Tag Archives: Malaysia

In a recent interview with tourismbreakingnews.ae Nuwal Fadhilah Ku Azmi, Director International Promotion Division, North and East Asia, covering Asia and Africa shared that they are expecting a double increase in terms of tourism numbers from the GCC. Last year, Malaysia welcomed 164,568 tourists from the region, representing a substantial increase of 85.88% compared to 88,534 tourists in 2022. Therefore, we are optimistic that the arrivals from this region will double compared to last year. In mid-2024, Malaysia’s tourism sector showed strong recovery and growth in tourist numbers compared to previous years. Malaysia experienced a significant increase in international arrivals in 2024, with a 28.9% growth from January to June compared to the same period in 2023. Specifically, the West Asia market saw a rise from 56,592 tourists in the first half of 2023 to 85,559 tourists in 2024, an increase of 51.2%. Malaysia has been actively refining its strategies to attract visitors from the West Asian market. Tourism Malaysia will continue to collaborate with national carriers and foreign airlines through the Charter Flight Matching Grant (GSPC) to increase air traffic from the West Asian market to Malaysia. As of now, the number of flights for the year 2024 is 138 per week with a seating capacity of 41,956 from the UAE, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Oman. Leveraging air connectivity to increase arrivals to Malaysia and rejuvenating offerings will further enhance Malaysia’s appeal as a preferred tourist destination in this region. Tourism Malaysia and Emirates signed a Memorandum of Collaboration (MOC) for a joint promotion campaign at the Arabian Travel Market 2024. In general, our marketing approach for 2024 is geared towards high-impact and fast conversion strategies by …

Etihad Airways and Batik Air Malaysia have enhanced their cooperation with the launch of a codeshare partnership to boost connectivity for passengers of both airlines. Etihad’s guests can now seamlessly access eight domestic and international locations via Batik’s hub at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KUL), enjoying the combined services and networks of both carriers on a single ticket. Additionally, guests enjoy the convenience of having their luggage smoothly transferred to their final destination. The agreement now allows Etihad guests to conveniently travel to five new domestic codeshare destinations in Malaysia: Johor Bahru, Langkawi, Penang, Kota Kinabalu and Tawau; along with three international points, Da Nang and Hanoi in Vietnam, and Perth in Australia. With the agreement, both inbound and outbound Malaysia passengers will have a wider choice of flights on the combined networks. Batik’s network is now easily accessible to customers, who can connect via its gateway in Kuala Lumpur, served by twice-daily Etihad flights from Abu Dhabi. Arik De, Chief Revenue and Commercial Officer at Etihad, said: “This collaboration significantly enhances our codeshare network, offering travellers seamless access to five key destinations in Malaysia, including the idyllic island of Langkawi, the culturally and culinary rich city of Penang, and Kota Kinabalu, the gateway to Borneo’s tallest peak Mount Kinabalu. “Equally, we eagerly anticipate extending a warm welcome to customers from Asia visiting our home in Abu Dhabi, experiencing our renowned hospitality, as well as passengers connecting to Etihad’s growing global network in the Middle East, Africa, and Europe via our Abu Dhabi hub.” Datuk Chandran Rama Muthy, Chief Executive Officer of Batik Air Malaysia, said: “Through this partnership, we aim to welcome visitors globally to explore Malaysia’s diverse attractions, …

dnata has partnered with Malaysia-based Batik Air, formerly known as Malindo Air, to bolster the airline’s newly launched route between Dubai and Kuala Lumpur. Batik Air began operating four weekly services from Dubai to Malaysia’s capital city in November 2023. This marked the airline’s second route launch in the Middle East this year, following its successful introduction of flights between Jeddah (KSA) and Kuala Lumpur in August. dnata Representation Services will act as the airline’s general sales agent (GSA) in the UAE, providing a comprehensive range of travel services and local infrastructure for sales, marketing, and distribution support. Drawing interest from UAE-based travellers, Batik Air has introduced attractive fares starting at AED 1,299 for Economy Class and AED 3,499 for Business Class return flights. Simon Woodford, Vice President Global Air Services at dnata Travel Group, commented: “The reopening of Asia has sparked a rising trend in travel from the UAE, with a growing number of people seeking to explore the diverse landscapes and cultures of the continent. In Malaysia, cosmopolitan Kuala Lumpur and the beautiful coastlines beyond – including Langkawi – are increasingly popular. We are delighted to support Batik Air locally, as it opens more options for travel between the UAE and Malaysia.” Datuk Chandran Rama Muthy, Group Strategy Director of Batik Air, added: “Malaysia is rapidly gaining recognition as a vibrant destination, known for its natural beauty, cultural richness, and warm hospitality, with a growing significance for business partnerships and cultural exchanges. With the launch of our direct flights from Dubai to Kuala Lumpur, travellers now have easier access to explore the country. Whether planning a leisurely getaway, a family vacation, or an important business trip, our affordable …

