Kuala Lumpur Rank No, 4 in the World's 10 Best Shopping Cities

Untuk orang Malaysia, kita tak perlu pergi jauh2 untuk merasa shopping sakan!

Kuala Lumpur muncul di tempat ke-4 "World's Best Shopping Cities" dalam senarai yang di war-warkan melalui CNN Travel pada September 2013.

Berikut ialah senarai penuh kedudukan :

1. New York

2. Tokyo

3. London

4. Kuala Lumpur

5. Paris

6. Hong Kong

7. Buenos Aires

8. Vienna

9. Dubai, UAE

10. Madrid

Senarai Globe Shopper City Index diterbitkan oleh Global Blue dan diwar-warkan menerusi CNN Travel.

Penilaian adalah berdasarkan kategori berikut :

1. Getting around: Kualai pengangkutan awam, kemampuan, kesediaan teksi.
2. Value: Peluang tawar menawar, musim jualan dan harga purata.
3. Variety: Pelbagai jenama, kategori membeli-belah, Bilangan kedai mewah, butik, vintaj dan gerai-gerai pasaran.
4. Experience: Kecantikan bandar, kualiti paparan, hiasan kedai, keramahan, kecekapan kerani dan kakitangan perkhidmatan, tempat makan dan pilihan penginapan.

Kuala Lumpur :

Getting around: 6 | Value: 10 | Variety: 8 | Experience: 6 | Total: 30

(copy from CNN Travel)

 

Sometimes bigger really is better.

That's the prevailing shopper's ethic in Kuala Lumpur, anyway.
Three of the world's 10 largest malls are in KL, including 1 Utama, the world's fourth-largest mall with more than 650 shops, Asia's largest indoor rock climbing facility, massive rooftop garden with 500 species of exotic plants and indoor rainforest with koi ponds and freshwater aquarium.
KL's impressive score comes from its winning combination of high quality shopping, affordable prices and reliable sales, which can stretch for several months.

untuk maklumat penuh ;
http://travel.cnn.com/worlds-10-best-shopping-cities-193776?hpt=travel_hp_blogroll

Printing Industry To Support Tourism In Malaysia - Mohamed Nazri

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 24 (Bernama) -- Promoting tourist attractions is one area where the printing industry can play a role in adding value to the initiatives taken by the government to promote tourism in Malaysia, says Tourism and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz.

He said without the printing industry, the world would not know the beauty of a great country like Malaysia.

"Look around you, the attractive colourful promotional materials such as brochures, leaflets, print advertisements, billboards that promote Malaysia's beauty and wonders would not be made possible without advancement in the printing industry."

He said this in his speech when opening the International Printing, Paper and Packaging Machinery Exhibition (IPMEX) 2013, here, today.

Mohamed Nazri said as the country was targeting to attract 36 million tourist arrivals and RM168 billion in receipts by 2020, the government realised that it must change its way of doing business.

"Despite being unique in terms of our cultural diversity and our rich history, promoting the Malaysian brand abroad is becoming a more challenging task in this current environment," he said.

Therefore, he said, the government had embraced new media technology in getting its messages to the public, for instance, the light-emitting diode (LED) signage was increasingly being used as a medium of promotion.

"If you happen to be driving along Jalan Ampang, chances are you might have come across our large screen full-colour LED video displays at the MATIC (Malaysia Tourism Information Centre). We recognise the importance of such new media in extending our reach to the public," Mohamed Nazri said.

"At the same time, Internet and other interactive media advertisements are also important channels of information which must be capitalised to boost the tourism sector."

Mohamed Nazri said in view of the Visit Malaysia Year 2014 (VMY 2014), Tourism Malaysia had taken promotions online through interactive websites outlining the key attractions in the country.

"Indeed, Internet and online platforms are borderless, allowing us to connect and send messages anywhere seamlessly," he said.

IPMEX 2013 is held for four days starting today at the Putra World Trade Centre, here

Malaysia in Lonely Planet's Top 10 list

PETALING JAYA: Malaysia has been named as one of the Top 10 travel destinations for 2014 by Lonely Planet.

Malaysia, the only Asian country to have made the list in Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel 2014 – Top 10, was ranked 10th, due to our country “rolling out an array of new attractions”.
“The headline-grabbers are the largest bird park in South-East Asia in Malacca (with 6,000 birds featuring 400 species), and Legoland Malaysia and Hello Kitty Land in Nusajaya, which are packing in both locals and Singaporeans flocking across the Causeway.

“Amazing experiences await in Malaysian Borneo, from exploring off-the-beaten-track Kudat to indulging at the luxurious Gaya Island Resort on Pulau Gaya,” said Lonely Planet.
The publication added that the new low cost terminal, KLIA2, was another major factor in attracting more visitors.

Lonely Planet also cited “cycle tourism” as a highlight for active travellers who can see Malaysia through guided tours and mapped out cycling routes.
The list named Brazil as the top country to visit in 2014 as they will be hosting the FIFA World Cup in June and July.

The list, published on the travel site yesterday, named Brazil as the top country to visit in 2014 since the FIFA World Cup will be held there next June and July. Other countries/regions making the cut are Antartica (2), Scotland (3), Sweden (4), Malawi (5), Mexico (6), Seychelles (7), Belgium (8) and Macedonia (9).

In the same category in 2013, two Asian nations were listed – namely Sri Lanka and South Korea.
Last month, CNN published the world’s 10 best shopping cities according to data in the Globe Shopper City Index by Global Blue, a firm that mediates transactions between consumers, merchants and banks. Kuala Lumpur ranked 4th, besting Hong Kong, Paris, Dubai and Madrid in the index. - October 29, 2013.

