Over 70% of Malaysian Tourism Operators Ready to Welcome ASEAN Tourists

Published at Jan 17, 2025 09:13 pm
Over 70% of Malaysian tourism operators have expressed that they are prepared to welcome ASEAN regional tourists during Malaysia's chairmanship of ASEAN in 2025.

Director of the Malaysian Tourism Promotion Board, Datuk Manoharan, stated that preparations include introducing tourists to various unique tourist attractions to highlight Malaysia's advantages as a major tourist destination in Southeast Asia.

During a media interview on Friday (17th), he said: “Moreover, although many ASEAN countries have similar tourist selling points, such as beaches and cuisine, Malaysia stands out with its rich and diverse culture.”

“Unlike other countries that may have only one predominant ethnic group, Malaysia is a harmonious multicultural country, including Malay, Chinese, Indian, Kadazan, and Iban people, among others. This cultural harmony is our advantage in attracting tourists.”

Manoharan believes that the slogan 'Malaysia, Truly Asia' still applies to tourism promotion because considering Malaysia’s unique culture and characteristics, our country becomes an ideal destination for tourists wanting to experience Asia's cultural diversity.

Coinciding with Malaysia's tenure as the ASEAN chair, he reminds tourists to choose travel agencies’ tour packages cautiously, as there have been some tourism fraud cases domestically.

“If a tour package originally costs 10,000 ringgit but is sold for only 2,000 ringgit, that's very suspicious. Please carefully verify before making payment, check reviews, and ensure the offer's authenticity.”

“It is also essential to do this when choosing accommodations such as homestays to avoid unpleasant experiences.”

Manoharan warns against easily trusting offers that seem too good to be true to avoid being deceived.

Malaysia officially took over the ASEAN chairmanship for 2025 from Laos during the 44th and 45th ASEAN Summit closing ceremony held in Vientiane, Laos, on October 11 last year.

Malaysia has previously held the ASEAN chairmanship in 1977, 1997, 2005, and 2015.

ASEAN was established on August 8, 1967, and currently consists of ten Southeast Asian countries: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Author

Chan Meow Woan


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