Tourism Malaysia

13 Nov 2006 - MO Aquaria Shark Attack at Kuala Lumpur City Centre

For the first time ever, aquatic enthusiasts and thrill seekers alike can enjoy a quick dive and dip with some of the most dangerous predators of the sea at Aquaria KLCC with a special joint promotion with Mandarin Oriental, Kuala Lumpur, open to divers and non-divers.

Up close and person, the underwater close-encounter with the resident sharks and the other underwater denizens was designed to cater to the more intrepid of travelers coupled with the option of calling in the night within the luxury and comfort of Mandarin Oriental, Kuala Lumpur's opulent rooms. A 'Dive with Sharks' training which includes a thorough briefing and familiarization of dive equipments and basic safety concepts are factored into the 3-hour experience of diving with the sharks with a trained diving instructor who would be diving alongside.

"One of the main purposes of this partnership is to promote Kuala Lumpur. Now, you are able to swim with sharks, not in the middle of the ocean or at some remote island, but right in the heart of the Golden Triangle of Kuala Lumpur City Centre", said Mr Jonas Schuermann – General Manager of Mandarin Oriental, Kuala Lumpur.

According to Dato' Simon Foong, Executive Director of Aquawalk Sdn Bhd, 'Dive with Sharks' will provide the thrill and entertainment for those with a taste for adventure and added that, besides its 'entertainment' value, 'Dive with Sharks' provides a platform to convey a strong conservation message to the public on shark education and conservation.

The package starts from RM889.00++ per night for a Deluxe Room for a 1 person dive and RM1,379.00++ for a 2 persons dive. It is valid from 6 September to 31 December 2006. For other room category please contact our reservations agent at (603) 2179 8818 or mokul-reservations@mohg.com or through Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group's direct on-line reservations service at www.mandarinoriental.com

The Dive with Sharks package includes:

Deluxe or Club room
Welcome garland upon arrival
Welcome drink & cold tower
Daily American breakfast for one or two persons
Dive with sharks voucher at Aquaria KLCC worth RM450 per person
20% discount for in-room massage from Mandarin Oriental Vitality Club
Complimentary drink at Cascade Restaurant
Complimentary Welcome gift
Complimentary daily turn down amenities
Complimentary dessert for spending above RM180 at hotel F&B outlets (except Wasabi Bistro)

Malaysia Mega Sale Carnival 2006

Shopaholics get ready - the Malaysia Mega Sale Carnival (MMSC) is set to whip you up once more in a tide that will sweep through the nation for six fabulous weeks! From 22 July to 3 September 2006, locals and tourists to Malaysia will be bombarded with promotions, bargains and discounts that promise to keep everyone in frenzy.

Organised by Ministry of Tourism, Tourism Malaysia and the Shopping Malaysia Secretariat, this is the sixth time the MMSC is being held, each time with greater success than before. This year on 22nd July, it will be launched by the Minister of Tourism, YBM Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor at the Bukit Bintang shopping precinct.

To hype things further, the MMSC coincides with the colourful Citrawarna festival in July and Merdeka celebrations in August. Visitors to Malaysia during this period are certainly in for a most exciting trip!

Expect just about everything to be on sale, from fashion, haute couture, accessories, jewelleries and cosmetics to sophisticated electrical and hi-tech equipment, handicrafts and unique curios. To supplement the sale, fun activities and contests are in the line up at the various shopping precincts, malls and retail outlets nationwide.

A 2-day Street Carnival kicks off the celebrations on 22 July at the Bukit Bintang crossroad from 6pm to 2 am, while at the Low Yat Plaza Boulevard the party begins earlier at noon. Visitors can continue celebrating the following day at the same spots from 6pm to midnight.

Shoppers can expect a consumer sale, an exhibition of break dance, graffiti art, skateboarding demonstrations and hip-hop performances during the Urban Art Explosion segment, as well as a capella and musical recital and performances by local artistes. Bands of roving buskers consisting of clowns, mascots, stilt walkers, face painters, balloon sculpters and musicians can be spotted too.

One of the highlights of the event is the Malaysia Mega Sale Shopping Race on the launch day itself. The challenge is for international media teams and local participants to traverse and shop in the malls and shopping complexes in the Klang Valley for prizes worth more than RM10, 000 for each category. Teams will be given RM1, 000 in cash each, to shop for specific products and the team with the highest savings will emerge winner. Participating teams will get to keep their purchases.

