July 03, 2009 19:05 PM
KUALA LUMPUR, July 3 (Bernama) -- Tourism Malaysia will continue to give emphasis to domestic tourism in helping the industry face the effects of the economic downturn and Influenza A(H1N1) outbreak, its secretary-general Datuk Ong Hong Peng said Friday.
He said domestic tourism had a lot to offer and it helped strengthen family relations.
On that note, he said local tourists could experience the Arabian "Samrah Festival", a showcase of Middle Eastern music and song performances in Bukit Bintang every Friday and Saturday from July 10 to Aug 31.
"Not many Malaysians have the opportunity to fly to the Arab countries to experience their culture, so this is the right time for them to experience it in our own country," he told reporters after opening the three-day Malaysian Domestic Tourism Fair 2009 at the Putra World Trade Centre here.
"With the launching of this fair, I hope it will encourage Malaysians to go on vacation locally and at the same time, help buffer the effects of the economic downturn and the H1N1 outbreak," he said.
Meanwhile, National Tourism Council president Datuk Mohd Zainal Abd Kadir said the "Zoom! Malaysia" campaign launched in May 2008 to promote domestic destinations to Malaysians, had received positive feedback.
"Up to March this year, we have recorded 7.86 million local tourists, a slight increase of 0.9 per cent from 4.6 million last year," he said.
-- BERNAMA
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