Tourism Malaysia gears up its promotion in Central Asia by participating in the 22nd Kazakhstan International Exhibition “Tourism and Travel” (KITF) 2024, scheduled from 24 to 26 April 2024 at the Atakent International Exhibition Centre in Almaty, Kazakhstan.
This three-day event serves as a vital platform to strengthen Malaysia’s presence in the Central Asia market and to provide updates on recent advancements and tourism development in Malaysia, particularly as Malaysia aims to welcome 35.6 million international tourist arrivals with projected tourism receipts of RM147.1 billion for Visit Malaysia Year 2026.
The opening ceremony for Malaysia’s pavilion was attended by H.E. Mohd Adli Abdullah, Ambassador of Malaysia to the Republic of Kazakhstan, along with Mr. Nor Shazly Azmi, Director of Tourism Malaysia Almaty Office. The Malaysian delegation comprises tour operators, destination management companies (DMCs), tourism-related services, and airlines including Air Asia X Berhad, Embassy Alliance Travel, Fun & Sun Holidays, Asia Premium Holidays, and Menara Kuala Lumpur.
Mr. Nor Shazly highlighted that Kazakhstan remains one of the important and emerging tourism source markets in Central Asia, contributing 8,298 tourist arrivals to Malaysia in 2023. Packages focusing on islands and beaches, ecotourism, and cultural experiences will be promoted during the fair.
Other top markets generating tourist arrivals to Malaysia include Uzbekistan (12,157), Kyrgyzstan (2,425), Tajikistan (1,146), and Turkmenistan (1,071). In 2023, Malaysia welcomed a total of 20.14 million international tourists, generating RM71.3 billion in tourism receipts.
“With Air Asia X providing four direct flights per week to Malaysia and with a capacity of 1,140 passengers per week, it serves as the perfect gateway for travellers to explore Malaysia’s diverse tourism offerings and highlights the scope for collaboration between tourism travel players in Malaysia and Kazakhstan,” Mr Nor Shazly added.
Visitors can explore Malaysia’s rich tapestry of offerings tailored for the Kazakhstan market at Tourism Malaysia’s booth at Pavilion 10, Stands 10-40. Visitors also have the opportunity to participate in an exciting lucky draw for a chance to win incredible prizes such as return flight tickets from Almaty to Kuala Lumpur, accommodation, and merchandise from Tourism Malaysia and Air Asia.
Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board, also known as Tourism Malaysia, is an agency under the Ministry of Tourism, Arts & Culture Malaysia. It focuses on the specific task of promoting Malaysia as a preferred tourism destination. Since its inception, it has emerged as a major player in the international tourism scene.
The next Visit Malaysia Year, set to take place in 2026, will commemorate the sustainability of the nation’s tourism industry, which is also in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDG).
Furthermore, Tourism Malaysia actively endorses the Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand Growth Triangle (IMT-GT), working towards the realisation of the IMT-GT Visiting Year 2023-2025, with the shared aim of promoting the region as a unified tourism destination. For more information, visit Tourism Malaysia’s social media accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and TikTok.
