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Arabic-speaking guides to woo tourists to Malaysia
KOTA BHARU (MALAYSIA) — In a bid to attract more tourists from the Middle East, the Kelantan State Tourism Ministry would be deploying more tourist guides who are experts in Arabic language.
Anwar Abdullah, state Minister of Culture and Tourism, told Khaleej Times that Kelantan aimed at bringing six million tourists this year.
He was speaking on the sidelines of the ‘Visit Kelantan’ promotion which was inaugurated in a colourful ceremony on Friday.
Malaysia is promoting Kelantan, a state lying 500 km from capital Kuala Lumpur, as its ultimate tourist destination this year.
“Last year, 5.2 million tourists visited Kelantan. We are making honest efforts to attract more people. The department is now eyeing the Middle East market. The influx of tourists from the Middle East has not been very healthy in Kelantan. We are trying to bridge that gap this time,” he said.
Abdullah added the state would be participating in the Arab Travel Market (ATM) Conference slated to be held later this year in the UAE.
“We would be participating in the ATM with all our promotions and schemes. We are sure that the Arab people would be attracted to them. Also, the guides would be given training in Arabic so that the tourists can be more comfortable with them,” he said.
The Kelantan tourism sector earned revenue of RIN (Malaysian Ringett) 1.3 billion (around US$300 million) last year.
“This year we plan to raise the revenue by RIN2 billion (around $500 million). Kelantan is popular for its Batik art and Silver jewellery. Also, it is known to have nurtured its rich cultural heritage. We would be advertising the Batik handicraft and silver extensively all across the world to attract tourists.”
“We are focusing more on eco-tourism. Kelantan is a green state and tourists are more attracted to the greenery. The department would be sending teams to different countries to make the people know more about Kelantan. People can come here and know about the real culture of the Malays. Dubai and Europe are among the biggest markets for us at the moment. We are working hard for the promotion of tourism in all Middle Eastern countries,” added Abdullah.
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