMY) in 2014 with the theme “Celebrating 1Malaysia Truly Asia”. The promotion of the country continues with the MALAYSIA YEAR OF FESTIVALS (MyFEST) campaign in 2015 with the theme “Endless Celebrations” emphasising the various festivals celebrated by its multicultural society. Both campaigns are key drivers towards achieving the country’s target of 36 million tourist arrivals and RM168 billion in 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