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.