TOURISM MALAYSIA ANNOUNCES NEW STUDENT AMBASSADORS PROGRAM IN CONJUNCTION WITH VISIT MALAYSIA YEAR 2014

A new initiative is being launched leading up to WTM. With 15,000 Malaysian students in the UK, Tourism Malaysia is creating a unique Student Ambassadors Program. This brand new initiative has already seen 20 students representing every geographical area in UK and Ireland volunteer as Tourism Ambassador Leaders and to help the three tour operator partners who have signed up already (STA, Travel Pack and Emerald) to promote packages to Malaysia with the assistance of Tourism Malaysia, specifically to promote Visit Malaysia Year 2014.

The initiative will be launched on Sunday 3 November 2013 by The Honourable Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz, Malaysia’s Minister of Tourism and Culture, prior to World Travel Market and will be officially announced to media at WTM at the press conference on Monday 4 November at 3pm.

-ENDS-

For more information, please contact:

Representation Plus

Edith Meyer

Email: edith@representationplus.co.uk

Tel: 020 8877 4510

Visit: www.tourismmalaysia.gov.my

TOURISM MALAYSIA ANNOUNCES INNOVATIVE NEW INITIATIVES AT WTM 2013 PRESS CONFERENCE 4 NOVEMBER 2013

At their WTM 2013 Malaysia Press Conference Tourism Malaysia unveil Malaysia’s exciting events calendar for Visit Malaysia Year 2014 (VMY 2014) on Monday 4 November 2013. It is the fourth time that Malaysia is organising VMY and as in previous years, VMY 2014 is expected to have a great impact on Malaysia’s tourism industry and economy. Tourism Malaysia also launches two innovative new initiatives to promote VMY 2014 at the press conference.

The Honourable Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz, Malaysia’s Minister of Tourism and Culture, Dato Sri Dr. Ng Yen Yen, Chairman, Tourism Malaysia, Dato Mirza Mohammad Taiyab, Director General, Tourism Malaysia, Zakaria Nasir, Deputy High Commissioner, Malaysia High Commission and Junus Suhid, UK Director, Tourism Malaysia are part of the panel answering questions on Visit Malaysia Year 2014 and its anticipated impact on the destination.

In addition, two innovative new initiatives are launched at WTM: Firstly, with 15,000 Malaysian students in the UK, Tourism Malaysia are creating a unique Student Ambassadors Program. This brand new initiative has already seen 20 students volunteer as Tourism Ambassador Leaders and to help the three tour operator partners who have signed up already (STA, Trailfinders and Emerald) to promote packages to Malaysia with the assistance of Tourism Malaysia, specifically to promote Visit Malaysia Year 2014.

The second initiative is an attempt to break a World Record: for the “Most Passengers crammed into an unmodified London Double Decker Bus”. Using Tourism Malaysia’s special VMY2014 branded buses, the attempt will see WTM 2013 playing host to a potential new World Record. A practice session is taking place at 4pm on Tuesday 5 November and the official record breaking attempt will take place on Wednesday 6 November at 4pm. The current record is 133. All WTM delegates and visitors over 18 years old are welcome to help Tourism Malaysia break the new record. All they need to do is register their interest on the Tourism Malaysia stand during the relevant day (AS 500).

Tourism Malaysia are hosting a dinner at the Troxy on Wednesday 6 November 2013 at 6.30pm. Celebrating all the best the destination has to offer including exciting dance performances and tantalising Malaysian food and drinks, giving agents, operators and media a taste of Malaysia and unwind following a busy day World Travel Market.

-ENDS-

For more information, please contact:

Representation Plus

Edith Meyer

Email: edith@representationplus.co.uk

Tel: 020 8877 4510

Visit: www.tourismmalaysia.gov.my

TOURISM MALAYSIA LAUNCHES THEIR DOUBLE DECKER BUS WRAP AT THE LANDMARK HOTEL ON MONDAY 4 NOVEMBER 2013

Tourism Malaysia launch their double decker bus wrap campaign featuring a probiscus monkey to promote Visit Malaysia Year 2014 on Monday 4 November 2013 at 8.15am. The buses were officially launched by The Honourable Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz, Malaysia’s Minister of Tourism and Culture at the Landmark hotel to members of the travel industry and the media.

A total of five VMY2014 buses will be in service for four weeks from 28 October until 24 November 2013. The buses transferred media and delegates from the Landmark Hotel to Excel on the Monday morning, and will continue to offer transfers throughout the week. In addition, the buses will be available to transport guests from Excel to the Troxy on Wednesday evening for the Malaysia WTM Dinner. After WTM the buses will be running on Golden Routes 1 and 2.

Tourism Malaysia are pleased to offer free bus transfers to and from Excel on the VMY2014 branded buses throughout the week from Kings Cross - St Pancras and London Victoria for anyone with a valid WTM pass.

