Tourism Malaysia showcases diverse tourism offerings
Tourism Malaysia began a roadshow in Muscat on Sunday, May 12, 2024 as part of a wider Gulf drive to strengthen tourism ties and showcase its latest offerings in the West Asian market. This initiative comes on the heels of its successful participation in the recent Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2024, held in Dubai.
The Malaysian delegation, comprising 23 members, including travel agents, hoteliers, product owners and representatives from the State government, showcased Malaysia’s diverse tourism products during the mission.
These offerings were described as enchanting, entertaining, inspiring, alluring, relaxing and exhilarating. The mission facilitated targeted business-to-business (B2B) sessions and networking dinners in Oman and Qatar, fostering productive partnerships and knowledge exchange between Malaysian and local travel trade partners. Formal briefings and presentations provided insights into Malaysia’s dynamic tourism industry.
West Asian travellers consistently ranked among the top five international spenders in Malaysia, with a high per capita expenditure and longer average stays. With a resurgence of West Asian tourists to Malaysia, this sales mission presented a strategic opportunity to enhance promotional efforts in Oman and Qatar.
In 2023, Malaysia welcomed 18,078 and 2,464 tourists from Oman and Qatar, respectively. While these figures reflected a positive trend, the mission aimed to surpass pre-pandemic arrivals recorded in 2019, which stood at 23,911 and 4,089, respectively.
The availability of convenient direct flights to Kuala Lumpur offered by Qatar Airways, Oman Air and Salam Air further supported this target.