Bangkok--Oct 31--eTurboNews
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (eTurboNews) -- Tourism Malaysia announced its marketing campaign for 2007 is shifting gears to enhance and upgrade the skills of tourism industry workers.
Called "Malaysia Welcomes the World," the new campaign initiative will focus on the skills of tourism players nationwide. "We are targeting all front-liners in the tourism industry, staff of government departments and members of the private sector through corporate link-ups," Tourism Minister Leo Toyad said. According to him, this campaign will "spread the message to the grassroots level and make everyone aware of the importance of receiving foreigners as best as they can."
The minister added, "The objective of this campaign is not for the ministry alone. All Malaysians should rise to the occasion as we open our doors to welcome tourists from all over the world in 2007."
Tourism Malaysia said the initiative is seeking to "change the mindset of the people to think and act tourism, continue to enhance the best practices in hospitality, including public cleanliness and courtesy, and improve communication skills in different languages."
During the implementation stage, there will be "train-the-trainer" sessions, workshops at various levels for frontlines in the hospitality trade and related government departments and everyone linked to the travel industry such as tour guides and taxi drivers.
"Malaysians are known for their warmth, friendliness and caring attitude, but we cannot take all this for granted. We must ensure that tourists feel welcome wherever they go in the country."
The first Visit Malaysia campaign was in 1990, followed by the second in 1994. The Visit Malaysia Year 2007 campaign differs from previous efforts in that it will utilize multimedia, including the Internet facilities, to maximize exposure in getting the message across.
Tourism Malaysia recorded a total of 10.8 million tourist arrivals from January to August this year, an increase of 4.8 percent compared to the same period in 2004.
"Malaysians can rightly feel proud of our achievements by inviting the world to our doorsteps and taking good care of those who come to visit us," Toyad closed.
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