7 tips to avoid stomach issues in South-East Asia

Malaysia, like all of South-East Asia, attracts more and more travellers nowadays.

Among all the extraordinary things she has to offer, you will find paradise beaches where to chill and party, the never-sleeping metropolises where people of different cultures and religions live together, and some of the best food you will ever taste.

 

Sight-seeing, partying and eating… the perfect combination one would say. However the lifestyle usually adopted by travellers is actually risky ; regarding something we rarely think about before it actually happens, and starts ruining everything : stomach ache.

In order to keep your tummy safe while you are travelling in or around Malaysia, don’t forget to follow these 7 easy tips :

 

 

 

 

Happy travelling!

 



 

St Jude Storm -UK Transport Operators Prepare for Worst Storm in 5 Years

Weather Warning for Travelers to UK: Affected London's Heathrow Airport & Schiphol Airport

Britain is bracing for hurricane-force winds and flooding starting Sunday Oct 27, 2013, with forecasters predicting the worst storm in 5 years will sweep across England and parts of Wales.

UK’s Met Office had issued an amber alert for high winds in London, southern England, Wales, a large part of the Midlands and southeast. The wind speed may exceed 80mph in places.

London’s Heathrow Airport, Europe’s biggest aviation hub, expects an impact of flights –the storm likely to cause disruption to flights at Heathrow including cancellations.

Travelers should check the status of their flight with their airline before travelling to the airport.

The UK’s MET Office  has issued an amber alert for high winds in Wales, the East and West Midlands, the South West, London and the South East and the East of England.

A yellow alert warning of heavy rain that could lead to surface water flooding and disruption is in place across much of northern Wales and northern England.

An amber warning means "be prepared", while yellow means "be aware". No warnings are currently in place at the top red level, which means "take action".

Source from BBC UK

Travel warnings include:

·         South West Trains have advised people not to travel on Monday with most services not running until at least 08:00 GMT to allow Network Rail to check lines. A reduced timetable will be in operation, with some trains limited to speeds of 50mph

·         East Coast will operate a revised emergency timetable on Monday, with trains stopping at Peterborough until 10:00 GMT, and limited to speeds of 50mph afterwards

·         First Great Western and Virgin West Coast main line are also running an amended service until 10:00 GMT and 09:00 GMT respectively

·         First Capital Connect and C2C said services are unlikely to begin until 09:00 GMT. Greater Anglia, Southern and Gatwick Express have said services on Monday will not run until it is declared safe to do so

·         London Overground will not run a service on Monday before 09:00 GMT, while First Great Western has warned of extended travelling times and Southeastern said it is likely to start running services late

·         Airports including Heathrow and Gatwick are warning of possible disruption to flights, advising passengers to check with airlines

·         Airlines operating in and out of Heathrow have been instructed to reduce their schedules by between 5% and 20% between the hours of 06:00 GMT and 22:30 GMT, leading to about 60 flight cancellations. It is not yet clear how many of those will be short-haul or long-haul flights

·         EasyJet has warned passengers there could be disruption to flights on Monday. It said no trains would run to Gatwick, Southend, Stansted or Luton airports before 09:00 GMT

·         Eurostar said it will not be running trains on Monday until 07:00 GMT, with early services from London and Brussels subject to delays. It expects to run a full service after 07:00 GMT and passengers are advised to arrive at the scheduled time

·         Several ferry companies have also cancelled services, including some English Channel and Irish Sea crossings

·         Several bridges including the M48 Severn Crossing, the A249 Sheppey Crossing in Kent, and the Tamar Bridge which joins Cornwall and Devon are closed. There also are plans to shut the M4 Severn bridge and the Queen Elizabeth II bridge on the M25 on Monday morning, with traffic directed through the tunnel part of the crossing

·         The Highways Agency is advising motorists to check the weather forecast and road conditions before they travel

Reality of Mobility Today

Now we're always online and always connected. According to study by Cisco Systems, close to 80% of world Population had access to mobile phones by the end 2013.

In 2011. there is already more mobile devices than people in staggering 97 countries around the world.

In Malaysia, we embrace mobility. Tablets take off immediately upon launch. while smartphones are norm alongside 24/7 connectivity on email, GPS, messaging, social media and apps such as WhatsApps.

Google Malaysia reports that smartphone adoption in Malaysia has risen to 35% from 9% in 2011 -that's one out of three Malaysians. Information compiled by Ipsos MediaCT found that Malaysians have become more engaged with their mobile devices with 57% using smartphone daily, higher than both the US and the UK.

According to TripAdvisor's TripBarometer Mobile and Social survey, close to 95% of Malaysian travelers are inclined to use mobile devices when they are on the road. Globally, out of all generations, 18-24 year-olds are the most avid users of mobile devices while travelling (94%) while women (88%) are slightly more attracted to their mobile devices when on holiday than men (85%)

The surveys found that mobile devices are making it possible for travelers to stay connected at all times during their trip, whether via smartphones or tablets.

It also notes that while calling (73%) and texting (62%) remain the key reasons for people to use their smartphones while traveling.

