Tourism Malaysia Targets Three Mln Indonesian Tourists

By Elmi Rizal Elias JAKARTA, March 12 (Bernama) -- Tourism Malaysia has targeted to get three million tourist arrivals from Indonesia in conjunction with the Visit Malaysia Year (TMM) 2014. Its director-general, Mirza Mohammad Taiyab said Indonesia, which has a population exceeding 200 million, has always been an important market to the Malaysian tourism industry. He said the Indonesian tourist arrivals had increased in the last few years, making the republic the second highest tourists to visit Malaysia after Singapore last year. "We hope the VMY2014 which offers over 260 activities and events could entice more Indonesian tourists to Malaysia," he told reporters after launching the 'Go More to Malaysia & Drive a Proton Home' contest for Indonesian tourists visiting Malaysia here Tuesday. Mirza said the Indonesian tourist arrivals were record high last year at 2.54 million, an increase of 6.9 percent compared to 2.38 million in 2012. Meanwhile, Mirza said Tourism Malaysia targeted to woo 28 million tourists, apart from three million from Indonesia, and rake in US$23.13 billion (RM76 billion) in tourism revenue during the VMY2014 themed 'Celebrating 1Malaysia Truly Asia'. He said in 2013, the Malaysian tourism revenue reached US$19.91 billion (RM65.44 billion), up 8.1 per cent from US$18.43 billion (RM60.56 billion) in 2012 while tourist arrivals increased by 2.7 per cent to 25.7 million from 25 million in 2012. On the contest, he said various prizes, including the grand prize of a Proton Preve, were up for grabs by Indonesian tourists during the VMY2014 from Jan 1 to Dec 31. Other prizes are 10 United Bike bicycles, five Galaxy Note 3, 40 Malaysia Airlines air tickets, and 59 vouchers from Malaysia hotels. -- BERNAMA