Tourism expected to take a big leap in Malaysia

A truly Asian destination, a trip to Malaysia can be an overwhelming experience. Everything that one would expect for a perfect holiday can be found in this land blessed with natural beauty that is safe, affordable and simply amazing.

Good climate 365 days a year means that whether it's soaking up the sun on a beautiful beach or experiencing the rich culture and heritage, enjoying the delicious food on offer for every taste, wildlife safari, or bustling metropolis experience there is an adventure for each and everyone.

Among the many flights from Kuwait, Oman Air provides an excellent connectivity and comfort that can surpass one’s expectations. Voted as the best business class seat at the World Airline Awards the airline offers exceptional service and hospitality onboard its flights and at its lounges.Tourism Malaysia, the official tourism promotion authority in the country, is a serious effort by all the stakeholders working together to make each visit a memorable one. Having one of the largest overseas set up in almost 44 countries, every effort is taken by Tourism Malaysia to ensure that the country remains one of the top destinations for tourism.

During our visit we had the opportunity to understand the strategy and plans of the ministry with an exclusive interview with Dato Mousa Bin Al Yousef, director at Tourism Malaysia’s International Promotion division for Asia and Africa.

“Since 1959 Malaysia has been setting up tourism infrastructure and in 1992 the tourism board was rebranded to promote tourism in Malaysia,” Mousa Al Yousef revealed.

Malaysia gets around 27.5 million tourists a year mainly from neighbouring countries and the Middle East figures from January to August was just 210,000. “Even though we would like a lot more from the region, the Middle East visitors are all among the top 5 spenders,” he disclosed.

Our plan is to see a growth of 4 percent in terms of expenditure. “We have started working closely with airlines to promote tourists from their market and beyond,” he said. Already the impact is felt and more flights and better connectivity encouraging tourists to visit this nation of natural beauty.

“Malaysia for the Middle East tourist is a family destination,” Mousa revealed elaborating that the activities of water parks, theme parks, beaches and shopping makes it a tourist paradise. The Sunway Lagoon is a must visit for its amazing water theme based slides and rides. There is something for everyone and it is easy to find several interesting activities for the entire family. “As a top of the mind destination, there is halal food everywhere, English is widely spoken and it is very easy to assimilate with the local culture making it most comfortable for the visitor.”

The multi-ethnicity, culture and religion of Malaysian gives it an edge over neighboring countries as it is also peaceful, safe and unaffected by natural calamities.

“Our plan in the next 10 years is to increase our revenues from 82 billion ringgit (US$20 billion) to over 168 billion ringgit ($42 billion) hence there is a great thrust to boost the sector,” he also disclosed.

A very liberal visa regime means that most nationalities get visa on arrival. For others, the e-visa is easily processed making quick planning visits possible.
A fun packed vacation can include amazing sightseeing activities, island visits, unrivalled luxurious resorts, water sports, night markets, cultural tours, rainforests, wildlife safari’s, mountains and shopping that can wow any visitor.