Malaysia secures a strong presence at ASEAN Tourism Forum 2008

Tourism Malaysia will be joined by fifty-six travel agents and tour operators from Malaysia in exhibiting at the 2008 ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF), currently taking place in Bangkok.

Prominent players in Malaysia?s tourism industry such as Malaysia Airlines, Sabah Tourism Board and Langkawi Development Authority (LADA) have all set up booths, promoting their tourism products and packages to buyers visiting the annual event.

"This will be a good opportunity to sell tour packages and highlight Malaysia's tourism attractions, as many buyers from around the world will be present," a Tourism Malaysia official told Bernama.

According to the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), ATF received the largest contingency from Thailand, while exhibitors from Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines, Vietnam, Myanmar, Brunei, Cambodia and Laos followed closely behind.

ATF is an annual summit for public and private sector members operating in ASEAN nations, which together make up 567.5 million of the world?s population. The grouping?s combined gross domestic product totals US$1 trillion and achieves an estimated US$1.4 trillion in foreign trade. In 2006, ASEAN countries received over 56 million visitors, representing a healthy eight percent growth over 2005. Close to half of all travel was to other ASEAN member countries.