VIENTIANE, Jan 26 (Bernama) -- Aiming to lure a greater number of tourists from Laos, Indochina, ASEAN and the rest of the world, Tourism Malaysia hosted the “Malaysia Night” Gala Dinner here at Landmark Hotel, Vientiane, Laos in conjunction with ASEAN TOURISM FORUM 2024.

The dinner with the theme “The Beautiful Tastes of Malaysia” showcased the Cultural Potpourri of Malaysia through the form of dances and performances of the different ethnic groups in Malaysia, specially choreographed by Istana Budaya. The guests were also served Malaysian culinary delights specially prepared by Chef Farid from IBIS Hotel Kuala Lumpur City Centre (KLCC) and Chef Irwan from ADABI.

Led by Dato Sri Tiong King Sing, Minister of Tourism, Arts & Culture Malaysia; accompanied by Dato’ Roslan Tan Sri Abdul Rahman, Secretary General of the Ministry of Tourism, Arts & Culture Malaysia; and Dato' Dr. Ammar Bin Abd. Ghapar, Director General of Tourism Malaysia; the delegation to ATF 2024 comprises 5 organisations, including the states of Perak, Melaka, and Johor, as well as KARYANEKA, ADABI, and several other industry players and product owners.

Highlighted also through the event are the Visit Melaka Year 2024, Visit Perak Year 2024 and the state of Johor whereby the following Malaysian states were given the stage to feature their unique cultures and experiences. These promotional efforts are aimed at paving the way and creating momentum as Malaysia will be the next host of ATF 2025 and Chairman of ASEAN 2025, as well as the much-awaited Visit Malaysia Year 2026.

“Malaysia is honoured to continue the spirit and tradition of the ASEAN Tourism Forum, which embraces the role of catalyst for change in tourism policy and development, subsequently improving the economic and social standing among the ASEAN Member States. As a united ASEAN, the strength of our collective efforts is greater than the sum of its parts. We look forward to further strengthening our strategic collaboration to fully harness the tourism growth potential of ASEAN,” said Dato Sri Tiong King Sing.

He added “We are honoured to have you with us as we celebrate the beauty of Malaysia through its diverse tastes, aromas and traditions. Tonight’s showcase of colours of Malaysia is only a glimpse of what you will see and what Malaysia can offer for the upcoming ASEAN Tourism Forum 2025, World Tourism Day and World Tourism Conference 2025, as well as, Visit Malaysia Year (VM) 2026. For VM 2026, we are aiming to position Malaysia as a top 10 tourist destination in arrivals and tourism receipts based on 3 main principles which are competitiveness, sustainability and inclusion.”

Up until September 2023, a total of 12,524 tourists from Laos visited Malaysia and Tourism Malaysia aims to continuously increase this number in 2024 through ATF 2024, marketing and promotion activities, tourism expos, seminars, as well as, media and travel agent familiarisation trips to Malaysia throughout this year. There are currently 295 flights per week from Vientienne to Malaysia via Malaysia Airlines, Thai AirAsia, Thai Airways International and Lao Airlines.

About Tourism Malaysia

Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board, also known as Tourism Malaysia, is an agency under the Ministry of Tourism, Arts & Culture Malaysia. It focuses on the specific task of promoting Malaysia as a preferred tourism destination. Since its inception, it has emerged as a major player in the international tourism scene.

The next Visit Malaysia Year, set to take place in 2026, will commemorate the sustainability of the nation's tourism industry, which is also in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDG).

Furthermore, Tourism Malaysia actively endorses the Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand Growth Triangle (IMT-GT), working towards the realisation of the IMT-GT Visiting Year 2023-2025, with the shared aim of promoting the region as a unified tourism destination. For more information, visit Tourism Malaysia’s social media accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and TikTok.

SOURCE: Tourism Malaysia

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: 
Name: Muhammad Zaki Talib
Deputy Director
International Promotions Division
(ASEAN)
Tel: +603 8891 8263
Email: zaki@tourism.gov.my 

Name: Muadz Samat
Assistant Director
Corporate Communications Division
Tel: +603 8891 8755
Email: muadz@tourism.gov.my

--BERNAMA