PETALING JAYA: The native tourism trade is on the highway to restoration, having seen round a million arrivals since worldwide borders had been reopened – however more work is required earlier than we will escape the champagne.
Industry gamers stated more effort is required to make sure Malaysia regains its spot as the highest vacationer vacation spot in South-East Asia, which it held 5 years in the past.
Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) president Datuk Tan Kok Liang stated Malaysia has obtained round a million vacationer arrivals because the authorities lifted restrictions on worldwide journey, and he’s assured that we might simply attain the five-million mark by the tip of the yr.
“We are optimistic as countries from the European Union, Australia, South Korea and India, and other Asean nations, have been giving us positive feedback,” he stated.
However, Malaysia ought to undertake a more segmented advertising and marketing technique to draw more vacationers, Tan stated.
“Every country has its own uniqueness, but there are also similarities. If we say we have good food, Indonesia and Singapore would say the same; if we pitch ourselves as being a nature-based destination, Indonesia and Thailand are also doing the same thing.
“So, we have to go for those with special interests – for example, if we wish to promote Malaysia in Scandinavian countries, perhaps we can highlight our natural attractions because we know they love nature,” he added.
Tan stated more concerted promotional efforts by the federal government and non-public sector, particularly on tradition and ecotourism, are additionally wanted for Malaysia to penetrate the US market.
The United States is large, however Tourism Malaysia has just one full-fledged workplace – in New York City, he added.
“My opinion is that Malaysia would be able to penetrate the US market well if more attention and focus is given.
“Lots of other national tourist organisations are paying attention to the United States – Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Singapore and the United Arab Emirates each have two or three offices and representatives,” he stated.
Malaysia Tourist Guides Council (MTGC) president Jimmy Leong Wie Kong stated Malaysia is in want of a greater “formula” to draw vacationers and regain its spot as one of many high vacationer points of interest in Asean.
“If we look at the 10 South-East Asian countries, our popularity as a tourist destination over the last five years has dropped to fourth.
“We are in this situation now because other countries are following what we have been doing and becoming very successful in attracting tourists,” he stated.
Leong stated the federal government, tour operators and even the general public have a job to play to make sure that vacationers benefit from the experiences they had been promised and have their expectations fulfilled.
“What encourages tourists to visit or revisit a destination is the experience.
“The government introduced the ‘Malaysia Truly Asia’ campaign and has organised promotional activities, but these will not be effective if tour operators do not sell packages that suit this campaign.
“And even if they do, we have to also make sure that when the tourists arrive here, they will achieve the experience in terms of infrastructure and quality of our services promised to them,” he added.
Leong stated the “true Malaysian experience” will be greatest delivered by licensed vacationer guides who’ve been educated to host these guests.
“We should also tap into our rich heritage and focus on small tourist groups, which is a fast-growing trend, especially after the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Currently, tourists travel in smaller numbers, so we have to customise our packages to let them experience the best of our country.
“Other than that, we can also promote our rich history – for example Melaka, which is popular for its history from the Portuguese and Dutch era. This is among the things that can link us with tourists.
“We also have our royal families and their historic backgrounds, which we don’t really highlight. So, I think every state should look carefully at their rich heritage that can be capitalised,” he added.
