Malaysia Helping Indonesia Achieve 7 Mln Tourist Arrivals This Year
October 20th, 2008
By Mohd Nasir Yusoff
YOGYAKARTA, Oct 18 (Bernama) — Malaysia, through the spirit of a friendly neighbour, is assisting Malaysia to achieve the targeted seven million tourist arrivals during Visit Indonesia Year 2008.
Malaysian Ambassador to Indonesia Datuk Zainal Abidin Mohamed Zain said this was proven with the projected arrival of 1.7 million Malaysian tourists in the republic, which has become a popular destination in Asean.
“We do not have the exact figure but it is about the same number of Indonesian tourists who visited Malaysia,” he told reporters at the launch of a Malaysian food and cultural fest here Friday.
He said direct flights to this district by Malaysia Airlines (MAS) and Air Asia, up to 10 times a week from Kuala Lumpur, had increased the foreign tourist arrivals by 200 per cent, as recorded by the Yogyakarta tourism office.
MAS started its direct flights from Kuala Lumpur to Adisujipto Airport here on Jan 30 and Air Asia on Feb 1.
Zainal Abidin said the pressures of the current economic crisis did not prohibit the people from visiting places.
“The crisis is stressing people out. They need to relax to relieve themselves of the stress.
“No matter what the reason for the visit, the important thing is the co-operation between Malaysia and Indonesia to help each other in achieving the target of tourist arrivals to their respective countries, including the 22 million targeted by Malaysia this year,” he said.
The food and cultural festival is jointly organised by the Melia Purosani Hotel in collaboration with Melia Hotel Kuala Lumpur and is endorsed by Tourism Malaysia and the Yogyakarta Tourism Department.
It will be on until Oct 31.
– BERNAMA
Source: http://www.bernama.com.my/
Entry Filed under: World Tourism News
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