Malaysia Pavilion Crowd-pleaser At Arabian Travel Market

DUBAI, May 5 (Bernama) -- With a single stroke of the gong, Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Dubai Civil Aviation president and Emirates Airlines chairman, opened the Malaysia Pavilion at the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2009 which began here Tuesday.

The majestic-looking two-level structure was constructed in one of the cavernous halls of the Dubai International Conference and Exhibition Centre (DICEC), the venue of the May 5 to 8 ATM, billed as the premier tourism fair, not only for the Middle East but also the global tourism industry.

Embellished with a soothing water feature, posters depicting typical Malaysian sceneries, as well as traditional jars, 'tudung saji' and other decorative items, the Malaysian pavilion is an instant crowd puller.

"I have never been to Malaysia but I may go there for my next vacation as it sure does look like an interesting country," said an exhibitor from Europe who was taking photographs of the pavilion.

The structure is flanked by the pavilions of Indonesia and Singapore, Malaysia's neighbours also vying to attract visitors from the Middle East region.

Malaysia's famed natural beauty is a recurrent theme in the decorative scheme of the pavilion.

Tourism Malaysia has also brought in a cultural troupe comprising six talented youths to enliven the atmosphere with, among others, 'kompang' performances and traditional Malay dance routines.

At the back of the structure are several rows of booths housing 84 organisations, both from the government and private sectors, that form the Malaysian delegation at the 16th edition of the ATM.

Present at the launch were Malaysian Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Datuk Yahaya Abdul Jabar, consul-general in Dubai Syed Mohamad Hasrin Tengku Hussin, Tourism Ministry deputy secretary-general (tourism) Datuk Abdul Ghaffar A. Thambi and Tourism Malaysia deputy director-general (planning) Azizan Noordin.

Also there were Tourism Malaysia regional director for Africa, West and South Asia Abdul Rahman Shaari; overseas director for Saudi Arabia, Levant, Yemen and North Africa Ahmad Husni Ahmad Basri; Tourism Malaysia Dubai director Tuan Razali Tuan Omar; and Malaysia Airlines regional manager for Middle East and Africa Merina Abu Tahir.

Last year, Malaysia drew 22.05 million visitors, including 264,338 arrivals from the Middle East, generating RM49.56 billion (US$13.76 billion) in receipts.

The Southeast Asian nation of 27 million is eyeing for more visitors from places like the Middle East, China, Japan, Korea and Asean, as well as promoting domestic tourism in a bid to counter a drop in the number of long-haul visitors amid the current global economic crisis and credit crunch.

The show's organisers, Reed Travel Exhibitions, has revealed that this year's event would be one of the largest instalments in its 16-year history.

They believe the sign-up of over 2,100 exhibitors and stand-sharers from 69 countries, including 70 new-to-market representatives, not only underlines the Middle East's importance to the industry's global recovery but also illustrates the show's potential to foster greater business development via enhanced business friendliness and knowledge-sharing capabilities.

The ATM was launched in 1994, and the 2008 event opened with its largest ever exhibitor base of 2,229 participants from 70 countries.

-- BERNAMA