Penang tops list for medical tourism

GEORGE TOWN: Penang accounted for 60% of 555,000 foreign medical tourists to Malaysia last year for healthcare services.


Northern Corridor Implementation Autho-rity (NCIA) chief executive officer Datuk Redza Rafiq Abdul Razak said seven private hospitals from the Penang Health Association (PHA) recorded a revenue of RM280bil in the past year.

“A total of 333,000 people sought medical treatment from hospitals such as Pantai Mutiara Hospital, Lam Wah Ee Hospital, Mount Miriam Cancer Hospital, Loh Guan Lye Spe-cialist Hospital, Gleneagles Hospital, Penang Adventist Hospital and Island Hospital.

“Among those who came to Penang for medical tourism were from southern Thailand and Australia,” he told a press conference in conjunction with the International Conference for Cancer Caregivers yesterday.

He added that NCIA was collaborating with the association to penetrate into other countries such as Cambodia, Bangladesh and Myanmar. “We are stepping up efforts to promote medical tourism among foreign tourists through several measures including flight incentives which would be announced later,” he said.

Penang Adventist Hospital marketing and business development manager Ng Gim Bee said the state expected an annual growth of 15% on foreign medical tourists to Penang. “Foreigners come to Penang mostly for open heart surgeries and procedures, and dental care,” she said.
-thestar online.

 

 

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Foreign trips raised tourism revenue by RM635mil, says Ng Yen Yen

KUALA LUMPUR: The foreign trips and promotions by the Tourism Minister last year generated an increase of RM635.3mil in foreign exchange revenues compared to 2010, Parliament was told. The increase could be derived from the promotions of prestige tourism and high spending tourists to Malaysia.

In 2011, foreign tourists spending in the shopping sector alone made up 30% of the total revenue for the industry, which is RM17.5bil compared to 28.7% or RM16.2bil in the previous year, the minister, Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen told Teresa Kok (DAP-Seputeh) during Question Time. 

 
Kok had asked the ministry to list the minister's foreign trips and tourism promotion from 2010. Dr Ng said that the official promotional visits to various countries had also increased tourist arrivals, boost revenue as well as opening new markets.
In 2011, we went for several promotional visits, including to Iran, Indonesia, China, Russia, Philippines, Vietnam, and United Arab Emirates in conjunction with the Arab Travel Mart, Dr Ng said. For instance, tourists from China increased by 10.6% from 1,130,261 visitors in 2010 to 1,250,536 in 2011, generating 12.6% increase in revenue from RM3.1bil to RM3.5bil. 

 
This year, from January to August, we visited Singapore, Philippines, and Germany in conjunction with the Internationale Tourismus Borse (ITB), she said.

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Raub Celebrates 1Malaysia Contemporary Art Tourism Festival

RAUB, PAHANG, 29 SEPTEMBER 2012: Raub will be a hive of creative activity this weekend with the state-level celebration of the 1Malaysia Contemporary Art Tourism Festival launched by the Minister of Tourism, YB Dato’ Sri Dr. Ng Yen Yen, at the Stadium Bola Keranjang MCA, Raub today. It is organised by Gabungan Persatuan Pelukis SeMalaysia (GAP’s) and Tourism Malaysia with the support of Jabatan Pelajaran Pahang.


The two-day event sees a total of 300 students from primary and secondary schools in Raub getting first-hand tips on art as they are mentored by 20 of Malaysia’s talented artists, from the Gabungan Persatuan Pelukis SeMalaysia (GAP’s) during an art competition.

The artists’ mentorship is expected to provide the students with useful advice and tips to improve the quality of their submissions as well enhance their knowledge and appreciation of art in the long term.

The weekend’s activities in Raub continue with an “action painting” session where a group of four artists (Suzlee Ibrahim, Mohd Faizal Md Suhif, Jamil Zakaria and Mohd Khairudin Zainudin) attempt to complete several paintings within an hour based on the theme Ceria/Festival, enabling the public to witness the artists’ creative process live. The second day will have an art competition open to the public.

The “I Love Raub” graffiti art will also be demonstrated by a group of 20 artists on a wall outside the stadium. Meanwhile, members of Gabungan Persatuan Pelukis SeMalaysia (GAPS) will share their experiences as artists and explain about Malaysian art in a special presentation.

BACKGROUND ON 1MALAYSIA CONTEMPORARY ART TOURISM FESTIVAL

Held for the third consecutive year, the 1Malaysia Contemporary Art Tourism (1MCAT) Festival was initiated in 2010 to diversify Malaysia’s tourism product offerings and establish Malaysia as a reputable destination for art aficionados in the region to enjoy and acquire contemporary art, with museum-quality pieces in line with the theme “Malaysia, Your New Art Tourism Destination.”