Significant number of travelers are using mobile technology to access social media and to look for recommendations while on the go

Budget 2014 Highlight :Tourism Sector

An update for Tourism Industry during presentation Budget 2014:

• Promoting Aviation Industry : A new air traffic management centre costing RM700m will be built at KLIA. Airports in KK, Sandakan, Miri, Sibu, Mukah, Langkawi and Kuantan will be upgraded

• Tourism sector : Visit Malaysia Year (2014) and Year of Festivals (2015)

• Tourism sector : Pioneer Status & Investment Tax Allowance incentives extended for another 3 years until Dec 31, 2016

• Special Tourism Infrastructure Fund (RM2b subsidy on 2% interest rate) under Bank Pembangunan Malaysia to promote the tourism industry. The fund will provide soft loans at low interest rates between 4% and 6% with the government providing a subsidy of 2%, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak when presenting the 2014 Budget.

"The fund will be used to finance the cost of building infrastructure such as hotels, resorts and theme parks as well as purchase and replacement of equipment related to the tourism sector," he said.

To further promote Malaysia as a preferred tourist destination, he said the government would continue to encourage investments, particularly in new four and five-star hotels.

"The measure will ensure adequate supply of international standard accommodation and increase tourist arrivals, especially from the luxury and high-spending category.

"To support this, the government proposes the application period for pioneer status and investment tax allowance incentives be extended for another three years until Dec 31, 2016," he said.

In continuous efforts to attract more tourists, Najib announced 2015 as the Year of Festivals, showcasing a variety of cultural programmes and festivals in the country.

He also announced that the government would allocate RM1.2bil for operating and investment expenditure, including for promotion and advertising, for this year and next year.

In view of the encouraging performance, 2014 has been declared Visit Malaysia Year, targeting 28 million tourists, he added.

"The tourism sector is expected to generate RM65 billion in revenue and has the potential to contribute further," he said.

2014 Budget poll: How do we make people visit Malaysia?

KUALA LUMPUR: What is needed to make Malaysia the tourism destination of choice?

A recent online survey by AstroAWANI.com indicated that readers would most likely make a decision on their holiday destination based on the “attractions and activities at the destination” as well as price.

When asked about the reasons one travels to Malaysia, those who responded picked similar criteria: “cheaper budget” and “beautiful and exciting places.”

Many are hoping for these factors to be reflected in the 2014 Budget that will be announced by Prime Minister and Finance Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak later this afternoon; for the government to focus on making Malaysia a more value-for-money and exciting holiday destination.

In last year’s 2013 Budget, the government had extended an income tax exemption for three years for tour operators who bring in at least 750 foreign tourists or those who handle 1,500 local tourists yearly, a commendable effort.

RM358 million were also allocated to intensify tourism industry in conjunction with Visit Malaysia Year 2013/2014.

In 2013, there were 26.8 million tourists who visited. For next year, the government is targeting a 7.1 percent growth or 28 million tourists, a number which will generate RM76 billion in tourism revenue for Visit Malaysia Year 2014.

Three powerful accelerants are expected to be the government’s focus – tax breaks, increased funding and a broadened tourism campaign.

Tourism and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Aziz had recently asked for an additional allocation of RM300 million in the new budget.

At present, Malaysia is among the 10 most visited places in the world.

 

 

 

 

 

Source : Astro Awani

15 Best Travel Apps

Overview of Travel Apps rating by popular sites :
(will be update later)


Content :

1-7 : Search and Booking

8-12 : Travel Guides and Location Info

13-15 : Organizational Apps



SEARCH & BOOKING

Expedia

Expedia has been long known as a travel search, information, and booking website, but its mobile apps have some unique deals. Using the Expedia iPhone app or Expedia Android app, for example, you're likely to uncover a few mobile-exclusive discounts on last-minute hotel bookings, in addition to having at your fingertips all the usual flight and hotel search functionality. I also like that you can sort reviews by "recent," "favorable," and "critical" to see if people tend to have consistent feedback or whether the cranky pants guests had too-high expectations.
Available on: Android, iOS, Windows 8 and RT, Web

 

Google Flights

Never turn down a free second opinion. Despite all the great travel search sites available these days, Google Flights (free) is one to add to your list of flight-search sites to check before typing in your credit card number. You can search for round-trip, one-way, and multi-city flights, but you have to link to another site to make the purchase. Regardless, it's an invaluable service for checking the actual cost of a flight and looking to see if there are other days when the prices may be better. Sure, Kayak (our Editors' Choice for travel searching and book) can do the same thing, but Google Flights does so with a different interface, and as I said prior, there's no harm in having a second opinion at no extra cost.
Available on: Web only

 

Hipmunk Flight & Hotel Search

Hipmunk may seem like your run-of-the-mill flight and hotel aggregation search app, but it does one neat thing that I haven't seen any other travel app do: It includes non-traditional lodging, such as listings from Airbnb and HomeAway. (Those two services connect people who have rooms, apartments, and homes to let with travelers who want to rent them.) Progressive travelers on a budget will love Hipmunk's iPhone app and the Hipmunk app for iPad for that feature alone. The one thing you can't do with it, however, is book flights or rooms.
Available on: Android, iOS, Web

 

Kayak

 Travel search website Kayak.com quickly became my favorite site for finding the best deals on flights in particular when it finally started to incorporate booking services. In its early days, Kayak only handled search (although it was one of the best at that end of the game), but now you can pre-pay for flights, hotel reservations, and even car rentals. Occasionally, Kayak sends you to a partner site to finish the booking process, but less and less so every day. Additionally, Kayak includes in its searches other aggregation services, like Orbitz and Priceline, to truly make sure you find the best deal.
Available on: Android, iOS, Kindle Fire, Windows Phone, and Web

 

