Malaysia hopes for two million tourists from Indonesia

Nusa Dua, Bali (ANTARA News) - Malaysian Tourism Promotion Director General Dato Mirza Mohammad Taiyab hoped the number of Indonesian tourists coming to Malaysia in 2007 would reach two million.

"We hope that the number of Indonesian tourists visiting our country would meet our expectations," Dato Mirza Mohammad Thiyab told the press on the sidelines of the ongoing PATA Travel Mart in Nusa Dua, Bali, on Friday.

He said Malaysia on the occasion of the tourist visit year and its 50th anniversary is offering special and affordable tourist packages.

According to data, from January through July 2007, more than one million people had come to Malaysia to spend their holiday, Dato Mirza flanked by Malaysian Senior Tourism Director Abdul Halim Saruji, said.

Most of the Indonesian tourists visiting Malaysia came from Sumatra, Kalimantan, Sulawesi and Java.

Dato Mirza also hoped Malaysia`s relations with Indonesia both in the economic, socio-cultural and political sectors need also to be developed through cooperation in the tourism sector.

He said the tourism industry in his country is the biggest contributor to the state`s revenue. "Practically all parts of Malaysia have interesting tourists spots, like the Petronas Twin Tower in Kuala Lumpur, Selangor and Johor," he said.

In the meantime, the Malaysian Ministry of Tourism in promoting the country`s tourism sector has also offered mega sale packages and Eye on Malaysia tickets to Indonesian tourists.

"The Malaysian government devoted a special attention to Indonesian tourists since 1998, because the tourism industry has achieved impressive achievements", Dato Mirza added.

The 2007 Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Travel Mart which was opened by Vice President Jusuf Kalla last Wednesday marked the Indonesian tourist island`s return as a major world tourist destination.

The tourist island has been struggling to recover from the aftermath of the terrorist attacks in 2002 and 2005, which had seriously damaghed its tourism industry.

But two years after the most recent bombings, Bali won its bid to host the PATA Travel Mart over destinations in China and India.

The ongoing 3-day Travel Mart is believed to be the biggest ever with 423 buyers from 40 countries, more than last year`s even in Hong Kong which was attended by 353 buyers.

The Travel Mart also features 860 sellers from 36 countries.