Minister of Tourism, Malaysia, visited Sydney Tuesday night (24 Aug) as part of an official sales mission to meet with key industry partners to share objectives and innovative plans to build on Tourism Malaysia’s recent success in the Australian market.

The Honourable Dato’ Sri Dr. Ng Yen Yen met with key industry individuals in Sydney on Tuesday evening.

The Honourable Dato’ Sri Dr. Ng Yen Yen, reported that Australian visitors to Malaysia are at an all time high with 251,695 short term arrivals from Australia between January and June 2010, a 13.7% increase on the same period last year. This follows a 25% increase in arrivals from Australia in 2009.

Dato’ Sri Dr. Ng Yen Yen, Minister of Tourism, Malaysia, says that support from key industry partners, Malaysia’s unique product offering and ongoing efforts to develop innovative events and experiences to attract visitors have contributed to the country’s success.

“Malaysia offers an affordable, safe and stable destination with an amazing diversity of cultural and natural attractions. Beachside resorts, city breaks and adventure experiences have all attracted Australians to Malaysia,” said the Minister.

“Malaysia enjoys strong support from the industry in Australia and we want to celebrate the recent good results with our partners and share our plans to build on Malaysia’s position as a preferred destination.”

The Minister says that Tourism Malaysia’s core strategy includes plans to strengthen nature, culture and event based tourism.

“Going forward we will continue to develop unique events, eco and nature based tourism, and authentic cultural experiences, all of which will appeal to Australian travellers.”

The Ministry are continuing efforts to increase the number of attractions listed as UNESCO World Heritage sites. George Town, Mulu National Park and Kinabalu National Park, are already listed and two other nominations, Taman Negara National Park in Pahang and the Lanjak- Entimau Wildlife Sanctuary and Batang Ai National Park in Sarawak, are up for future consideration.

Eco Tourism destinations such as Sepilok Orang-Utan Sanctuary and Rantau Abang Turtle Hatchery have proven popular and Tourism Malaysia will continue to support product development and programmes that protect the natural environment.

Events have also been key to Tourism Malaysia’s marketing strategy and the organisation intends to build on the success of the existing events line-up which includes The Colours of Malaysia Festival, The Malaysia International Floral Parade and the Malaysia Megasales carnival, by adding three new major events to the annual calendar.

The MICE industry is also proving a significant driver of growth from Australia. There were an estimated 1.18 million MICE arrivals in 2009, a 150% increase since the opening on the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre in 2005. For Australians, Malaysia’s state of the art facilities, value for money, close proximity and stability make it a popular choice.

With a booming industry, product development in Malaysia has been significant. In 2010 no less than five new luxury resort developments will open with a total of 270 rooms. An additional 14 new resorts are planned before 2014.