Malaysia's State Tourism Agencies Showcase Attractions In Berlin

March 14, 2011 - PRLog -- A number of Malaysian states are participating in the International Tourism Bourse (ITB) in Berlin, along with other representatives of travel, tour agencies and hotels.Saari Md Nooh, Director of Johore Tourism Department, said the company at participated in trade fairs in Hong Kong and elsewhere but this was its maiden participation in Berlin.

"We have received queries from travel agents from Germany as well as from individual German tourists and senior citizens interested in visiting Johor."However, this show has a strong international flavour reflected in the fact that we have visits from travel agents in Poland, France and Italy.

"We are marketing our islands. Europeans prefer the sun, beaches and rain forest, all of which are available in Johor," Saari told Bernama.Ooi Geok Ling, managing director of Penang Global Tourism, who was at ITB for the second time, said her maiden participation last year was a "success".

Penang's strong pull is its cultural and historical heritage, reflected in the ethnic mix and their culinary delights."In the 1970s, we were selling our beaches but now we are emphasing our culture. Visitors to Penang are so impressed by our culture that they wonder why Penang has been so under-marketed in the past.

"Penang epitomizes the 'Truly Asia' character of Malaysia's tourism campaign. With the strong presence of Chinese and Indian population, Penang is a culinary paradise. Unfortunately, Penang as a UN culture and historical heritage has not been properly depicted."Also, Penang's airport needs urgent expansion. The current capacity at our terminal is 3.5 million which was exceeded last year," Ooi added.

Many Germans at the Penang booth were surprised by the culinary diversity which the island offers."I didn't know that you had such a rich variety of Indian dishes," said Bernd Hauptmann, a business traveller who frequently visits India to meet his Indian collaborators.

Norazman Yussuf, assistant manager of Langkawi Development Authority (LADA), highlighted the island's beaches."We are a UNESCO global geopark for our geological and ecological heritage. We have the oldest formation, about 550 million years old.

"Consequently, we are targeting tourists who have an interest in ecology and science. But we are also promoting Langkawi's idyllic beauty as a perfect setting for organising Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE). We are giving special benefits for large groups of over 50 persons," Norazman added.

Norazman, like many other exhibitors, felt that the best growth of incoming tourists would come from China and India whose cash-rich nationals are venturing to more exotic places after overcoming their initial obsession with shopping destinations.But Langkawi's bulk of traffic comes from the neighbourhood Thailand, Singapore and Indonesia.

Malaysia would do well to observe the shifting trends in foreign tourism.Eco-tourism is becoming more and more popular in many Western markets, notably in Europe.Some Malaysian exhibitors were already highlighting the strong eco-tourism component in their offer.

Source Reference : bernama

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