LONDON/DUBAI: Malaysia returns to participate in the World Travel Market (WTM) 2021 that is held in hybrid with a strong message to promote Malaysia as a safe holiday destination after travel restrictions were enforced for almost two years worldwide. This year marks the 40th participation by Tourism Malaysia.
Starting from 1- 3 November, WTM 2021 will welcome its attendees physically in ExCel London, while on 8 and 9 November, attendees will meet and connect virtually through the WTM London Virtual platform. Tourism Malaysia will be joined on the stand by partners from the state of Pahang and private sector representatives from Malaysia Airlines and Berjaya Hotels. Virtually, a total of 10 organisations will be taking part through the event, comprising (4) tour operators, two (2) state tourism boards, three (3) hotels and resorts, and one (1) product owner.
This year’s participation aims to provide tourism industry players from around the world to get the latest information on travelling to Malaysia, especially after the recent announcement on Malaysia’s first international tourism bubble to Langkawi that will open its doors on 15 November 2021. Tourism Malaysia believes that WTM serves as an important platform to introduce Malaysia’s new and upcoming tourist attractions that meet the needs of the UK and Europe markets.
Commenting on the participation, His Excellency, High Commissioner-Designate of Malaysia to the United Kingdom, Ambassador Zakri Jaafar said, “Through this event, Tourism Malaysia is looking forward to discussing possible collaborations and partnerships by leveraging the business-to-business (B2B) spectrum and restoring confidence among international travel agencies to promote and sell Malaysia’s tourist attractions. Our participation will provide an opportunity for tourism industry players from around the world to get the latest information on traveling to Malaysia.”
Dato’ Zainuddin Abdul Wahab, the Director-General of Tourism Malaysia is also optimistic for this year’s participation, “We are excited to participate in WTM for our 40th year, reconnecting with our partners and forging new relationships. WTM continues to be an important platform for us to promote Malaysia’s extensive tourism offering and to introduce new and upcoming tourist attractions that we believe appeal to the European market.”
The Malaysian Government has recently announced that Langkawi will be the first destination in Malaysia to open its doors to fully-vaccinated international tourists this 15 November, with no quarantine required. We are proud to announce that we have achieved more than 94.9% of fully vaccinated adults nationwide.
Tourism Malaysia is also working with international airlines to increase connectivity to Malaysia. Malaysia Airlines is currently operating twice weekly for flights from London to Kuala Lumpur until the end of December 2021. The frequency is expected to increase to five times weekly between January and March 2022.
Tourism Malaysia will be at stand AS 401. For more information on WTM, visit its official website here.