Transfers will be running as follows:

Monday 4 November

4pm – Buses leave Excel, East Entrance
Bus 1 to London Victoria (Located Bulleid Way behind Fountain and Colonnade Walk)
Bus 2 to Kings Cross – St Pancras (Located Pancras Road)

Tuesday 5 November

9.30am – Buses leave Central London for Excel, East Entrance
Bus 1 from London Victoria
Bus 2 from Kings Cross – St Pancras

5.30pm – return

Wednesday 6 November

10.30am – Buses leave Central London for Excel, East Entrance
Bus 1 & 2 from Kings Cross – St Pancras

5.30pm – Buses leave Excel, East Entrance for Troxy

-ENDS-

For more information, please contact:

Representation Plus

Edith Meyer

Email: edith@representationplus.co.uk

Tel: 020 8877 4510

Visit: www.tourismmalaysia.gov.my

MALAYSIA TO HOST WORLD TOURISM CONFERENCE 2013

The Ministry of Tourism and Culture of Malaysia together with the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) and the State Government of Melaka will be organising the World Tourism Conference 2013 at the Equatorial Hotel in Melaka from 21 to 23 October 2013.

Themed “Global Tourism: Game Changers and Pace Setters”, the conference is expected to bring together world leaders in tourism, high-level policymakers, specialists and experts from both the public and private sectors to share experiences, put forward valuable ideas and provide guidance for tourism development.

The main objectives of World Tourism Conference 2013 are to discuss and address current and relevant issues related to the tourism industry. The key areas for discussion will be:

• Beyond Mass Tourism: how destinations can prosper with higher yield markets by capitalising on niche products which are priced correctly and targeted to the right markets.
• Innovative Marketing: the importance of creating innovative products and a strong brand identity to develop dynamism and continuous progress in the industry.
• Directions for Tourism Product Development: exploring the potential of tourism products such as homestay and its variants, domestic tourism, as well as youth and Gen-Y travellers, and synergies between conservation and commercial viability.

Over the three-day conference, 10 specific and topical subjects will be presented by authoritative individuals and acknowledged experts including the Head of Travel Google (United States) Mr Rob Torres, the Chief Executive Officer of Korea Tourism Organisation (South Korea) Mr. Lee Charm, the Chairman of VisitBritain (United Kingdom) Mr. Christopher Rodrigues CBE, the Vice-Chairman of China National Tourism Administration (China) Mr Du Jiang, the Chief Executive Officer of Air Asia X Sdn Bhd (Malaysia) Mr. Azran Osman Rani and the Managing Director of Tourism Australia Mr Andrew McEvoy.

Being one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Malaysia, Melaka is the perfect venue to host WTC 2013. This historic city has developed over 500 years of trading and cultural exchanges between East and West in the Straits of Malacca. The influences of Asia and Europe have endowed the town with a specific multicultural heritage that is both tangible and intangible. In brief, Melaka has a unique architectural and cultural townscape without parallel anywhere in East and Southeast Asia.

For more information, visit http://www.wtc2013malaysia.com .

For more information on travel to Malaysia, visit www.tourism.my.

- END-

For more information, please contact:
Representation Plus
Edith Meyer
Email: edith@representationplus.co.uk
Tel: 020 8877 4510


Notes to editors:

•  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.
• Malaysia has a tropical climate and is a very welcoming multi-cultural society home to some of the best spa resorts in the world.

LAST CHANCE TO BOOK THESE FABULOUS VISIT MALAYSIA YEAR 2014 PACKAGES

It's never been easier to escape to beautiful Malaysia. Some of the packages include

Inspired by Asia
Package: Borneo in style, 12 nights from 1949 per person. Includes 10 nights at the Bayu Villa at the 5-star Gaya Island Resort (breakfast included), 2 nights deluxe room at the 5-star Majestic Hotel, Kuala Lumpur.  Departures: 12 Jan - 20 Mar 2014. Book by 30 September 2013
Package: Luxury Malaysia, 12 nights from 2199 per person. Includes 10 nights in a Hill Villa at the 5-star Pangkor Laut Resort (breakfast included), 2 nights deluxe room at 5-star The Majestic Hotel, Kuala Lumpur. Departures: 12 Jan - 20 Mar 2014. Book by 30 September 2013
For more information visit www.inspiredbyasia.co.uk or call 01423 565111

Gold Medal Travel
Package: 7 nights with breakfast at the 4-star deluxe Golden Sands Resort by Shangri-La, Penang. Price from 969 per person. Departures: 21 October to 30 November 2013. Book by 30 September 2013
Package: 10 nights with breakfast at the 5-star Gaya Island Resort in Borneo. Price from 1,569 per person. Departures: 20 October to 20 November 2013. Book by 30 September 2013
Package: 7 nights at the 4-star deluxe Pelangi Beach Resort in Langkawi. Price from 1,049 per person. Departures: 20 October to 20 November 2013. Book by 30 September 2013. For more information visit: www.goldmedal.co.uk or call 0800 014 7777