Orbitz Flights, Hotels, Cars

 Orbitz Flights, Hotels, Cars searches for the best travel deals, lets you book them, and offers a price guarantee if another user books the same travel as you for less. As a long-time Orbitz user, I must say that the company's reputation and history count for something, too (that "something" primarily being trust with my credit card). Orbitz's app is the kind that any iPhone owner would want for planning a trip ahead of time to find low prices, as well as last-minute bookings from the road.
Available on: Android, iOS, Kindle Fire, and Web

 

SkyScanner
SkyScanner's iPhone apphas such a wonderful search interface for finding cheap flights. I love that you can look for a flight on certain dates from your home airport to anywhere in the world based on where it might be inexpensive to fly during that time. You can then adjust your search using a wonderfully intuitive and interactive graph to find the cheapest surrounding dates to travel. SkyScanner partners with a site called ebookers.com for the actual sale, and note that SkyScanner's prices appeared for me in U.S. dollars while ebookers' showed up in GBP.
Available on: Android, BlackBerry, iOS, Windows 8, Windows Phone, and Web

TRAVEL GUIDES & LOCATION INFO

 

City Guides, Offline Maps
CityGuides, Offline Maps—that's the app's full name, but it's easier to remember as Stay.com's mobile app. Stay.com lets you explore new travel destinations and cobble together a loose itinerary for what you might want to see, do, and eat when you arrive. Thus, the iPhone app largely does the same, while saving much of it for you to use offline. You can plan new trips from the app, as well as import itineraries you've designed on the website. The offline functionality, including maps, make Stay.com's app a superb resource for international travelers. See PCMag's full review of Stay.com's City Guides app.

Available on: Android, iOS

 

GateGuru
If you ever have a long connection through Chicago O'Hare, you'll want to go straight to Tortas Frontera for sandwiches. At San Francisco International Airport, there's a yoga room where you can decompress and stretch before your next flight. Of course, if you have the GateGuru iPhone app or the GateGuru Android app, you won't need to rely on my advice, as you'll have all these great tips and lists of services to help you navigate the world's best and worst airports.
Available on: Android, iOS, Windows Phone

 

Gogobot
Gogobot dishes up interesting things to do for any type of traveler across a wide range of cities around the world. It has suggestions for family friendly activities, stuff for outdoorsy people, in addition to the typical shopping/eating/site-seeing agenda. Save these activities to a Gogobot itinerary, and when you pull them up while traveling, you can search for nearby too, such as points of interest, restaurants, and hotels, helping you locate your next stopping point if need to make an unexpected change of plan.
Available on: Android, iOS

 

TripAdvisor Offline City Guides
TripAdvisor Offline City Guides pairs maps and suggestions for where to visit, shop, and eat together. You can download offline maps for your cities of choice, too. The app does not automatically install the maps locally (to save space on your iPhone), so just remember to download what you need before you leave an area with a Wi-Fi connection.
Available on: iOS only

 

Tripomatic
Tripomatic can help you plan what do to and see on your next trip, and on which days. Tripomatic has more than 40,000 attractions listed in 300 destinations. The app syncs with the website Tripomatic.com, so you can tinker with your itineraries on a full sized screen if you prefer. Many top destinations are available offline—maps, photos, and visitors guides (in-app purchase required). One holdback: You can't save your mapped daily itineraries offline, making it less than ideal when you're actually on the road. If you do use Tripomatic, pair it with an offline map app.
Available: Android, iOS

 

Viator
Looking to save some money but still do some interesting site-seeing? Viator (free) shows you deals and discounts either nearby or in the place you're going to visit next—provided that location is in Viator's list of potential cities, regions, and countries. It's great for ideas of what to see and do, especially when you're feeling clueless, although the quantity and quality of the deals varies dramatically by place.
Available on: Android, iOS

ORGANIZATIONAL APPS
 

AwayFind
AwayFind acts as a gate between your email inbox and you, that lets through only message you want to see and alerts you of their presence by phone, text message, IM, or through its the AwayFind mobile app. Busy professionals trying to squeeze a little R&R into their time off will love AwayFind's ability to let them stay connected, but only for email messages that truly matter. It's a worthwhile and reasonably priced service (freemium; from $4.99 per month).
Available on: Android, BlackBerry, iOS, Windows Phone, Web

 

Packing Pro
Packing Pro is a mobile app made for super list makers. It helps you remember what to pack and can also serve as evidence of what you packed if your luggage were ever lost. You work from one of many sample lists of items to pack, or you can create your own and tick off items as they go into your luggage. It has a handful of other reminders, too, like booking reservations and watering the plants before you leave home, which you can save into checklists to guide your harried soul while you're running around your apartment like a chicken with its head cut off worried that you'll miss your flight if you dally a moment longer. The $3 app may seem like overkill to those who have packing down to a science already, but it can be an excellent tool for parents who are packing for multiple family members before leaving on vacation.
Available on: iOS

 

TripIt
TripIt is a mobile app for Android and iPhone that connects to your email accounts to compile all your travel information for you automatically. It searches our confirmation numbers for flights, hotels, rental car reservations, and even restaurant bookings. If you worry about not having all your details in one place, TripIt is a wonderful organizer to have on your side.
Available on: Android, BlackBerry, iOS, Windows Phone

 

What are the Best Salary in Tourism Industries ?

10 Top 10 Highest Paying Job in 2013

According to website www.therichest.com , Air Traffic Controller berada di tempat ke-7. Untuk melihat list penuh, sila baca http://www.therichest.com/business/salary/top-10-highest-paying-jobs-in-2013/?utm_source=Outbrain&utm_medium=cpc&utm_content=3+articles&utm_campaign=TR-trial .

