Visit Malaysia Year 2014 Being Promoted At ATF

From Jamaluddin Muhammad

VIENTIANE, Jan 21 (Bernama) -- Fresh from the launching of Visit Malaysia Year 2014 in Kuala Lumpur two days ago, the Malaysian Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen took the opportunity to promote the campaign at the Asean Tourism Forum (ATF), here.

She told the Asean Tourism Ministers' Meeting about the campaign which coincide with Malaysia hosting next year's ATF in Kuching in January.

"It will be a very good exposure for Malaysia as all tourism ministers from Asean, China, Korea, Japan and India will be attending ATF in Malaysia next year," she told Bernama after attending the Asean Tourism Ministers' Meeting, here.

She said travel agents, tour operators and media from all over the world would also be attending the ATF in Malaysia next year.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak launched the VMY2014 at the Bukit Jalil Stadium in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday.

Najib had wanted the VMY2014 be turned into a national mission involving all parties in order to achieve the target of receiving 28 million tourists next year.

The premier had said Malaysia needed not only physical infrastructure but also soft infrastructure as well, which is, Malaysian who are always cheerful, courteous and helpful so that visitors experience a truly memorable time in Malaysia.

Dr Ng said she had also invited tourism ministers from Asean as well as from China, Japan, South Korea and India to participate in the international travel exchange meeting to be held in Malaysia next April.

"We called on them to hold their respective country's week during the meeting in showcasing their art, food and craft products. We want to position Malaysia as an international tourism centre," she said.

On the major achievements of the two-day Asean Tourism Ministers' Meeting which concluded today, Dr Ng said Asean and India have concluded a memorandum of understanding on tourism cooperation between them after three years of negotiation.

The conclusion mark the completion of tourism cooperation between Asean and its dialogue partners, she told Bernama after co-chairing the Asean-India Tourism Ministers' Meeting, at a hotel.

Prior to this, Asean has inked tourism cooperation with China, Japan and South Korea.

She said the Asean-India tourism cooperation among others would look into the possibilities of introducing a common Asean visa for tourists where tourists would only need to get one visa instead of visa from respective 10 Asean countries when visiting the region.

"We will discuss further the matter with Asean secretariat," she said, adding that the cooperation would also cover the exchange of human resources and media personnel in further promoting tourism by both sides.

Meanwhile, Dr Ng also expressed condolence for the demise of Thai Deputy Prime Minister Chumpol Silpa-Archa who is also the Tourism and Sports Minister.

Chumpol died of heart failure at Ramathibodi Hospital in Bangkok at 9.39am Monday.