Tourism Malaysia eyes RM41 billion revenue from Asean tourists’

Tourism Malaysia is aiming RM41 billion in revenue from Asean tourists’ expenditure in the country for this year, said Asean Tourism Malaysia director Syed Yahya Syed Othman. He said Tourism Malaysia was confident the target could be achieved with various strategies and promotions, including introducing the East Coast region as a new tourist destination for regional tourists.

“This year we anticipate an increase of 20 million Asean tourists to Malaysia from 19 million last year,” he told reporters during the ‘East Coast Trail’ programme in Kuala Terengganu on Wednesday night. He said last year’s figure comprised 74 per cent of the overall 25 million tourists visiting the country.

The three-day programme was organised to attract more tourists from Asean countries to visit the East Coast region and subsequently raise the state’s economic growth, especially in the tourism sector.

“We are inviting tourism agents, media groups, bloggers and film producers from throughout Asean to visit places of interest in Terengganu, including Kelah Sanctuary in Tasik Kenyir.

Tourism Malaysia was holding matching business sessions between tourism agents from Pahang, Kelantan and Terengganu and those from Asean countries to discuss on producing new products that focused on the East Coast region, he said.

He said at present many tourists from Asean countries still did not know that many attractive places could be found in the three states.