Top 10 Best Paying Jobs That Require Almost No Education

Air Traffic Controller berada di tangga no. 1 dengan anggaran pendapatan $108,040

Link : http://www.therichest.com/business/salary/the-top-10-best-paying-jobs-that-require-almost-no-education/

The Highest Earning Internet Jobs

No. 8 : Vacation Planning Counselor or The Virtual Concierge

Earning as much as $11-20 per hour, this highly primped and prompt service providers, who were traditionally seen at hotel desks, has now moved to a different realm. Their services may be accessed online through chat or via messages on the phone. As a virtual Concierge you could be preparing vacation itinerary or answering questions about the best restaurant or mode of transport available. The service provider has to research the same and send in the answers to the queries as accurately and promptly as possible.

Link : http://www.therichest.com/business/salary/the-highest-earning-internet-jobs/

The Highest Earnings Jobs You Can Get Without a College Degree

1. Air Traffic Controllers – Median annual wage: $108,040

There are actually several kinds of controllers who make sure your plane takes off and lands safely: Air traffic controllers communicate with pilots via radio to make sure safety procedures are followed and to ensure that flights leave and arrive on time.
Approach controllers take over from the area controllers as aircrafts approach the airport. They give clearance for the aircraft to approach the airport. If there are many aircrafts in the air, this controller will put all approaching aircraft into a sequence to make sure they all land efficiently and safely.
Then there are the aerodrome controllers, these are the ones who guide the pilots in to make a safe landing, they also assign the runway it can land on and which passenger bridge it can use to dock.


2. Commercial pilot – Median annual wage: $92,060

This is perhaps one of the more fun jobs in the no-degree category. Pilots fly planes and make sure their passengers get to where they should safely. This might sound simple enough, but they actually have subtasks to fulfill.
The pilots are also responsible for checking the aircraft prior to flights in order to make sure everything is functioning properly. They also have to check the baggage has been properly loaded; set the flight path and choose altitudes and speeds to ensure a fast and safe flight. They also have to consider airport altitudes, outside temperatures, plane weights, wind speed and other factors needed to safely fly and land the plane.
They also have to coordinate with the ground crew to make sure everything is ready and the control tower to make sure they are clear for takeoff and landing.
Despite its being fun, also remember that whenever pilots fly they become responsible for the lives of their passengers.

Malaysia Safe for US Tourists

Important point from article below ;

• American citizen were given visa-on-arrival for 90 days
• Malaysia named the 10th Most Visited Destination in the World -WTO
• Top incoming tourist : Singapore, Indonesia, China, Thailand, Brunei, India, the Philippines, Australia, Japan and the United Kingdom.
• 240,000 from the US visited Malaysia 2012. 10.8 per cent increase over the previous year; The projected total arrivals from the US for the entire 2013 is expected to be 248,000.
• The Visit Malaysia Year 2014 promotional campaign targets some 28 million foreign tourists, including 250,000 from the US.
• Lack of connection between New York-Kuala Lumpur. New York to Kuala Lumpur via a third country if they took Singapore Airline, Emirates, Etihad or Qatar.
• We allow 100 per cent foreign equity in the hotel segment. Also, foreign travel agencies can set up 100 per cent self-owned subsidiaries in Malaysia -said Nazri
• Malaysia whose scenic beauty and landscape have provided the setting for many foreign films
• The world’s largest water park called Legoland in Nusajaya, Johor, should attract tourists from around the world, including from the US.
• A ‘Facebook Sweepstakes’ has been launched offering twin destinations of Borneo and Bangkok.
• Since Oct 12, a gigantic screen located at a prominent position in Times Square, near the Nasdaq tower, has been showing four times an hour, each for 30 seconds, for 24 hours a day, Malaysia’s tourism attractions.The display will continue until Jan 4, 2014. Almost a million-strong crowd would have exposure to the film when it gathers on New Year’s Eve to witness the world-famous countdown to usher in the New Year.

Full news :

NEW YORK, Oct 15 — Arriving here on Monday after visiting Los Angeles and Vancouver, Malaysia’s Tourism and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz urged Americans to visit Malaysia, saying they were “very welcome”.

Addressing a large gathering of tour operators and travel agents, international media and special guests at New York’s Hilton Hotel, he underscored the fact that American citizens were given visa-on-arrival facility for 90 days.

The minister, who was here to promote the Visit Malaysia Year 2014, acknowledged in an interview with Bernama that according to the World Tourism Organisation, Malaysia was named the 10th most visited destination in the world.
“We had over 22 million tourists in 2012, posting a 1.5 per cent increase over the previous year, and this clearly indicates that Malaysia is indeed, a safe and welcoming place for Americans to visit,” he emphasised.

Malaysia’s top 10 markets for incoming tourism were, in the sequence order, Singapore, Indonesia, China, Thailand, Brunei, India, the Philippines, Australia, Japan and the United Kingdom.
Some 12.6 million foreign tourists were clocked in Malaysia in the first half of this year, posting a 7.9 per cent growth over the year-earlier period, generating revenue of RM31.18 billion, a 16.3 per cent rise over the year-earlier period.
Malaysia’s tourism-derived revenue amounted to RM60.6 billion last year, a 3.8 per cent increase over 2011.

Over 240,000 people from the US visited Malaysia last year, a 10.8 per cent increase over the previous year; during the first half of this year, Malaysia received 127,221 people from the US, a 6.4 per cent increase over the corresponding six months of the previous year. The projected total arrivals from the US for the entire 2013 is expected to be 248,000.

The Visit Malaysia Year 2014 promotional campaign targets some 28 million foreign tourists, including 250,000 from the US, to visit Malaysia next year.
“I hope to see the United States among the top 10 markets for tourism to Malaysia,” said Mohamed Nazri.

