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Ministry seeks more Malaysian tourists through road shows
In a bid to increase the number of Malaysian tourists coming to Indonesia, the Tourism Ministry is set to hold a road show from April 26 to 28 in three Malaysian cities, namely Seremban, Malaka and Johor Bahru.
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A view of the Kuala Lumpur skyline in Malaysia. (Shutterstock/File)
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n a bid to increase the number of Malaysian tourists coming to Indonesia, the Tourism Ministry is set to hold a roadshow from April 26 to 28 in three Malaysian cities, namely Seremban, Malaka and Johor Bahru.
The first day will start with a table-top event in Seremban then moving on to Malaka and Johor Bahru.
“Malaysia is a potential market for Indonesia since it is geographically close and both countries have similar cultures,” said the ministry's deputy for overseas promotion, I Gde Pitana.
The three cities are located on the western peninsula of Malaysia. Seremban and Malaka are close to Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia, while Johor Bahru’s airport offers direct flights to Indonesia. The city can also be reached by ferry from Riau province.
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Currently, Malaysia takes the fourth spot for the number of tourists that come to Indonesia, after China, Singapore and Australia. In 2015, up to 1,200,202 Malaysian tourists visited the country, a 5.95 percent decrease from the year before, when 1,276,105 visitors were recorded. In 2016, there was an increase to 1,225,458 visitors.
“We’re aiming to attract 1,772,000 Malaysian tourists in 2017,” said Pitana.
The ministry has partnered with 20 travel and tourism agencies and businesses, including tour operators and hotels, to promote the government's 10 prioritized tourist destinations, which it calls the New Balis.
“To get the top outbound buyers from the three cities, we’re coordinating with the Visit Indonesia Tourism Officer [VITO] Malaysia and the Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents [MATTA], which is the biggest travel agent association in Malaysia,” he added. (kes)