The event, with a series of nationwide art-related events organized from July to September, serves as a platform to promote Malaysian artists and artworks to a global audience as well as groom and launch the careers of young Malaysian artists.

The first 1Malaysia Contemporary Art Tourism Festival in 2010 recorded 42,000 visitors and about RM14 million in art sales throughout the three-month festival from July to September. One of the most significant turn of events during the festival was the success of the Henry Butcher Art Auction, a first in Malaysia, which recorded sales of RM1.7 million in a single afternoon with 90% of the works sold.

The following year, the Henry Butcher Art Auction registered total sales of over RM3 million, while in 2012, total sales was RM4.1 million, proving that apart from a growing interest in collecting Malaysian artworks, the secondary art market for Malaysian artworks is well and truly on the rise as well.

This year’s festival saw art events being held in Langkawi, Pahang, Penang, Melaka, Sabah and Sarawak. A landmark event at this year’s festival was the official launch of the Ministry of Tourism Art Gallery located at Precinct 5, Putrajaya, by Deputy Prime Minister YAB Tan Sri Dato’ Muhyiddin Haji Mohd Yassin on 13 September.
-Tourism Malaysia.

 

 

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Iskandar Malaysia not quite Orlando yet, say buyers

The mainstream media have repeatedly described the Iskandar Malaysia region in Johor as the Orlando of South-east Asia, but according to buyers at the recent PATA Travel Mart in Manila, this label needs to be taken with a pinch of salt.

Tushar Jain, director, BTC Tours & Travel New Delhi, said it would be difficult for Iskandar Malaysia’s theme parks to gain a following among Indian travellers, given the overwhelming popularity of Universal Studios Singapore.

“There’s hardly been any promotions in India for Legoland, Sanrio Hello Kitty Town and The Little Big Club. Indians have therefore been left in the dark about these new theme parks,” he said. “Secondly, the parks in Iskandar are aimed at young children, whereas Universal Studios Singapore caters to all ages. From a business perspective, it makes more sense for us to bring clients just to Universal Studios when they visit Singapore.”

According to Leo Chan, marketing manager, Charlotte Travel Hong Kong, visitors from Hong Kong to Singapore would see little sense in heading over the border to Johor unless “they were die-hard Hello Kitty or Lego fans”.

“When Hong Kong tourists visit Singapore, they stay for only four days. They do not want to visit more than one theme park (besides Universal Studios) during that time, especially if they have to travel out of Singapore. However, they might hop over to Johor on subsequent trips,” he said.

Dennis Law, managing director, Star Holiday Mart Singapore, was also circumspect about the prospects for the Iskandar theme parks in drawing visitors from outside Malaysia and Singapore. “Iskandar currently suffers from a lack of tourism infrastructure such as hotels and restaurants to make the region an attractive and viable destination for foreign travellers. This might change in future, but for now, this is a sizeable obstacle,” he said.

“Cost is another impeding factor. Visitors have to fork out around US$85 each to visit all three Iskandar theme parks. However, if the parks can band together to develop value-for-money packages, they might just be able to draw visitors from Singapore and other parts of Malaysia,” he added.

-TTG Asia.

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Tourism Malaysia Participates In PATA Travel Mart 2012

PUTRAJAYA, 25 SEPTEMBER 2012: Tourism Malaysia is once again participating in this year’s PATA Travel Mart at the SMX Convention Centre, Manila, the largest private venue in the Philippines from 25 to 28 September 2012. It promises to be a huge event, with a registry of 305 buyers from 52 countries and 232 sellers from 29 countries.

The Malaysian delegation is led by Tourism Malaysia’s Deputy Director-General, Dato’ Haji Azizan Noordin, who is accompanied by sellers who will be there to help promote Malaysia to the global tourism market. Among the sellers include big names in the local tourism industry, such as Holiday Villa Hotels & Resorts, Sutera Harbour Resort, as well as LEGOLAND Malaysia.

This year, the Malaysian delegation is housed in a special pavilion. The design is based on the Rebana Ubi, a traditional giant drum, widely used by the Malay community in the east coast of peninsular Malaysia as a communication tool and percussive instrument during ceremonial occasions and cultural celebrations. Its significance as an important cultural and tourism icon will help in the promotion of Malaysia as a culturally rich travel destination. ‘Teh Tarik’ demonstrator, Mior Sazali Mat Ali, will also be at the pavilion to show off his skills of preparing Malaysia’s special tea beverage.

On 26 September, YBhg Dato’ Haji Azizan is hosting a dinner for the top outbound Philippine tour agents and Tourism Malaysia’s partners to update them of new tourism products in Malaysia, as well as provide an opportunity for the Malaysian sellers to network and liaise with them. After the travel mart, YBhg Dato’ Haji Azizan will attend the PATA Board Members meeting from 27 to 30 September 2012.