But lack of direct connectivity between New York and Kuala Lumpur is a major hurdle in the way of attracting greater tourism traffic from the east coast.
Malaysian carrier, Malaysia Airlines (MAS) discontinued operating direct flights from Newark to Kuala Lumpur, some years back; tourists from the east coast have to first fly to Los Angeles on the west coast from where they can take a MAS flight to Kuala Lumpur.

“I will speak to MAS to reinstate flights from New York via Dubai to Kuala Lumpur. There is a good chance that this may be re-started. Direct connectivity will provide a strong impetus to traffic from the east coast,” observed Mohamed Nazri.

However, in the interim, tourists could take connections from New York to Kuala Lumpur via a third country if they took Singapore Airline, Emirates, Etihad or Qatar.
Mohamed Nazri was also keen to invite investments from the US in Malaysia’s tourism sector, including the hotel industry.

“We allow 100 per cent foreign equity in the hotel segment. Also, foreign travel agencies can set up 100 per cent self-owned subsidiaries in Malaysia,” he said.

Malaysia whose scenic beauty and landscape have provided the setting for many foreign films, is also keen to invite foreign filmmakers, including Bollywood productions, to shoot films in Malaysia.
There is also interest to invite Bollywood to stage its annual film awards ceremony in Malaysia, as Thailand and Singapore have been doing.

“We have helped organize such an event in Malaysia before. However, we are not the only country interested in hosting such an event. Our neighbouring countries are also competing to attract Bollywood events. We would also like to see Bollywood producers avail of our modern film-production centre in Kuala Lumpur,” maintained Mohamed Nazri.

The world’s largest water park called Legoland in Nusajaya, Johor, should attract tourists from around the world, including from the US.
Johanif Mohamed Ali, the vice-president of Tourism Malaysia’s New York office, revealed that Malaysia was collaborating with the Thailand Tourism Authority to produce a dual-destination package, offering a Malaysian and Thai destination.

A ‘Facebook Sweepstakes’ has been launched offering twin destinations of Borneo and Bangkok.
Since Oct 12, a gigantic screen located at a prominent position in Times Square, near the Nasdaq tower, has been showing four times an hour, each for 30 seconds, for 24 hours a day, Malaysia’s tourism attractions.

The display will continue until Jan 4, 2014. Almost a million-strong crowd would have exposure to the film when it gathers on New Year’s Eve to witness the world-famous countdown to usher in the New Year.

The Times Square location, with its eye-catching neon signs, attracts each day thousands of tourists from the United States and overseas.

Mohamed Nazri was accompanied by Rashidi Hasbullah, the ministry’s deputy secretary-general; and Datuk Azizan Noordin and Datin Normasila Musa, the deputy director-general and the director for international promotion, respectively, for Tourism Malaysia. – BERNAMA

Source : abnxcess, 16 Oct 2013

10 Tip Persediaan Melancong Ke Luar Negara Part 2

Sambungan dari Part 1

http://senangtravel.blogspot.com/2013/10/10-tip-persediaan-melancong-ke-luar.html 

Tip Persediaan Melancong ke Luar Negara  Part 2

11. Pengangkutan
Bagi yang memilih menggunakan travel agent, masalah pengangkutan mungkin kurang mengganggu percutian. Namun, bagi yang merancacng percutian sendiri, mestilah menyelidikan pilihan pengangkutan yang murah dan menyenangkan. Contohnya semasa saya merancang perjalanan dari airport di Paris ke hotel, menggunakan bas adalah lebih lama berbanding keretapi dan lebih mahal.

12. Rancang
Bagi menjimatkan perbelanjaan, tenaga dan masa, itinerary perlulah disediakan. Ini mengelakkan daripada sesat dan memanfaatkan masa yang terhad. Di anjurkan untuk mengunjungi tempat menarik yang berhampiran dahulu. Daripada perancangan, perkara tersebut boleh diatur ;
1. Jenis pengangkutan lokasi pilihan
2. Bayaran tambang
3. Tempat makan bila berhenti rehat
4. Fasiliti terdekat untuk uruskan anak-anak 

13. Kongsi Barang
Berkongsi barang boleh dijadikan option bagi yang travel berkumpulan. 

14. Kurangkan Pakaian
Pakaian yang dibawa jangan terlalu banyak. Bagi backpackers, kurang berat beg memudahkan perjananan. Pakaian yang dibawa hendaklah sesuai dengan destinasi yang dituju.  Membawa beg plastik untuk menyimpan pakaian kotor untuk diasingkan dari yang bersih selain mengasingkan pakaian basah dari yang kering. 

15. Beg Pakaian
Beg pakaian mestilah yang sesuai dibawa dan sesuai denga perancangan. Maksud saya, jika merancang untuk tidak membayar caj bagasi / 'luggage fee', berat beg dan isi kandungan hendaklah kurang dari had yang ditetapkan. 

Untuk keselamatan, beg digantungkan tag nama, alamat dan nombor telefon. Beg juga hendaklah dikunci dengan mangga atau 'padlock' untuk mengelakkan dibuka orang yang tidak bertanggung jawab.

Saya biasanya mengikat riben atau tali yang unik yang sama untuk setiap beg bagi memudahkan kita mengenalpasti beg dan mengelakkan kekeliruan semasa mengambil beg setiba di airport. 