NEW MINISTER OF TOURISM AND CULTURE TO UNVEIL VISIT MALAYSIA YEAR 2014 TOUR OPERATOR PACKAGES FOR THE UK MARKET

During his first official visit to the UK, Malaysia’s newly appointed Minister of Tourism and Culture, The Honourable Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz, announced today a series of exciting packages for the UK market for Visit Malaysia Year 2014. In a press conference at the Landmark Hotel in London, the Minister underlined how crucial the UK market is for Malaysian tourism, announced details of events taking place in Malaysia throughout 2014, and discussed the wide impact which Visit Malaysia Year 2014 is expected to have on Malaysia’s tourism industry and economy.

Malaysia is expected to welcome around 28 million tourists during Visit Malaysia Year 2014 and generate around Ringgit 76 billion in income, with the UK as its top European market for inbound tourism and 10^th worldwide. As part of his inaugural visit, the Minister aims to capitalise on the UK’s huge outbound travel and to tap into the massive potential that the UK market offers, with Malaysia aiming to attract 475,000 tourists from the UK in 2014. 

In his address to the media, the Minister announced the launch of a series of exciting holiday packages for Visit Malaysia 2014 which Tourism Malaysia has developed in conjunction with 14 top UK tour operators. He also touched upon the diverse range of activities and highlights that Malaysia has to offer which makes it the 10^th most visited country in the world. In his speech, the Minister also explained that Visit Malaysia Year 2014 will be based on four experiential themes which highlight the diverse attractions in Malaysia. These themes are: Heritage & Culture, Adventure & Nature, Luxury, Wellness & Spa, and Island & Beaches.

On Saturday, the Minister will be co-launching Malaysia’s Cultural Week with the Mayor Councillor Abdul Mohamed of Southwark/Lambeth, a week-long cultural festival taking place on London’s Southbank, providing Londoners and visitors to the Capital with a free taste of what Malaysia has to offer including a packed entertainment programme and food and crafts stalls.

For more information about Malaysia, visit: www.tourism.gov.my

-ENDS-

For more information, please contact:

Representation Plus

Edith Meyer

Email: edith@representationplus.co.uk

Tel: 020 8877 4510

Chris Gooch

Email: chris@representationplus.co.uk

Tel: 020 8877 4504

Visit: www.tourismmalaysia.gov.my

Notes to editors:

·         Pictures and video of the launch to follow and available on request.

·       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.    

ENJOY MALAYSIA’S DELIGHTS FOR FREE AT LONDON’S MALAYSIA WEEK

Malaysia Cultural Week is returning to London's South Bank from 19 to 23 September 2013 providing Londoners and visitors to the Capital with a FREE taster of the destination’s offerings. With FREE entry and FREE entertainment, Malaysia Cultural Week is the ideal opportunity to find about more the country’s rich and multi-faceted culture. Organised under the “Faces for 1Malaysia “ theme, the event, which will be officially co-launched by His Excellency Dato' Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz, the Minister of Tourism and Culture Malaysia and the Mayor Councillor Abdul Mohamed of Southwark/Lambeth will include an exciting array of performances, traditional music and craft-making demonstrations depicting the rich legacy of Malaysia's traditional craftsmanship and sales of craft products. 

 

Museum artifacts, original Malay manuscripts and heritage items will be displayed for the viewing of the public. Visitors will also have the opportunity to savour delicious and popular Malaysian cuisine. Traditional games will be showcased and visitors may join in the fun as well. There will also be a promotion of holiday and tour packages to Malaysia at the travel booths on site, especially in anticipation of Visit Malaysia Year 2014.

The event will also include a fashion show with Malaysian sporting Malaysian Batik and Songket textiles showcasing traditional and contemporary designs.

Malaysia Week is the perfect chance to find out more about this fascinating country and plan a trip over Visit Malaysia Year 2014 which promises to be one of the most exciting times to travel to the destination.

-ENDS-

For more information, please contact:

Representation Plus

Edith Meyer

Email: edith@representationplus.co.uk

Tel: 020 8877 4510

Chris Gooch

Email: chris@representationplus.co.uk

Tel: 020 8877 4504

Visit: www.tourismmalaysia.gov.my

Notes to editors:

• Invitations are available for members of the media and their families. To register your interest, please contact Edith Meyer at edith@representationplus.co.uk or on 020 8877 4510
• 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.
• Malaysia has a tropical climate and is a very welcoming multi-cultural society home to some of the best spa resorts in the world.