langkawi magazine

Archives SECTION

Direct Flights Will Bring In More Swedes

Tourism Malaysia expects a 30% to 40% increase in tourist arrivals from Sweden next year following the recent introduction of direct flights between Kuala Lumpur and here, its director here Ahmad Johanif Mohd Ali said.

He said 19,706 Swedes visited Malaysia in the first nine months of this year compared to 29,250 for the whole of last year.

He said many Swedes travelled overseas during the winter season to look for `sun, sea and sand.`

`Their main destinations in Malaysia are Langkawi, Kuala Lumpur, Taman Negara and Sabah and Sarawak,` Ahmad Johanif told Malaysian reporters who were here recently on Malaysia Airlines' (MAS) inaugural flight to Stockholm.

He said Swedish tourists spent an average of about 10 nights in Malaysia.

He also said Tourism Malaysia would try to attract Swedish golfers to play in Malaysia as there were some 600,000 registered golfers in Sweden.

`The good thing is that MAS gives free allowance for golf sets on its flights,` said Ahmad Johanif who is in charge of tourism promotion in Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Iceland and the Baltic countries of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

He said Tourism Malaysia would try to penetrate the tourism market in the Baltic countries as there was potential in these three fast-developing countries.

MAS began flying to Stockholm on Nov 1 with the thrice-weekly flights leaving Kuala Lumpur on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays. From Stockholm, the flights continue to New York before making the return trip to Kuala Lumpur via Stockholm.

Among those on board the inaugural flight were MAS managing director Datuk Ahmad Fuaad Dahlan and Swedish Ambassador to Malaysia Bruno Beijer.

STOCKHOLM 10/11/2004