PUTRAJAYA, 12 May 2015: Tourism Malaysia is pleased to announce that it was recently awarded the Social Media Excellence Award for ‘Social Media Engagement in Tourism’ at the World Bloggers and Social Media Awards 2015.

The award was given in recognition of its engagement with social media with regards to the tourism industry, and was selected based on its involvement in platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram by a panel of judges and committee members.

A panel of judges presided over 25 categories for the corporate section, which included categories such as ‘Social Media Engagement’, ‘Telecommunications’, ‘Social Media Campaign’, and many others. 

The award ceremony highlighted, recognized and rewarded organisations on their active roles in promoting social media to the masses through various channels available on the new media scene today.

The event, jointly organised by My Events International and the Malaysia Social Media Chambers (SMC), was held at Zebra Square, Kuala Lumpur on 22 April.

To date, Tourism Malaysia’s Facebook pages (Cuti-cuti 1Malaysia and Malaysia Truly Asia) have more than 2 million likes, while its Twitter and Instagram account together have more than 200,000 followers. Its YouTube Brand Channel has had more than 29 million lifetime views. 

For more information, please visit http://socialmediaweek.com.my/

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 2014, Malaysia registered 27.4 million tourist arrivals and RM72 billion in receipts, making tourism its second largest foreign exchange earner.

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:
Corporate Communications & Media Relations 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