TOURISM Malaysia wants
destination marketing
companies in South Africa
and Malaysia to come up
with more creative tour
packages to entice more
South Africans to visit the
south-east Asian country,
says Musa Yusof, senior
director International
Promotion Division Asia/
Africa of the Malaysia
Tourism Promotion Board.
Despite a favourable
exchange rate of R3,64
to one Malaysian Ringgit,
tourism from South Africa
to Malaysia has declined by
more than 10 000 visitors a
year since Malaysia Airlines
pulled out of the South
African market in 2012,
he says. In 2015,
20 625 South Africans
visited Malaysia, compared
with 31 000 in 2012.
He says lack of direct air
access is the single biggest
stumbling block to tourism
from South Africa.
Nevertheless, last year
South Africans spent MYR
90m (R327.6m) in Malaysia,
with an average length of
stay of 8,3 nights.
Musa says Malaysia has
great potential for more
family and leisure-based
tourism from South Africa,
thanks to theme parks such
as Legoland Malaysia in
Johor Bahru, which includes
a theme park, water park
and hotel; and the world’s
first 20th Century Fox World,
an animated movie-inspired
theme park in the Genting
highlands, is scheduled to
open early next year.
Malaysia is also positioning
itself as a shopping
destination to rival China,
with duty-free shopping in
the whole of the country.
Musa says the country
provides South Africans with
value-for-money self-drive
holiday options because
it is politically stable, safe
and secure and has a good
road infrastructure, with the
North-South Express Way
stretching over about 700km
from north to south on
Peninsula Malaysia.
Being a multi-ethnic,
multicultural and multilingual
society means there are
many cultural events and
festivals that South Africans
will find interesting. Of
particular historical interest
for South Africans, says
Musa, will be that Jan van
Riebeeck’s first wife, Maria,
is buried in Malacca.
He says focus should also
fall on Malaysia’s natural
attractions and outdoor
activities, such as golfing,
scuba diving, yachting,
beaches, cruising, cycling,
jungle trekking and ecotourism.
Malaysia is also
home to several Unesco
World Heritage Sites and
the Unesco Langkawie
Geopark.