Another shopping event organised by the Shopping Malaysia Secretariat is the Shop-A-Hunt at the Tebrau City mall, Johor Bahru on 12 August where, media and shoppers will vie for the prize of cash money, shopping vouchers and holiday packages. An Arts Explosion Fair 2006 will also take place at the Khoo Kongsi at Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling in Pulau Pinang. The 2-day fair will feature unique offerings ranging from shopping products, entertainments, arts and curios as well as the island's famous cuisine. Entertainment by new aspiring Malaysian artistes from the World Championships of Performing Arts, a flea market and an art bazaar will no doubt keep all occupied.

To further enhance the MMSC's appeal, the Shopping Malaysia Secretariat has put together a Malaysia Mega Sale Carnival Shopping Holiday Package, which is available from USD100.00 per person excluding flight ticket/s. This great promotional shopping holiday package includes 3 days 2 nights accommodation*, 2 x buffet breakfast, Return ERL Express or Skybus tickets, KL Monorail stored value ticket worth RM20 and Shopping vouchers worth RM50 MasterCard Worldwide, the official card of the MMSC since the program was first introduced, kicks in with its "MasterCard Priceless Weekend Escapes' promotion throughout the Carnival period. Each transaction charged to a MasterCard card, within Malaysia, entitles the cardholder a chance to win one of two year-long holiday passes. The holiday passes are for up to 50 weekend nights at the Four Seasons Resort in Pulau Langkawi inclusive of airfare from KLIA for the first weekend.

Cardholders also have the opportunity to redeem a prize with every minimum of RM100 charged, subject to a maximum accumulation of three (3) transaction receipts per day, in the Master Card Priceless Weekend Escapes Programme at participating malls nationwide.

Participating outlets include Mid Valley Megamall, Sunway Pyramid, Ikano Power Centre, The Curve, Sungei Wang Plaza, Metrojaya at Bukit Bintang (KL), Metrojaya at Island Plaza (Penang) and Metrojaya at Leisure Mall (Johor Bharu).

For more information, please contact :

Shopping Malaysia Secretariat
29th Floor, Menara Dato' Onn,
Putra World Trade Centre, 45,
Jalan Tun Ismail,
50480 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 603-2698 1033
Fax: 603-2691 6122, or email enquiry@mymegasale.com

Tourism Minister Embarks on VMY 2007 Mission to Hong Kong

The Honourable Minister of Tourism, Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor is leading a Malaysian delegation to Hong Kong as part of the "Visit Malaysia Year '07 road show" from 13 to 15 June 2006.

During the two-day road show, the honourable minister will make courtesy call to GBS, JP Mr. Stephen Ip Shu-Kwan, Secretary for Economic Development and Labour (Tourism Section).

A press conference to announce the Visit Malaysia Year '07 campaign and celebrations will be held on 13 June 2006 at 5pm at the Intercontinental Hotel, followed by a gala dinner hosted by the Ministry of Tourism, Malaysia.

The coming year 2007 is meaningful to the Malaysian as it marks the 50th anniversary of Malaysia's independence. What better way for Malaysians to celebrate this Golden Jubilee than to share the moment with the rest of the world!

Backgrounder

Malaysia has recorded a total of 16,937 tourist arrivals from Hong Kong for the month from January to February 2006 compared to only 9,833 tourist arrivals for the same period in 2005, thus representing a tremendous increase of 73%.

Country	Tourist arrivals in Jan-Feb 2005	Tourist arrivals in Jan-Feb 2006	Growth in %
Hong Kong	9,833	16,937	73%

The promotion in Hong Kong is based on travel packages coupled with the high standard quality services and products. Key segments that promoted in Hong Kong market include; leisure holidays such as beaches and islands, shopping, dining, eco-tourism, MICE packages, while the special interest promotions are included education, honeymoon, spa, golfing, diving and angling.

The tourism industry will continue to work hard to improve tourism performance for the year and all indicators are positive in favour for a better performance this year compared to 2005.

Minister of Tourism, Malaysia unveiled "Visit Malaysia Year 2007" in Hong Kong

To celebrate Malaysia's 50th year of independence in 2007, the Malaysia Government designates year 2007 as the "Visit Malaysia Year", the Minister of Tourism, Malaysia, The Honourable Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor made a trip to Hong Kong from 13th June 2006 to 15th June 2006, as part of the "Visit Malaysia Year 2007 roadshow". On 13th June 2006, he hosted the "Visit Malaysia Year 2007 Hong Kong Press Conference and Gala Dinner". The endorsement of the "Ambassador for Tourism Malaysia's East Asia Market" Michael Wong and the attendance of numerous media representatives, helped create an ambient and joyful atmosphere.