Tourism Malaysia Office in Dubai was recognised as the “Best NTO South East Asia. Director Tourism Malaysia Dubai office, Rosnah Mustafah, reiterated, “ thank you to the organisers DDP Group and the jury for this prestigious award, it is a great responsibility as now we need to work to ensure that we maintain and excel even further. Tourism Malaysia Dubai has actively participated in Travel conferences and exhibitions including Arabian Travel Market 2023, Destinations Seminar presentation with Airlines and Agents and Familiarization Trips for Agents and Media to Malaysia for Middle East Market.” HE Datuk Seri Ahmad Fadil bin Shamsuddin, Ambassador of Malaysia to the UAE graced the occasion of Chief Guest presenting the awards to the stars of the night. It was an amazing night of celebration as the sixth edition of the Arabian Travel Awards concluded recognizing the stars of the travel, tourism and hospitality industry at the Sofitel downtown Dubai. The Chief Guest H.E Datuk Seri Ahmad Fadil Bin Shamsuddin Ambassador of Malaysia to the UAE gracing the occasion shared, “It is an honour and privilege for me to be invited to join the experts in the travel, tourism, and hospitality industry this evening. To the organiser, DDP Group, please accept my appreciation and gratitude in organising the 6th edition of the Arabian Travel Awards, which recognises the contribution of the leaders of travel, tourism and hospitality in the Middle East. ”

Emirates and Batik Air Malaysia announced a codeshare agreement, allowing Emirates’ customers to access 5 domestic Malaysian cities and 3 regional South East Asia points operated by Batik Air via Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA). The Minister of Transport Malaysia, YB Tuan Anthony Loke, graced the launch and lauded the strategic partnership between Emirates and Batik Air, emphasising the numerous opportunities it offers to travellers worldwide. “We are pleased with the partnership, which has the potential to strengthen Malaysia’s role as a prime gateway to the region. We hope to see an increase in KLIA traffic, especially to facilitate connectivity to regional destinations.” The enhanced cooperation was introduced by Orhan Abbas, Emirates’ Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations (Far East) and Datuk Chandran Rama Muthy, Group Strategic Director of Batik Air. Also present at the launch event were Anand Lakshminarayanan Emirates’ Senior Vice President Revenue Optimisation and Airline Partnerships and Saeed Mubarak, Emirates’ Country Manager in Malaysia. In line with the agreement, Emirates will place its code on Batik Air-operated flights to Penang, Kuching, Kota Kinabalu, Langkawi, Johor Bahru, Denpasar, Jakarta and Singapore, offering customers a seamless travel experience as they connect to new destinations using a single ticket, and convenient baggage policy. Emirates’ customers will also have the option to stopover in Kuala Lumpur before proceeding to their final destinations. The airline will further gain access to eight additional destinations operated by Batik Air via Kuala Lumpur for interline transfers. Orhan Abbas commented on this partnership: “Malaysia is an important market in our Far East network and we’re pleased to offer increased connectivity and more options for our customers to new and exciting destinations. Through this partnership, we’ll further expand …

To establish direct air connectivity with one of the world’s popular destinations, Oman’s SalamAir announced the introduction of a direct flight between Muscat and Kuala Lumpur with two flights per week beginning on July 3, 2023. Flights from Muscat to Kuala Lumpur are scheduled for Monday and Friday. The route serves both sides’ high demand for leisure and business tourism. Kuala Lumpur, SalamAir’s first destination in Malaysia, marks the airline’s further expansion into Southeast Asia. For people living in Oman and those wanting to take connecting flights, it’s a convenient non-stop flight to Southeast Asian country for leisure, shopping, or business purposes. Captain Mohamed Ahmed, CEO of SalamAir, said, “The new service marks another milestone in our network expansion strategy. We are delighted to launch flights between Muscat and Kuala Lumpur, providing our customers with a perfect value-for-money product that allows them to be flexible, save on airfare with our competitive pricing, and add services they prefer. The flights will boost tourism, economic relations, business opportunities, and student movements between Oman and Malaysia and serve the overall Oman 2040 vision of supporting the inbound tourism sector as one of the main contributors to the national GDP of the Sultanate of Oman.  We are committed to connecting more destinations along new sectors to establish a strong pan-international presence.” The journey between Muscat and Kuala Lumpur will take about seven hours. With the high demand for unique tourist destinations such as Kuala Lumpur, SalamAir looks forward to welcoming customers onboard these new flights soon. Air tickets for this route and other flights of SalamAir can be purchased on the official website of the airline www.salamair.com, mobile app, call center, as well as …

