Tourism Malaysia's Dato Haji Azizan Noordin, Deputy Director & Kausar Kassim, V.P. - Canada
Kausar Kassim with Malaysia's Minister of Tourism & Culture Dato Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz
Elisabeth Chan, JBC Travel receives a henna design from one of the local Malaysian artists present
Guests were treated to Malaysian dance performances
Malaysia is serious about attracting more Canadians to its shores and newly appointed Minister of Tourism & Culture, Dato Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz was in Vancouver recently to help his country make an impact on the trade. He hosted a gala dinner for about 300 members of the travel industry at the Hyatt Regency as part of his promotional tour which also hit Los Angeles and New York.
This visit comes in the wake of Malaysia Airlines' recent return to set up a GSA in Canada. Why is the minister in Canada? “Because Canadian arrival numbers are small, and we would like to generate (more) interest,” he said.
Malaysia offers exciting events for visitors, declared Dato Seri Mohamed. An upcoming highlight is the “Visit Malaysia Year 2014” with a line up of special events and cultural activities throughout the year. This campaign will focus on 4 themes to showcase the diverse attractions within the country – “Heritage & Culture”; “Adventure & Nature”; “Wellness & Spa” and “Islands & Beaches”. Officials are hoping to attract 28 million travellers including 97,000 Canadians.
During the sit-down dinner, some local Malaysian cuisine appeared unexpectedly. These included a popular crowd favourite, satay (meat skewered on wooden sticks and served with peanut sauce) and for dessert, cantaloupe cubes in chilled sago topped with coconut milk. For entertainment, there was a variety of cultural performances from colourfully and traditionally clad dancers specially flown in for this occasion. Audience participation was encouraged during the heart stopping bamboo dance. There was also a lively pop quiz where the winners each went home with an iPad.
According to the minister, Canadian travellers are interested in eco and sustainable tourism. These include conservation efforts for the orang utan and the proboscis monkey. When promoting such causes, Dato Seri Mohamed noted that it also serves to educate locals to become more aware of their environment.
And, Canadians can really stretch their dollar in Malaysia, said Dato Seri Mohamed. According to a recent CNN travel survey, the country was ranked the 4th best shopping destination in the world. “If I were a Canadian, I would visit Malaysia every 4 months,” quipped the minister.