This year, Malaysia welcomed a total of 11,632,478 tourists for the first six months, signifying a 2.4% growth compared to 11,362,862 tourist arrivals in the same period last year. The Philippines recorded 238,175 tourist arrivals in that period, a growth of 45.3% compared to the same period last year.

Consequently, overall tourist receipts also increased by 4.0%, with a total of RM26.8 billion revenue generated, compared to RM25.7 billion during the same period last year.

-Tourism Malaysia.

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Countdown to World Tourism Day 2012

With less than one week to go to World Tourism Day (WTD) on September 27, preparations for the official celebrations in host country Spain are well underway.

In the presence of Their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess of Asturias, Maspalomas, one of Spain’s famed seaside towns on the island of Gran Canaria, will host the official celebrations of World Tourism Day 2012 under the theme Tourism & Sustainable Energy, coinciding with the United Nations International Year of Sustainable Energy for All.

In his message on the occasion of WTD, UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, said: “One of the world’s largest economic sectors, tourism is especially well-placed to promote environmental sustainability, green growth and our struggle against climate change through its relationship with energy (…). Sustainable energy will allow tourism to continue to expand while mitigating its impact on the environment.” 
 
Organized by UNWTO and the Government of Spain, and hosted by the Government of the Canary Islands, the Government of Gran Canaria, San Bartolomé de Tirajana Council and the town of Maspalomas, events in Maspalomas include a Think Tank on Tourism and Sustainable Energy at which tourism experts and leaders from the energy, airline and hospitality sectors will debate the use of sustainable energy in the travel and tourism sector. 
 
Further highlights include the official launch of the Spanish version of the online tool Hotel Energy Solutions (HES), a UNWTO-led initiative, helping hotels to cut their energy use, and a Tourism and Sustainable Energy Fair, demonstrating the latest technologies in the field. 
 
Hundreds more events will take place around the world on 27 September, as people celebrate WTD in their own countries. UNWTO invites all to share their events and follow official WTD celebrations online. 
 
About World Tourism Day
World Tourism Day (WTD) is held annually on 27 September.
Its purpose is to foster awareness among the international community of the importance of tourism and its social, cultural, political and economic value. The event seeks to address global challenges outlined in the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and to highlight the contribution the tourism sector can make in reaching these goals.

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Thousands visit Legoland

JOHOR BARU: Thousands of excited and curious visitors have been visiting Legoland Malaysia to take photographs and admire the exterior although the park is only scheduled to open on Sept 15.

Some visitors were there to collect annual passes but the majority were only there to get a first glimpse of the much-talked-about theme park. Engineer Jesper Bruhn, 40, from Denmark, said he was pleasantly surprised to find that the theme park was very similar to the one in his home country.

Lego fan: A child posing for a photograph with a Lego lion at Legoland Malaysia in Johor Baru.

“It feels familiar, which is something I did not expect,” he said, adding that he had travelled to the theme park with his family to redeem their yearly passes and catch a glimpse of its interior. Bruhn added that he had to queue for about 90 minutes for the passes but it was worth the wait. “I cannot wait for the park to officially open,” he said.

Singaporean Tan Yan Fen, 24, said she made a special trip with five of her friends to get a closer look at the theme park. “I am not a major fan of Lego but this theme park is quite interesting,” said the public relations executive. Tan said it was exciting just to look at the exterior of the park. “This is different from Universal Studios Singapore,” she said.

Civil servant Rohaya Amir, 36, was on her way to Nusajaya with her family when she noticed a large crowd of people turning into Legoland. “We were curious and decided to stop over,” she said, adding that the park was beautiful. Rohaya said the queue for purchasing tickets was too long and she would return on another day to buy the passes.

Legoland Malaysia general manager Siegfried Boerst said park officials did not expect so many people to turn up before the official opening. “We initially opened up the main foyer, several F&B outlets and the souvenir shop for those who came to redeem their passes.

“Word got around that we were allowing people to enter. Suddenly, thousands of people started coming over to have a look,” he said, adding that the main foyer had been opened for about a week now and would be closed starting today.

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AirAsia to take off to Yogyakarta twice daily from Oct 31

PETALING JAYA: AirAsia passengers will have a choice of two flights to Yogyakarta daily when the airline increases its flight frequency beginning Oct 31.

The additional flight from Kuala Lumpur also comes with a promotional fare that starts at RM149 one way. The booking period for the promotion is from now until Oct 7 for travel periods between Oct 31 and Sept 30, next year.

