Malaysia’s tourism ministry identifies potential new markets in Middle East, Central Asia

GEORGE TOWN, 16 Feb, 2020, Bernama. The Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture is looking for new markets to boost the country’s tourism sector following the Covid-19 outbreak in China, Malay Mail reported.

MOTAC’s secretary-general Datuk Dr Noor Zari Hamat said apart from the domestic market, the ministry had identified countries in the Middle East and Central Asia as the new potential markets in its effort to boost tourist arrivals into the country in conjunction with the Visit Malaysia Year 2020.

“In this context, we are focusing on countries in the Middle East and Central Asia, particularly India which has been showing an increase in terms of arrivals into the country between 2018 and 2019, at 22 per cent.

“MOTAC also will carry out promotional programmes in Berlin, Saudi Arabia and several other countries which have been identified,” he told reporters when met at the Roadshow Townhall Tourism Recovery Action Committee (TRAC) with the state tourism industry players programme here today.

It was the second TRAC after Kota Kinabalu, Sabah last week.

Noor Zari said the ministry had been receiving good cooperation from tour agencies and airlines, in terms of promoting Malaysia at both domestic and international levels.

The Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (Matta) will hold a large-scale event to provide a further boost to our tourism sector at the end of next month, he said.