Tourism & Hospitality | Monday 22 April, 2019 10:15 am |

A delegation from Tourism Malaysia has successfully participated in a travel trade event in Kuwait aimed at further strengthening the country’s appeal as a travel destination in the Gulf nation. Organised in partnership with Qatar Airways, the event was part of a series of GCC roadshow activities taking place around the annual Arabian Travel Market in Dubai, the Middle East’s leading international travel and tourism event.

 

Led by Tourism Malaysia Director – GCC Mr. Shahrin Mokhtar, the Tourism Malaysia delegation included 14 representatives from key stakeholders from the Malaysian travel sector. The group met with local industry representatives and members of the media with the goal of promoting Malaysia’s tourism offerings and highlighting the latest attractions ahead of the upcoming summer holiday season.

 

The well-attended B2B event, which was hosted in the Sheraton Kuwait hotel on Sunday, 21 April, kicked off with a tabletop discussion and a media briefing. These were followed by addresses from the Malaysian Ambassador to Kuwait, Dato’ Mohammad Ali Selamat, and Qatar Airways country Manager (Kuwait) Mr. Fadi Hijazin, both of whom underlined their enduring commitment to the local travel market.

 

Attendees then enjoyed presentations by Qatar Airways and Tourism Malaysia, which showcased the diverse range of exciting experiences available to travellers in the country, before breaking for lunch and networking opportunities. After lunch, the winners of the event’s lucky draw were announced, with prizes including one return ticket to Malaysia and hotel accommodation for two nights.

 

Commenting on the importance of the Kuwaiti market, Mr. Shahrin said: “The GCC represents a land of opportunity for the Malaysian tourism industry, and we are delighted to visit Kuwait to showcase our impressive line-up of tourism offerings to the local travel trade. As a Muslim-majority country, our shared cultural ties make Malaysia one of Southeast Asia’s most visitor-friendly destinations for travellers from the Middle East. We are confident that this GCC roadshow will further strengthen business ties and inspire more people from the region to discover our wonderful country.”

 

Qatar Airways currently operates 21 flights from Kuala Lumpur to Doha and four flights from Penang to Doha per week, with regular connecting flights available to Kuwait City. Together, the flights have the capacity to cater to more than 8,000 passengers weekly. The company recently announced that it will begin direct services from Doha to Langkawi in Malaysia later this year.

 

The pre-ATM GCC roadshow is visiting Kuwait, Muscat and Sharjah cities as part of Tourism Malaysia’s ongoing drive to boost visitor numbers to the country. These activities are designed to support the objectives of the Visit Malaysia 2020 initiative, which aims to attract more than 30 million tourists and KD 7.4 billion in tourist receipts.

 

The Middle East is seen as a key market for Malaysia, which was named the number one destination for Muslim travellers for nine consecutive years (2011–2019) by Singapore-based CrescentRating, the world's leading authority on Halal Travel. The ranking is based on an annual online survey covering several criteria, including the availability of Halal food, access to prayer facilities, Muslim-friendly services in hotels, and the overall safety and security of each destination.

 

Total tourist arrivals from West Asia stood at 355,733 in 2018, growing by 25% compared to the previous year. The number of visitors from Saudi Arabia increased by 11.7%, while UAE travellers increased by 9.7%. Oman recorded the biggest rise in visitor numbers, at 36.9%. The value of tourist receipts from the region as a whole grew to KD 230 million, an increase of 33%.

 

The GCC roadshow offered the Malaysian delegation an opportunity to highlight the country’s latest visitor attractions, including Desaru Coast, a new integrated destination resort with a portfolio of globally renowned hotels and resorts that spans over 3,900 acres along a pristine 17km beachfront. The resort is also home to one of the world’s biggest waterparks, a fully equipped conference facility, two golf clubs, and a 23-acre waterfront landscaped retail and lifestyle village.

 

Other popular destinations showcased included Genting Highlands, which has been refreshed with a new indoor theme park, Skytropolis, and shopping opportunities at Genting Highlands Premium Outlets and Sky Avenue Mall; Melaka, which is located 2½ hours’ drive from Kuala Lumpur and offers a variety of attractions for Arab tourists interested to know more about the history of Malaysia; Johor Bahru, a family destination renowned as the country’s new theme park hub; and Kota Kinabalu in Sabah, which offers great attractions for nature lovers and soft adventurers.

 

Malaysia also enjoys an outstanding international reputation as a healthcare and wellness destination, having been consistently recognised in industry programmes including the Medical Travel Journal (IMTJ) Medical Travel Awards. Malaysia Healthcare will be leading the Malaysia Year of Healthcare Travel 2020 campaign to run in tandem with Visit Malaysia 2020. Celebrating health and an active lifestyle, the initiative is expected to play an important role in achieving the country’s ambitious visitor targets.