16. Makanan
Pastikan tempat makanan yang dipilih bersih dan halal (bagi yang muslim). Melancong ke luar negara mungkin sukar mendapatkan makanan halal. Jadi, boleh bawa makanan segera seperti mee maggi, makanan dalam tin, biskut, air minuman dan lain-lain. Hendaklah di ingat terdapat makanan yang tidak dibenarkan dibawa melalui airport. 

17. Cenderahati / Shopping

Dapatkan maklumat dimana kawasan yang murah menjual cenderahati. Membeli cenderahati berlebihan antara sebab beg berat, jadi pilih-pilih lah cenderahati yang sesuai. Biasanya orang akan membeli 'fridge magnet', keychain, dan produk unik yang melambangkan tempat tersebut.

18. Kamus
Membawa buku kamus sudah tidak praktikal sekarang dengan adanya teknologi. Install Smartphone anda dengan aplikasi kamus atau aplikasi bahasa negara ditujui memudahkan.

19. Dana Kecemasan
Terdapat saranan untuk memperuntukkan 20 peratus dari anggaran perbelanjaan untuk dana kecemasan. Boleh digunakan jika berlakunya insiden yang tidak dijangka seperti sakit, kerosakan kenderaan, dan menampung perbelanjaan yang tidak terfikir dalam perancangan. 

20. Keselamatan
Perkara utama yang perlu diambil perhatian ketika merancang percutian ialah keselamatan. Pencuri / penyeluk saku sentiasa ada dimana-mana di destinasi dunia ini. Malah ada yang digelar profesional. Jangan mudah ditipu ketika berada di luar negara. Pelbagai jenis 'scam' terdapat di luar sana. Lokasi penginapan juga perlu diambil kira. 


Semoga percutian anda sesuatu yang bakal dikenang sepanjang hayat..


Tips Mendapatkan Tukaran Matawang Asing Yang Terbaik ;

http://senangtravel.blogspot.com/2011/11/kaedah-maksimumkan-tukaran-matawang.html 

Statistics of International Business Tourism Visitors (MICE Industry) to Malaysia 2003-2012

MICE stand for 'Meetings, Incentives, Conventions, and Exhibitions'.

Tourism is the Seven largest contributor to the Malaysian national Economy.

Since 2003, Malaysia's international business tourism visitors increased by estimated 140% from 550,741 visitors to 1,326,734 visitors in 2012 as below chart ;



Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB) was established in 2009 by Ministry of Culture & Tourism was tasked to strengthen Malaysia's business tourism brand in addition to positioning Malaysia at the forefront of the international MICE market.

In 2012, MyCEB it is estimated that it bring economic impact of RM1.2 billion to Malaysia.

In January 2011, under Economic Transformation Programme (ETP), MyCEB established the International Events Unit (IEU) with the goal of positioning Malaysia as an attractive destination for

1. Staging International Sports
2. Arts
3. Lifestyle
4. Entertainment events

What is the target of IEU by 2020?
1. Contribute RM400million in GNI
2. Creating 8,000 new jobs opportunities

Overall tourism GI target of RM40.7 billion and 55,600 new jobs

LIST

Meeting Facilities Available :

Mahsuri International Exhibition Centre (Langkawi)

Genting International Convention Centre (Pahang)

Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (Kuala Lumpur)

MATRADE Exhibition & Convention Centre (Kuala Lumpur)

Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC) (Kuala Lumpur)

Putrajaya International Convention Centre (PICC) (Putrajaya)

Shah Alam Convention Centre (SACC) (Selangor)

Sunway Convention & Exhibition Centre (Selangor)

Melaka International Trade (Melaka)

Persada Johor International Convention (Johor)

Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (Sarawak)


New / Upcoming new Convention facilities 2012 -2014 :

Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (expension)

MATRADE Centre (new development)

Subterranean Penang International Convention & Exhibition Cetre (sPICE)

Straits Quay Convention Centre

Penang Times Square

Europe Greenest Continent based on EPI

5th June is World Environmental Day. The Environmental Performance Index (EPI) released by Yale University every two years measuring performance of national governments related to environmental policies. The latest EPI released in 2012 shown that Europe leads the rest of the world in being green.

Of Top 10 Greenest Countries, 6 are from Europe :

1. Iceland
2. Switzerland
3. Costa Rica
4. Sweden
5. Norway
6. Mauritius
7.  France
8. Austria
9. Cuba
10. Columbia

Total of 163 countries are judged according to 25 indicators. Sadly none of Asian countries has made it to top 10 list.

10 Tip Persediaan Melancong Ke Luar Negara Part 1

Saya rasa banyak blog travel yang menyentuh tentang perancangan ke luar Negara, namun rasanya tidak lengkap jika blog saya tiada topic ini.

Oleh itu, antara persediaan yang perlu dilakukan ialah ;

1. Menabung
Mempunyai banyak wang yang mencukupi amat penting di sampaing budget untuk travel plan masing-masing. Kalau bercuti bersama keluarga tentulah budgetnya lebih berbanding cuti jenis backpackers. Ini terpulang pada 'Percutian Ideal' masing-masing. Asingkan duit unutuk bercuti ke dalam tabung khas.

2. Survey / Cari maklumat
 Ini juga salah satu kaedah mengurangkan kos perbelanjaan bercuti. Cuba survey ;
*Destinasi
*Harga tiket pengangkutan
*Tiket theme park/event yang dituju
Pada hari minggu, kebanyakan pusat pelancongan akan sesak (peak hour) dan menyebabkan ketidakselesaan. Harga dan caj yang dikenakan lebih mahal berbanding hari biasa.

Kebiasaannya di Europe, ada tempat-tempat yang ditutup ketika musim salji / winter.

