Kuala Lumpur Mayor’s Tourism Awards 2014

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia’s capital city is home to 1.6 million people of many different races, religions and cultures. It is a diverse city where Malays, Chinese, Indians and others have all injected their own uniqueness into the Art, Language, Architecture and Food Scenes. With over 150 years of rich history, Kuala Lumpur offers visitors a vibrant, multi-faceted experience that will thrill the senses, warm the heart and captivate the imagination. As an all-inclusive destination, KL has attracted 13.3 million tourists in 2012 and this has ranked Kuala Lumpur as the 6th Mist Visited City in the World by Euromonitor International’s Top City Destinations.

A pulsating city, ‘KL’ as the locals fondly call it, is a modern metropolis that still oozes old-world charm. Exploring the city, whether by public transport or on foot, visitors will find a cityscape that is a blend of the contemporary and traditional, with hawker stalls and pre-war shop-houses alongside skyscrapers and sophisticated buildings. Like many Asian cities, KL has also retained a majority of its historical buildings and many tranquil places including lush green parks and gardens. It is this backdrop that got the city voted as the 8th Best Skyline Ranking in the World by The Telegraph World’s Best Skyline Ranking 2013.

Staying in KL is very affordable and comfortable. With a large variety of accommodations options, visitors will find the most luxurious local and international brand hotels to budget hotels and back-packer inns and everything in between.

KL is a world-class shopping destination that has attracted millions of people from around the world to come here each year to indulge in some retail therapy. In 2013 CNN Travel ranked it as the 4th Best Shopping City In The World. The judging for this award was based on four criteria, namely ease of getting around, value for money, variety and overall experience. Having scored highly in all criteria, KL was the only city that was awarded full marks for ‘value for money’. The Global Shoppers Index also voted it as the 2nd Best Shopping Destination in Asia Pacific in 2012.

Because of its cosmopolitan population and diverse cultural heritage, Kuala Lumpur is a melting pot of diversity that shows most evidently through its food. Along with the local flavours that stem from Malay, Indian and Chinese cooking, there is also a huge choice of international cuisine available. There is a range of fine dining restaurants serving French, Italian, Mediterranean as well as other European fare that puts the city on world gastronomical map. There is an equal choice of Asian restaurants that include Japanese, Korean, Chinese and Indian among others.

A City, where business is easily blended with pleasure, KL has a growing MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions) industry. Offering MICE organisers international facilities with the additional advantage of a uniquely Asian experience, KL has become a preferred MICE destination. Having been voted as the 8th Most Popular Convention City in APAC and 31st Globally by the International Congress and Convention Association in 2012.

Many of the international recognitions for tourism that Kuala Lumpur has received in recent years is due to a concerted effort from all the stakeholders within the industry. The Kuala Lumpur Mayor’s Tourism Awards 2014 is designed to identify the best of the best in the city’s industry, and to celebrate these stars who have contributed to make KL a world preferred tourist destination.