During the Press Conference, the logo of "Visit Malaysia Year 2007" was unveiled splendidly and astonishingly to impress onsite guests by spectacular lighting effects, which truly illuminates the glamour of Malaysia. Together with the special gifts presented to the guests by our Malaysians' models namely coconut candies, coral, flowers and pinnakols. Each presented gift stands for economic prosperity, tradition and natural sceneries of Malaysia. Immediately after the press conference, Minister of Tourism, Malaysia hosted a Gala Dinner to travel trade and media partners, buzzing with an array of exciting

programmes including singing performance conducted by Tourism Ambassador, Michael Wong, as well as Malaysia traditional dance performance by Tourism Malaysia Cultural troupe from Guangzhou, together with a lucky draw. Another highlight of the Gala Dinner was attributed to the "Malaysia Supportive Agent Award Presentation" whereby 14 local travel agents were awarded tokens of appreciation from the Minister for recognizing their support to Malaysia over the years.

The Minister of Tourism, Malaysia, The Honourable Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor expressed his excitement to this event, "Total visitor arrivals to Malaysia has been increasing dramatically these years. On top of this, Malaysia has also become one of the prime tourist destinations for Hong Kong travellers. On my first visit to Hong Kong, I"m proud to unveil the message of "Visit Malaysia Year 2007" to the public. This campaign coincides with the celebration of the golden jubilee of our country's 50th year of independence, which aims at promoting Malaysia as one of the leading tourist destinations in the region and encouraging visitors to increase their spending in the country."

Themed with "Celebrating 50 Years of Nationhood", "Visit Malaysia Year 2007" is an international campaign hosted by Ministry of Tourism and Tourism Malaysia, implemented by myriad events and activities such as sports programmes, parades, cultural performances and carnivals etc to showcase the multi-social culture of Malaysia's and the warm hospitality from Malaysians. To complement this gorgeous mega event, the "Malaysia Welcomes the World" campaign has been executed to target frontliners in the tourism and service industry throughout the country. This preparatory programme aims to upgrade the hospitality skills of Malaysians in order to make Malaysia a tourist-friendly country and a leading international tourist destination ultimately.

"Visit Malaysia Year" has been held twice in 1990 and 1994 respectively. VMY 2007 has been widely announced at sales missions and international travel trade shows in China, India, Germany, Turkey and Russia by the Minister of Tourism, Deputy Minister of Tourism and senior Tourism Malaysia officials. The two-pronged international and domestic campaign aims to make Malaysia a top-of-mind tourist destination and increase foreign tourist arrivals to the country. A figure of 20.1 million tourist arrivals is targeted for 2007.

Michael Wong Appointed Tourism Ambassador

Popular singer-composer and actor Michael Wong has been appointed the tourism ambassador for Tourism Malaysia's East Asia market. The official announcement was made during a press conference held on 19 February 2006 for 100 Chinese media representatives who arrived for a familiarization trip to Malaysia.

It is part of Tourism Malaysia's on-going efforts to promote the country as a preferred destination for mainland Chinese tourists through aggressive marketing campaigns and road shows in the East Asia region.

Known for his personable charm and musical talent, Wong will appear in television commercials featuring Malaysian landscapes and tourist attractions for broadcast throughout various countries in the East Asia region.

The 36-year-old celebrity hails from Ipoh, Perak. His association with music started at the tender age of six when he began piano lessons. By 14, he was already composing songs and an active member in the church choir.

Wong's first solo album titled "First Time" released in 2001 has sold more than 800,000 copies in Asia and the title song has remained in the popularity charts in China for over three years. Besides singing, Wong has starred in many various television series since 2001. Some of his memorable acting roles are in such TV series as "White Love Song", "Crazy Love" and "Brave Soldier and the Beauty".

The biggest success to date for Wong is his latest album entitled "Fairy Tale", which has sold over a million copies in Asia. It won him four major trophies at the prestigious Hong Kong TVB8 Music Awards in December 2005. His awards were for the best composer-artiste, the best composition, a top 10 hit song of the year and the song of the year.

JoJoBa SPA Malaysia Largest Tourism SPA

includes a variety of massages, body scrubs, body wrap, facial, deluxe foot spa and many more. Immerse yourself in your choice of aroma senses and let JoJoBa's signature treatment take you back to the traditional art of healing and renewal. Carefully selected and well trained therapists at JoJoBa Spa will provide a seamless spa experience .In addition to that , customer could relax while enjoying the city sight or gazed at the shinny stars and moonlight in the Jacuzzi tub of the treatment room.

With its most luxurious environments of natural wood, clay and stone , all treatment rooms is themed and named after the Malaysia thirteen states, comes with its own massage area , private Jacuzzi tub, shower and hot tub facilities. By bringing together Malaysian beauty and body treatments, JoJoBa Spa provides highly effective spa treatment packages and total body total relaxation treatment which using natural herbs and ingredients such as Tongkat Ali and Nutmeg to ensure continuous good health.