The fifth edition of the Gulf Travel Show kicked off with a special press conference with Mohamed Amirul Rizal, Senior Deputy Director, International Promotion (Asia Africa) Division Tourism Malaysia chairing the press conference. In his opening remarks he welcomed the media for attending the event sharing that this is the fifth consecutive time that Tourism Malaysia participated as Platinum partner with the Gulf Travel Show to network with the travel agents and tour operator partners in the Middle East, especially in the GCC. He also thanked everyone for their dedication and commitment to make Malaysia top of mind destination in the region. He reiterated that entry requirements to Malaysia are now eased, and you can travel hassle free to explore the destination. It is no longer necessary to have pre-departure nor on arrival PCR tests nor have a special covid insurance etc. Instead, he stated that Malaysia is hassle free and everyone is welcome to travel without any quarantine or testing as their vaccination drive including children and retirees hit over 86% hence after two years of stringent border controls now it is time to explore the destination which has a lot more to offer to guests especially from the Middle East/ GCC countries. Connectivity is of utmost importance for all destinations, sharing his thoughts on this, “we work with our airline partners such as, Emirates, Etihad, Qatar Airways etc, at present we are looking at further strengthening our network with SAUDIA, Egypt Air and Air Arabia to have more connectivity to our destination from the Middle East. After the pandemic and the borders opened we received about 23,000 visitors from the Middle East from 1st April 2022, however, we …

For the fifth consecutive time Tourism Malaysia joins the Gulf Travel Show 5.0, this time as Platinum partner. The event is set to kick off on 28th and 29th September 2022 under the theme of sustainable tourism. Gulf Travel Show (GTS) is the only event which was built in with a purpose. When it first started out just after the pandemic whilst most borders were still closed, it gave the travel, tourism and hospitality fraternity an opportunity to ensure that confidence is restored in the minds of the people passionate about the industry. It was also a tool which connected online GCC buyers with exhibitors from across the globe. The fifth edition or GTS 5.0 demonstrates its commitment to uphold its social responsibility to ensure less carbon emissions yet bring all players to the table and learn and study the stakes, the many opportunities to make things right after a bout of almost two and a half years of pandemic era. Mirza Ghalib – Deputy Director, Tourism Malaysia – Dubai, “Malaysia is thrilled to welcome back Middle East tourists to visit and experience our country again. It is a timely opportunity for us to network with travel agents and tour operator partners from the Gulf region. As the platinum partner of GTS 5.0, Tourism Malaysia is having its own virtual pavilion with 15 booths of Malaysian delegates consisting of tour operator partners, hotels, and product owners.” Some of the partners from Tourism Malaysia expressed their comments as well. Sam Poh Choo, Director of Business Development & Marketing, The Taaras Beach Resort & Spa and Berjaya Tioman Resort “We look forward to creating awareness in the Middle East market for The …

Malaysia has officially reopened its borders to international tourists starting 1st April 2022. Targeting to attract more than 2 million international tourists this year, Tourism Malaysia, the promotional board under the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MOTAC), will embark on a continuous effort to showcase the country’s unique blend of “Truly Asia” heritage to the Middle East and the world. Earlier during the pandemic, Tourism Malaysia launched the campaign #WeMissYou, which was targeted at the Middle East region to invoke feelings of nostalgia among travellers on the magnificent attractions that Malaysia has to offer. Recently, Tourism Malaysia participated in the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2022, where it signed a Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC) with Dubai-based Emirates Airline as part of the recovery and development of traffic to Malaysia from key markets across the airline’s network. Through this strategic agreement, Tourism Malaysia will work with Emirates to explore mutually beneficial initiatives that will drive tourism into Malaysia, and offer Emirates more opportunities to serve the market, which include familiarisation trips, workshops, seminars, digital campaigns, in-flight marketing campaigns and other marketing programs. The mission’s goal at the ATM is to re-establish and strengthen the region’s commitment to good tourist cooperation, future partnerships and better cooperation with the travel and tourism industry. Dato’ Sri Hajah Nancy Shukri, Malaysia’s Tourism Arts and Culture Minister said: “We will continue to place strong emphasis and focus on the Middle Eastern market in terms of outbound tourism. Hence, we will be stepping up our promotional efforts here. “It is indeed a huge relief for the tourism industry as we welcome more international tourists, newcomers and regulars alike, to further boost our economy. Therefore, we hope for …

Tourism Malaysia has outlined its ambitious plans for growth today during an event held at Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2019 in Dubai. The organisation’s participation is designed to support the objectives of the Visit Malaysia 2020 initiative, which aims to attract more than 30 million tourists and around AED 89 billion in tourist receipts. More than 50 representatives from key stakeholders in Malaysia’s travel and hospitality sectors have travelled to the UAE for the event, where they showcased the latest news and updates on the country’s tourism offerings. The GCC remains a key market for inbound tourism to Malaysia, with total arrivals from West Asia standing at 315,733 during 2018, an increase of 25% on 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%. During the same period, visitors from the region contributed more than around AED 2.7 billion to Malaysia’s economy, with tourism receipts rising by 33% compared to 2017. Travellers from GCC countries also recorded the highest average expenditure per person, with visitors from Saudi Arabia spending around AED 10,300, United Arab Emirates around AED 8,300, Oman around AED 7,500, and Kuwait around AED 7,400. Y B Datuk Mohamaddin bin Ketapi, Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Malaysia commented, “It is particularly relevant for us to be here during the national Year of Tolerance, which highlights the common values of our two countries by emphasising on the importance of diversity and harmonious coexistence. We look forward to further building on our shared legacy of cultural exchange and extend a warm invitation to travellers from the Middle East to …