MEDIA OVERPLAY ON H1N1 SCARED AWAY CHINESE TOURISTS

By Vincent Low

BEIJING, July 20 (Bernama) -- An overplay of news reports pertaining to the
Influenza A (H1N1) by local and Malaysian media, could have led to a 20.5 per
cent drop in Chinese tourists to Malaysia, since the flu outbreak in May, said
Malaysia's Tourism Minister Dr Ng Yen Yen.

As such, she said, she would seek an audience with her Chinese counterpart
to discuss the matter as soon as possible to save the tourism industry which was
badly affected.

Dr Ng said this in her opening speech during a dialogue session with Chinese
tour operators in Westin Beijing Chaoyang Hotel Monday morning.

She said, H1N1, also known as swine flu, and the global economic crisis were
among the causes for the slowdown in the tourism industry.

The daily reports in newspapers on H1N1 had created fear among the people
and scared away tourists who wanted to visit Malaysia, added Dr Ng.

The nightmare of the 2003 SARS outbreak in China has prompted the Chinese
authorities to take preventive measures against contracting the H1N1, and their
population is well-informed of the pandemic situation by the local media.

Meanwhile, Dr Ng told Chinese tour operators that Tourism Malaysia would
like to bring in more Chinese golfers who used to travel to tropical countries
for the game, during their winter holiday.

She also asked a Tourism Malaysia official in Beijing to set up a special
consultative committee with local tour operators to study ways to promote
'Golfer Tourism' which includes information on Malaysian golf clubs and staging
of golf tournaments.

"We have agreed to cooperate with local newspapers, magazines and televison
stations to put up more articles or video footages about Malaysian islands,"
said Dr Ng, in reply to requests from Chinese tour operators keen on introducing
tour packages on specific Malaysian islands.

She also told the tour operators that in future, all Tourism Malaysia
promotional brochures and leaflets for China's market would be designed and
produced locally, to suit the tastes of the local tourist.

Tourism Malaysia wants Malaysia Airlines and Air Asia to work with hotel
operators to create special packages for their Chinese passengers on transit
flights at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport to stay a night or two in
Malaysia before taking connecting flights to Australia and New zealand.

Dr Ng said, such transit passengers could choose to stay overnight in hotels
in Port Dickson or Malacca, and be exposed to the beautiful beaches and the
like.

-- BERNAMA