Come and embrace into timeless sensations of peace and tranquility as you slip into a world of relaxation. Go on and find yourself a pampering wellness spa experience at www.jojoba.com.my.

For more details, please contact:

Berjaya Times Square Hotel & Convention Centre
15th Floor, East Wing Tower, No 1, Jalan lmbi 55500 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 603-2141 7766
Fax: 603-21443966
www.jojoba.com.my
Email: enquiry@jojoba.com.my

Malaysia Welcomes The World

YB Datuk Dr. Leo Michael Toyad, the Minister of Tourism, today announced a new initiative called "Malaysia Welcomes the World" (MWW), a preparatory programme for Visit Malaysia Year 2007 to upgrade the hospitality skills of Malaysians nationwide.

The MWW campaign's main objectives are threefold:

To change the mindsets of the people to think and act tourism
To continue and enhance the best practices in hospitality including public cleanliness and courtesy
To improve communication skills in different languages

The targets of MWW are frontliners in the tourism industry, the staff of government departments and members of the private sector through corporate link-ups.

During the implementation stage, there will be train-the-trainer sessions, workshops at various levels for frontliners in the hospitality trade and related government departments and everyone linked to the travel industry such as tour guides, taxi drivers and so on.

According to the Minster of Tourism, "Malaysians are well-known for their warmth, friendliness and caring attitude by we cannot take all this for granted. We must ensure that tourists feel welcome wherever they go in our country. This campaign will spread the message to the grassroots level and make everyone aware of the importance of receiving in foreigners as best they can.

"The task of th MWW campaign is not for the Ministry of Tourism alone. All Malaysians should rise to the occasion as we open our doors to welcome tourists form all over the world in 2007. We hope that during the auspicious year when we celebrate the golden jubilee of our country's independence, Malaysians can rightly feel proud of our achievements by inviting the world to our doorsteps and taking good case of those who come to visit us."

Historical Background
1990 –	First Visit Malaysia Year campaign launched
1994 –	Second Visit Malaysia Year campaign launched
2007 –	Third Visit Malaysia Year campaign to be launched

KLCC Convention Centre: Malaysia's Bright New Star for Conventions

The Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (www.klccconventioncentre.com), set to open its doors in June 2005, will become a major international venue for conferences and exhibitions. The Convention Centre will seal Malaysia's position as a world-class convention and exhibition destination. It is wholly owned facility of Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre Sdn Bhd in turn owned by KLCC (Holdings) Bhd which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Petroliam Nasional Berhad (PETRONAS).

Boasting the latest in wireless, 3G telecommunications and digital audiovisual facilities, the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre comprises a plenary hall with 3,000 people's capacity, a 500-seat plenary theatre, 9,710m ² exhibition space, a grand ballroom, the 1,800-seat conference hall, a classy banquet hall, 20 spacious meeting rooms totaling 1,922m ², and to name a few other facilities including VIP rooms, Media Rooms, Business Centre, Prayer Rooms, Concierge and Luggage Rooms, Medical Centre, Parenting Rooms, a variety of food and retail outlets, car parking for 6,500 vehicles located within the KLCC precinct, etc.

Mr. Peter Brokenshire, General Manager of Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, said ""the convention centre is poised to attract international delegates or business tourists as they are better known, who statistically have higher spending power and stay longer than leisure visitors. Added to this the many diverse activities related to the organization of a major event and the result is an economic generator with significant long-term benefits for Kuala Lumpur and in turn, Malaysia."

AQUARIA KLCC: A Mystic Underwater World Now Lands in the Heart of Kuala Lumpur

Discover what it is like to drift through tropical rainforests. Wade through shallow waters as stingrays slip and glide. Find out how it feels to swim side by side with sand tiger sharks. With over 5,000 different sea creatures and the latest in advanced interactive technology, AQUARIA KLCC will stimulate your senses and open up your mind to the fascinating world under the sea.

Showcasing some of the most captivating aquatic life from Malaysia and throughout the world, AQUARIA KLCC takes you on an exhilarating journey from the misty mountains, down the majestic rivers, through the green rainforest to the mighty mangroves until you reach the colourful coral reefs and the ominous deep blue sea.

Opening in June this year, the aquarium brings visitors to various levels of excitement by walking through categorized zones namely Evolution, Jewels of the Jungle, Deep Forest, The Flooded Forest Tube Tank, The Coasts, The Living Oceans, The Aqua Theatre, and lastly, The Aquaria Gift Shop. Before planning to pay for a visit, see for yourself virtually first at: www.klaquaria.com.