3. Pakej Promosi
Untuk promosi pelancongan, cuba lihat promosi oleh Negara yang kebetulan mengadakan tahun melawat Negara/Tempat tersebut. Contohnya Tahun Melawat Malaysia 2014 banyak diadakan acara menarik yang disampingnya terdapat promosi pakej pelancongan yang menarik.

4. Agensi Pelancongan
Ada juga pelancong yang suka membuat travel plan sendiri namun bagi memudahkan/menyenangkan rancangan percutian, ada yang memilih untuk menggunakan agensi pelancongan lebih-lebih lagi bagi yang pertama kali ke destinasi. Ini bagi mengelakkan diri daripada ditipu atau membuang masa  untuk bergerak dari satu tempat ke tempat yang lain. Bagi percutian berkumpulan, ini menjimatkan kos perjalanan apabila berkongsi kos contohnya bas/van.

5. Tarikh Sesuai
Memmastikan tarikh yang dipilih sesuai dan tidak bertindan dengan aktiviti-aktivit lain. Sebaiknya tarikh tersebut tiga bulan awal selain menyiapkan tugasan yang patut sebelum bercuti.

6. Tempahan Awal
Tempahan awal tiket perjalanan bagi mengelakkan tiket kehabisan. Biasanya harga tempahan saat-saat akhir adalah mahal berikutan permintaan yang tinggi. Namun jika nasib baik, anda juga mungkin dapat harga yang lebih murah dari harga biasa. Bagi tempahan hotel contohnya pada saat akhir, terdapat website yang menawarkan harga murah. Bagi mereka, lebih baik ada yang menginap daripada tiada langsung. Tapi ini adalah risiko yang mungkin berbaloi.

7. Wang Tunai
Wang tunai penting terutama berbelanja di luar Negara. Bagi yang menggunakan kredit kad, perlu teliti caj yang dikenakan. Pastikan kad debit/kredit anda diaktifkan untuk penggunaan luar Negara.

8. Checklist
Menyediakan checklist untuk barang-barang yang perlu dibawa untuk mengelakkan barang tertinggal terutamanya Dokumen Penting!

9. Dokumen
Dokumen penting perlulaj disediakan lebih awal -passport, cek kembara, kad pengenalan, surat doctor (untuk yang mengandung dan yang tidk sihat), tiket kapal terbang.

10. Peta
Ini adalah option, cuma ia sangat membantu. peta destinasi memudahkan anda merancang jenis pengangkutan ke tempat-tempat menarik.


Sambungan Part 2 ;

http://senangtravel.blogspot.com/2013/10/10-tip-persediaan-melancong-ke-luar_15.html

Selain itu, artikel lain yang boleh memberi panduan berkenaan bagaimana untuk mendapatkan tukaran matawang yang baik ;

http://senangtravel.blogspot.com/2011/11/kaedah-maksimumkan-tukaran-matawang.html

Nazri To Lure Visitors To Malaysia In Los Angeles

logo: Tourism Malaysia

LOS ANGELES, Oct 6 (Bernama) -- Malaysia's Tourism and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Tan Sri Abdul Aziz is expected to arrive in Los Angeles today in a mission to hike visitors' flow to the world's fourth best shopping destination - Malaysia.

Western USA and Latin America Tourism Malaysia Vice-President Azilina Azni Zainal Abidin, based in Los Angeles, told Bernama in a press advisory that some key decision makers in the hospitality industry will be among the entourage to present Malaysia in a promotional drive partnering with US tour operators, media and VIPs of the industry.

The entourage led by Nazri will be engaging in talks and treating them with a savour of Malaysia's authentic cuisines; Visit Malaysia Year (VMY) 2014 video presentations and cultural dances by Malaysian dance troupes.

Tourism Malaysia Los Angeles will also launch its new website during this event featuring Malaysia's world class beaches and island resorts and destinations for visitors and business travelers.

Malaysia is famous for its unique warmth in hospitality - a trademark of authenticity in its cultural tradition of fine taste in hospitality amid ethnic diversity.

There will be a VMY 2014 seminar and media conference as well as an evening of cultural shows.

A traditonal 'joget lambak' during the show will be the seal of tourism ties with western US in Nazri's first official visit to North America as he steers Malaysia to greater heights in the realm of tourism.

Next stop - Vancouver in Canada's British Columbia followed by heading east a few days later to New York city in his sales mission towards ensuring that Malaysia achieves a boon in tourism revenue from now on.

-bernama.

Malaysia Airlines wins WTA Awards 2013

Malaysia Airlines bagged the ‘Asia’s Leading Airline’ and ‘Asia’s Leading Airline Lounge’ awards at the World Travel Awards (Asia & Australasia) ceremony here, yesterday. The awards programme, hailed the ‘Oscars of the travel industry’, is an annual event organised by World Travel Awards (WTA) since 1993, to acknowledge, reward and celebrate excellence across all sectors of the global travel and tourism industry.

Managing director and chief executive officer of MAS, Ahmad Jauhari Yahya, received the two awards on behalf of Malaysia’s national carrier at the event yesterday. “These awards are fine recognition of the consumers trust in our premium products and consistent high service standards,” he said in a statement here yesterday.

 

Ahmad Jauhari said the award will inspire the company to take its premium product and service standards to greater heights and remain the most preferred airline brand not only in Asia but globally. This is the second consecutive year MAS has been awarded by the WTA. Last year, MAS took the World’s Leading Airline to Asia, Asia’s Leading Airline and Asia’s Leading Business Class Airline awards. — Bernama

 

Congratulation to MAS!!!