Malaysia wants more S'porean visitors

STAY in a kampung home and experience first-hand the lives of the locals. Pop into the padi fields and rubber plantations with them, even. Or discover the charms of laid-back towns in lesser-known destinations along the east coast, namely Pahang, Terengganu and Kelantan. Also, do not miss out on the variety of festivals coming up, ranging from shopping, food, fashion and art events, including an International Shoe Festival.

These are only some of the highlights that Tourism Malaysia will be marketing to Singaporeans for the year, as part of its sales and publicity initiatives targeted at Singaporeans and individuals residing here.According to Tourism Malaysia, approximately 13 million tourists from Singapore - against a total tourist arrival of 24.6 million - visited in 2010, an increase of 2.4 per cent from the year before.

"Singaporeans like to go (to Malaysia) for the food," said Mr Hussin Nayan, High Commissioner of Malaysia to Singapore, in a press conference last week.There will be a Fabulous Food 1Malaysia event happening from October to November, which will cover everything from international gourmet cuisine to ASEAN flavours and local hawker and street fare.

Apart from food, the ongoing Homestay Programme has also been popular with visitors from Singapore, who made up 52.5 per cent of participants last year. In this programme, tourists can sign up to stay with hosting families in Malaysia's countryside for a modest fee. Guests can also opt to partake in activities such as planting padi and tapping rubber.

There are more than 3,000 homes taking part in this initiative, offering approximately 4,000 rooms for accommodation in all. Each home is allowed a maximum of three guest rooms, a measure that has been implemented to ensure a good quality of stay. Every household has also been granted a subsidy to make sure that the bathroom is a five-star outfit that is comparable to those in hotels.

"This is important for any tourist, so we want to make sure that the toilet is always up to standard," explained Mr Hussin Nayan.He further revealed that the programme has been well-received not just by Singaporeans but Malaysians as well.

School children from Japan and Korea have also been on two-night stays in homestays as part of their overseas excursions. Enthusiastic Scandinavian visitors "who just love the kampung life" have stayed up to 15 nights."The Homestay Programme is very important not only because it upgrades the livelihood of the people but also as a showcase of what traditional life is all about," he added.

Other notable coming events include the launch of the 1Malaysia Contemporary Art Tourism Festival in July, a three-month-long celebration of the country's creative industry - contemporary Malaysian artists will be in the spotlight and there will be exhibitions, auctions and other activities.

For those who are already looking beyond their spoils from the Great Singapore Sale, the 1Malaysia Mega Sale Carnival and the concurrent Malaysia Unified Sales will be taking place from June 15 to Aug 31.

A thick book of vouchers almost the size of a brick offering discounts and privileges has been prepared for the occasion - this will be available at various distribution points and from the Tourism Malaysia office here, while stocks last.

To make it more convenient for those who enjoy popping into Malaysia for road trips, weekend holidays or shopping and supper, the government launched the Malaysia Automated Clearance System (MACS), which allows fast-track immigration clearance. MACS holders have access to dedicated lanes at some checkpoints and will not have to fill in the immigration arrival card. The stamping of passport pages will also be minimised.

Source = todayonline