Malaysia’s commitment to attracting more Middle Eastern tourists continues as Deputy Minister of Tourism, Arts & Culture Malaysia Khairul Firdaus Akbar Khan leads Tourism Malaysia and Malaysian delegates to participate in the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) in Dubai.
The event, held from 1st to 4th May 2023 at the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC), provides an excellent platform to market and promote Malaysia’s latest attractions and destinations.
Tourism Malaysia participates in ATM 2023
Malaysia’s participation in the Arabian Travel Market has been ongoing for 29 years, and this year marks its 29th anniversary. The event is a strong testimony to Malaysia’s support of the event and its commitment to attracting more Middle Eastern tourists to the country.
The ATM 2023 offers an opportunity for Malaysia to showcase its latest attractions and destinations for shopping, family fun, eco-adventure, honeymoon, luxury holidays, and safe travel destinations.
The Malaysian delegation at the ATM 2023 comprises 76 organizations that include hotels and resorts, travel agents, tourism product owners, and representatives from various state governments.
Among them are the Langkawi Development Authority (LADA), Penang Global Tourism, Sabah Tourism Board, Sarawak Tourism Board, Tourism Melaka, Tourism Pahang, and Tourism Johor. The mission aims to establish good tourism cooperation and engage in future collaborations and cooperation with the travel and tourism industry in the Middle East.
Malaysia’s commitment to attracting more Middle Eastern tourists
During the launch, Khairul reiterated Malaysia’s commitment to attracting more tourists from the Middle East to Malaysia. In line with Visit Malaysia in 2025, Tourism Malaysia aims to make Malaysia the top destination for Muslim travellers.
The delegation will also meet with the top management of a few Middle Eastern airlines such as Qatar Airways, Emirates, Etihad Airways, Saudia Airlines, Air Arabia, Oman Air and Salam Air to discuss future collaborations, besides having several interviews with the local media.
On the 2nd and 3rd May 2023, Khairul will witness the signing of two Memorandum of Collaboration (MOC) between Tourism Malaysia and Saudia Airlines and Tourism Malaysia with Air Arabia. The MOC is expected to benefit the Malaysian economy and strengthen economic ties through the tourism industry between Malaysia, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.
Following the signing of the Memorandum of Collaboration, Khairul will host a ‘Malaysia Nite Gala Dinner’ on 2nd May 2023. The event is a way to thank the tourism fraternity in Dubai and the local media for their support and assistance in promoting Malaysia.
Since the full reopening of international borders, Malaysia has recorded a total of 10.07 million tourist arrivals and RM28.2 billion (AED 23.5 billion) in tourist receipts in 2022, surpassing its initial target of 9.2 million international tourist arrivals.
In 2023, Malaysia is targeting to welcome 16.1 million international tourist arrivals, including 300,000 tourists from the West Asia region, and generate RM49.2 billion (AED 41.1 billion) in tourist receipts.