KUALA LUMPUR, 25 March 2024: An uptick in domestic tourism in Malaysia is the dominant trend post-Covid as more Malaysians explore their backyard, MATTA president Nigel Wong noted during his presentation at the opening of the biannual MATTA Fair on Friday.
“The world has changed since we came out of the pandemic, and we must acknowledge that we must embrace this paradigm shift to ensure that our tourism sector is not only sustainable but also thrives.”
He pointed to the uptake in domestic tourism, saying: “Malaysians are viewing their own country through new lenses. This has resulted in a surge of creativity, especially amongst domestic and inbound tourism stakeholders, that will elevate tourism within territories and nationally.”
The state of Perlis was the signature destination of the 54 edition of the MATTA Fair named “ Favorite Malaysian Destination”– a gem hidden in plain sight.
“The entire state, itself a UNESCO Geopark; famous for its harum manis mangoes, its unique and harmonious blend of Southern Thai and Malay cultures, its rolling fields and natural parks — evokes a sense of going back to a time when life was simpler and more idyllic,” Wong said his speech.
Noting that transportation is the key driver for tourism expansion, Wong said it was important to recognise that travel is a two-way street.
- “Both public and private sectors must stop being inwardly focused and push towards a more open environment where the inflow and outflow of tourists are encouraged and efficiently managed. At MATTA, we understand the value of this, and over the years, this has enabled us to grow bigger and stronger as an organisation and as an industry.”
MATTA Fair attracted the participation 11 foreign National Tourism Organisations comprising:
- Taiwan
- Australia
- Maldives
- Gyeongnam – Korea
- Japan
- Korea
- Nepal
- Pakistan
- India
- Thailand
- Gifu – Japan
MATTA Fair had eight state tourism partners: Perlis, Penang, Selangor, Pahang, Terengganu, Sabah, and Sarawak.
On the closing day of the Show (Sunday 24 March) MATTA officially launched its sustainability programme, Green Circle that teams up with various partners from every spectrum of the economy: Climate Governance Malaysia, MAG, RHB, MDEC, federal and state government agencies MAH and MACEOS.
Wong noted that Green Circle aspires to “help our nation reach its sustainability goals by empowering our local tourism stakeholders with the right tools and resources, raising awareness amongst industry stakeholders and the public, contributing significantly to policy making and by contributing back to our industry through our various CSR programmes.”