“The increase in frequency for the Kuala Lumpur-Yogyakarta route, from once to twice daily is to provide our guests with further convenience and more choices of flight times to suit their schedule and travel preference,” said AirAsia Malaysia commercial director Jasmine Lee in a statement yesterday.

She said the increased frequency would be a boost to business and leisure travellers from Kuala Lumpur to Yogyakarta, and vice versa.

Yogyakarta, which is also known as Jogja, is the home of Mount Merapi, one of the most active volcanoes in Indonesia. The mountain is also recognised as one of the most significant cultural centres in the country. The city is also known for its traditional textile production, especially fine batik, regarded as among the best textile products to be produced in Indonesia. Passengers can book their flights online at www.airasia.com.

The second flight will depart from Kuala Lumpur at 4.40pm and arrive in Yogyakarta at 6.15pm (GMT+7) for travels between Oct 31 and Nov 7; depart at 5.45pm (KUL) and arrive at 7.20pm (JOG) for the travel period from Nov 8, 2012 to March 30, 2013. It departs at 3.15pm (KUL) and arrive at 4.50pm (JOG) for the period between March 31 and Oct 26, 2013. -thestar online.
 

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55TH INDEPENDENCE DAY OF MALAYSIA

Proud To Be Malaysian!

Malaysian Independence Day (also known as Hari Merdeka) is the national day in Malaysia. It is held annually on August 31. This day marks the date when Malaysia was declared an independent nation in 1957, making it free from the control of the British. It is different from Malaysia Day, which is in September and marks the date when Malaysia unified into one nation.

The person who led the fight for Malaysia’s freedom was Tunku Abdul Rahman, who was the chief minister of the country at the time. Talks of becoming independent began when he and a group of political leaders started a campaign for freedom and negotiated with the British in London. They had reached an agreement and England had granted them freedom in February of 1956, but the official declaration of independence was made in August of 1957 at Independence Stadium in Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia.

On August 30, 1957, right when the clock hit 12:00 (midnight), the British flag was lowered and the Malaysian flag was raised at the Royal Selangor Club, while the Malay national anthem was playing. Thousands were gathered in the stadium to witness the once-in-a-lifetime event. They chanted “Merdeka” after the anthem had played. This was followed by a speech from Tunku Abdul Rahman, who praised the event as the highest moment in history of the nation.

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PUTRAJAYA - MALAYSIA'S FIRST INTELLIGENT GARDEN CITY

  Federal Administrative Capital

Putrajaya, the ‘Intelligent Garden City’ and federal administrative capital of Malaysia is a carefully planned township which emphasizes on preservation of the environment. The central 650 ha manmade lake, in addition to acting as a climate moderator also allows visitors a unique opportunity to cruise around the cityin either a small 4/6-seater gondola-like perahu boat or the large 76-seater air-con boat. Alternatively you can of course opt for conventional land tours. Putrajaya with its serenity, breathtaking architectural wonders and wondrous gardens has a unique character all its own.

The garden city of Putrajaya is the seat of the Malaysian Government, having taken the role from Kuala Lumpur since 1999. Putrajaya was named after Malaysia’s first Prime Minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra.The intelligent city sits on a magnificent 4,931 hectare spread located in the middle of the Southern Growth Corridor, which forms part of the Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC).

Planned with a sophisticated information network employing up-to-date communication technologies, the development of Putrajaya is a significant milestone in the history of modern city planning in Malaysia.

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The Introduction

An introduction to Tourism is the essential guide to the tourism industry. It provides comprehensive and authoritative introduction to all facets of tourism including factors influencing the tourism industry, tourism in developing countries, and sustainable tourism. Purpose of this weblog to create an understanding between people and tourism industry.

This weblog is about “Explore the Tourism” that is purpose to expose to the people especially to the students who is still learning in high institution about the meaning of tourism industry and for those who want to know more about the structure, component activities and environment within which they work and study. Besides that, it can attract them more explore about what tourism is. Tourism is not about common as name travel to anywhere, but it contain a variety of tourism sector and attraction. Other than this, this weblog is to show to the people that tourism industry is one of the widest in industry which contribute to the economic growth and country development.

The tourism industry which have an Art Tourism, Business Tourism, Cruise Tourism, Cultural Tourism, Domestic Tourism, Education Tourism, Health Tourism, Historical Tourism, Religious Tourism, Luxury Tourism, Marine and Sport Tourism. According to this purpose of weblog, tourism industry is actually can attract more tourists from overseas to come over to this country see and learn about the culture and the attraction. Besides can expose to the people, “Explore the Tourism” also bring the benefit for those who love to spend their time to travel a lot. Either inbound or outbound. They can do research of the planning selection which is destination to go, and make the decision to see what the different country have.

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