|
Festivals
of Colors Attract Arab Tourists in Malaysia
 |
|
Malaysia
hopes to attract more Arab tourists
|
By
Kazi Mahmood, IOL South East Asia correspondent
Kuala
Lumpur, July 22 (IslamOnline) - Malaysia has become a major tourist
attraction for Middle Eastern tourists, mainly from the United Arab
Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia and other neighboring nations, news
reports said Monday, July 22.
Arab
tourists now fly into Malaysia with bigger families, stay longer and
spend more. What attracts them is that Malaysia is a mainly Muslim
country, where halal (permissible) food is available everywhere and
the people always friendly.
Recent
figures show that Malaysia is gearing to have 20 million tourists
annually by the year 2010. Last year, 12.7 million tourists visited
Malaysia, generating an income of RM24bil.
Malaysia
hopes a large share of these arrivals will be from the Middle East,
where the tourists have singularly boycotted European and U.S.
capitals since September 11th and its aftermath.
To
attract more Arab tourists, Malaysia has devised a particular plan
that has given excellent results. The Ministry of Culture, Arts and
Tourism recently organized the “Festival of Colors” or the
“Citra Warna Malaysia”. This turned to be an instant success with
Arab tourists, who were visibly enjoyed the “clash of cultures”
they felt while visiting the country.
Since
May 2002, Middle Eastern tourists have flocked to Malaysia in
thousands, giving a breather to the local ailing hotel industry.
With
the impact created by the large arrivals from the Middle East, the
local tourism industry, the country’s third biggest income earner,
was to play an even larger role with the steady increase of tourist
arrivals.
Arab
tourists who spoke to IslamOnline said they felt really at home in
Malaysia with the availability of food and the quality of shops in
Kuala Lumpur. They added that the many festivals of food, fruits and
colors have also helped them understand better the Malaysian culture
as a whole.
Arab
women are now common on the posh streets of Kuala Lumpur. From Bukit
Bintang to the prime Kuala Lumpur City Center (KLCC) where the tallest
building on earth is located, Arab tourists are pretty much visible.
“They
spend a lot. If they like the shop, many of them will visit that
particular shop. I feel they find the prices cheap. Most of the shops
at the KLCC sell branded products,” a shop owner at the KLCC told
IslamOnline.
The
government expects 150,000 Middle Eastern tourists to visit this year,
up three times since 2000. Efforts are being made to attract more next
year, officials said according to Bernama, the local news agency.
Malaysian
tourism officials are happy that Arab tourists stay longer in
Malaysia. They also tend to visit other states, particularly
Terengganu, Kelantan and Penang. The opposition Islamic Party of
Malaysia (PAS) runs Terengganu and Kelantan.
In
a recent interview to IslamOnline, the Chief Minister of Terengganu
complained of the lack of flights from Kuala Lumpur to Kuala
Terengganu, where he says Arab Tourists were more than welcomed.
He
said the banning of Alcohol and other illicit products in the state
attracts Arab and Muslim tourists and that the state could generate
more funds if these tourists could visit Terengganu.
A
study published by the Straits Times of Singapore found that Middle
East tourists visit at least 10 days each time, compared to an average
of 5.5 days for other tourists. It is estimated that an average Arab
family could spend up to U.S. $12, 000 for a two-week stay.
Some
restaurants have also resorted to playing Arabic music to attract
Middle Eastern tourists. Arab food is also available in certain
restaurants in Kuala Lumpur.
Earlier
this year, Newsweek blamed the Malaysian government for its open
policy towards Arab visitors. The New York based Magazine said the
relaxed immigration rules in Malaysia towards Arab tourists and
visitors was a reason for the infiltration of Osama Bin Laden’s
“Al-Qaida” members in Kuala Lumpur.
It
pressed the U.S. authorities to charge Malaysia for allowing Arab
tourists to visit Malaysia almost without any immigration difficulties
and to roam in the country freely.
Malaysia,
an official said, would not tighten its rules when it comes to
tourists who are most welcomed in the country. Malaysia’s economy
badly need a solid diversification of its Gross National Product (GDP)
and become less dependent on Petrol and Construction.
With
the conclusion of the successful “Colors Of Malaysia” last week,
the Tourism Ministry is currently promoting the food and fruits
festival that is also becoming a hit with Arab-Middle Eastern
tourists.
|
