Malaysia eyes UK market - TravelMole


Malaysia eyes UK market

Friday, 26 Apr, 2004 0

Advantage Travel Centres Conference 2004 Special: The UK is a key target market for Malaysia due to traditional connections through the Commonwealth and through a favourable exchange rate.

 

Director general for Tourism Malaysia, Datuk Abdullah Jonid told a conference of mostly local journalists: “We are very excited about the UK market, and with 22 direct flights from the UK to Malaysia [18 from London, 4 from Manchester with Malaysia Airlines] we expect this to grow further.”

 

According to Tourism Malaysia, arrivals from the UK grew 46.5% to 50,943 in the first three months of 2004.

 

Mr Jonid said the countries are brought closer through Malaysia’s participation in the British Commonwealth, and the fact that English is widely spoken and understood in the country. He added that a favourable exchange rate, of about seven Malaysian Ringgits to the British pound made the country inexpensive for UK holidaymakers. He said: “Having a holiday here almost means enjoying a 700% discount for British tourists.”

 

At the same conference, Advantage Travel Centres president, Roger Smith congratulated the work done by Tourism Malaysia and Malaysia Airlines, saying promotions for the country were all over billboards and buses in London.

 

The recently appointed managing director for Malaysia Airlines, Dato’Ahmad Fuaad Dahlan said the airline was doing much to further UK services. He said that there are plans to upgrade first and business class cabins later this year and that the airline will take delivery of six Airbus A380 aircraft in 2007.

 

The airline now offers direct flights from the UK to Penang and Langkawi, something tourism director general, Mr Jonid said has done much to promote the two resorts.

 

Mr Jonid said he hoped the conference would boost relations between the UK travel trade and Malaysia. He said: “It is a feather in our cap to get Advantage to consider Malaysia and bring nearly 400 delegates here.”

 

He added: “The conference is also an educational exercise.”

 

Mr Smith agreed, saying that Journey Travel Insurance’s Patrick Chong, once a resident of Kuala Lumpur, had done much to encourage Advantage to host the event in the Malaysian city. Mr Smith also said that Saturday’s “Dine-A-Round” event, which splits the delegates into groups of 50 to dine in local restaurants sponsored by various suppliers, was important. He said: “It is a good chance for delegates to absorb local culture so they are not just eating in hotels.”

 

Report by Ginny McGrath



Related News Stories:  



 

profileimage

Ginny McGrath



Most Read

James Jin: Didatravel’s Journey from China to Global Reach and the Impact of AI on Travel

Darren Schaefer on Pensacola’s Evolution: From Small Town to Global Destination

Florida Tourism’s Next Frontier: Dana Young on Expanding Beyond the Classics

Patrick Harrison on Tampa Bay Tourism’s Resilience and Marketing Strategy

Bubba O’Keefe on Clarksdale’s Vibrant Music Scene

Commemorating Elvis and Embracing Tupelo’s Culture with Jennie Bradford Curlee

Craig Ray and the Expansion of the Blues Trail

Presenting Mississippi’s Cultural Trails with Katie Coats

Robert Terrell: A Journey Through BB King’s Influence

Rochelle Hicks: Celebrating Mississippi’s Musical Legacy

Exploring Jacksonville with Katie Mitura: The Flip Side of Florida

Tricia Handley-Hughes of Inteletravel announces the location for the TravelQuest 2025 conference
TRAINING & COMPETITION

Our emails to you has bounced travelmole.com Or You can change your email from your profile Setting Section

Your region selection will be saved in your cookie for future visits. Please enable your cookie for TravelMole.com so this dialog box will not come up again.

Price Based Country test mode enabled for testing United States (US). You should do tests on private browsing mode. Browse in private with Firefox, Chrome and Safari