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Official Expects Tourists from Seoul to Top 100,000 This Year
Malaysia is kicking off its tourism promotion targeting Korea under the guidance of its recently appointed director to Korea Abdul Mutalib Awang. Under the tag line of "Malaysia Truly Asia," the country's tourism promotion board is attempting to attract more Koreans, whose share in the Malaysian tourist market is considered to be very small so far.
"Our main source of tourists is Singapore, being the closest to Malaysia, contributing more than 60 percent of arrivals every year. But I think Korea is a market with very high potential," Awang said.
"Last year about 60,000 Koreans visited Malaysia, and this year we're expecting more Koreans," he said, adding, "We hope that the number will increase this year to 100,000. "While the goal is ambitious, Awang believes it can be achieved. "As of June this year we have seen an increase of over 50 percent in Korean tourists, and with the flight to Penang from Incheon by Korean Air three times a week, I expect we can achieve the 100,000 goal by the end of this year," he said.
Future potential is even greater, he believes. "Every year, there are more than 7 million outbound travels from Korea, which is expected to reach 8 million this year," said Awang. Most of the travelers have been bound for Japan, China and the United States, but Awang hopes to attract more of them through various promotions. "We are running TV commercials from August to November, and advertisements in local newspapers and several magazines," he said.
Malaysia is also trying to create incentives for travel agents to market Malaysia, and also is targeting the corporate sector as well as individuals. he said. "Most of the Koreans prefer leisure attractions such as resorts," which Malaysia surely can offer, he said.
"We have beautiful islands, some of which have five-star resorts, such as Langkawi, Kinabalu and Penang. And of course, Kuala Lumpur is a modern city where tourists can do shopping and visit various places of interests," Awang said. Malaysia also beckons Koreans with beautiful destinations such as Kinabalu.
Besides staying in a resort, there are many activities including mountain climbing, trekking, rafting, and golf, as well as visiting eco-tourism sites or national parks, he added.
Malaysia is a tropical country so it's great to visit any time of the year although the monsoon season is from November to January. Even then you can still travel despite occasional rain showers, as there are daily flights to the resort islands, Awang emphasized.
When you visit Malaysia do not forget to get yourself a batik, a hand-dyed fabric, a specialty of the country and probably the best souvenir item, he said. He also recommended vases and other handicraft items.
Awang also encouraged visitors to have their fill of different cuisines when in Malaysia. "As it has Malay, Chinese and Indians as well as other smaller ethnic groups such as Portuguese, we have a variety of food. Penang especially is called the heaven of food," he said.
The most popular choices would be satay, sliced chicken or meat marinated and barbecued, and nasi lemak, a coconut milk fried rice that people eat for breakfast, usually with chili or eggs, Awang added.
The country is celebrating its national Independence Day from British colonial rule today, and there will be various events including a national parade. "We showcase the diversity of Malaysian culture through organizing a lot of events such as Colors of Malaysia, Malaysia Formula One and Mega Sales that travelers from all over the world can enjoy," he said.
Malaysia
