By IANS
New Delhi : India is a “major target” country for Malaysian tourism and its tourist board says it is ready to present its “best deals” to Indian travellers.
Commenting on the growing potential of the Indian market, Christopher Yek, the South Asia Regional Manager of Malaysia Airlines, who was present here for the launch of the Golden Holiday packages in Malaysia, said: “The overall growth of the number of Indian tourists in Malaysia has increased by 66 per cent and from last year it has increased by 28 percent. Therefore, we see this country as our major target and we are willing to present our best deals to them.”
Malaysia brings out the best holidaying options with diversified cuisines and provides a platform for adventure sports lovers. From snorkelling to scuba diving to mountaineering, the country is a hot favourite among travellers across the world.
Tourism is the second largest revenue earner in Malaysia after the manufacturing sector.
“As compared to the last year, the frequency of flights by Malaysia Airlines to India has increased by 10 per cent. In fact, this year we added four more flights increasing the frequency to 30 flights a week all over the country,” Sunil Gupta, the Chief Operating Officer of Malaysia Airlines, said.
According to the figures given in Travel and Trade Magazine, the Indian tourist traffic to Malaysia, which was 109,000 in June 2006, increased to 231,000 by January 2007.
The reason, Yek said, was the cheaper holiday options that are available in Malaysia.
“The amount of money that you have to pay for one-night stay in a five-star hotel in India can get you a stay of three to four days in their Malaysian counterpart,” he said, adding that the supply and demand mismatch in India makes it one of the most expensive travel destinations.
However, when asked if there were any holidaying options available for the budget travellers in India, Yek ruled out the option. The disposable income among the Indian middle class is so high that there is no need for budget plans, he said.
“Indians, perhaps, are the highest spenders in the world,” he added.