MALAYSIA: Malaysia's Tourism Industry Urged To Adopt New Technology To Attract Tourists

Malaysia's tourism industry needs to adopt new technology to attract tourists, said an integrated amusement park solutions and services provider.

London Stock Exchange-listed Galasys PLC said as consumers get savvier, the tourism industry needs to leverage on new technology to revamp the traditional approaches to attract tourists.

"There is a marked rise in the investment in digital channels and computerisation among Asian theme park operators. However, on the Malaysian front, investments have been rather slow due to the new Goods and Services Tax and weaker currency," the Malaysia-based company said in a statement yesterday.

According to Tourism Malaysia, tourist numbers dropped 9.4% between January and June this year, with 12.56 million foreign visitors recorded during this period compared to 13.87 million in the same period in 2014.

Arrivals from China was the worst hit, falling from 520,400 during January to March last year to 380,000 (-28.5%) in the same period this year.

Galasys said the average Chinese tourist rarely travelled beyond Kuala Lumpur, Genting Highlands and Malacca, due to the language barrier and lack of an easy method to book packages across the country.

It felt the Malaysian Tourism industry needs to look into changing the way it promotes Malaysia to the world.

"While tourism ads may have been successful in the past, it seems to be less effective with today's Internet driven tourist," it added.

Galasys said leveraging on the success of its Intelligent Tourism Cloud Marketing Platform (ITCMP) in China, it intends to invest and deploy it in Malaysia and other Asian cities.

ITCMP integrates big-data analytics to allow tourists in China to choose attractions, restaurants, accommodation, shopping, transportation, entertainment and more, from one integrated platform which they can easily pay for via their favourite online travel agency (OTA) or payment gateway.

MALAYSIA: Top Destinations For Foreigners And Malaysians

Kuala Lumpur is still tops when it comes to tourists to Malaysia. Other local destinations that are also popular among inbound holidaymakers are Penang, Langkawi, Kota Kinabalu and Malacca. Johor Baru, Kuching, Cameron Highlands, Genting Highlands and Ipoh round off the Top 10.

This were the findings of the online accommodation booking website Hotels.com Hotel Price Index (HPI). The report is published twice a year and is based on bookings made on Hotels.com sites, and prices shown are those actually paid by customers on a per room/per night basis including taxes and fees, rather than advertised rates. Local travel trends and insights are also extrapolated from the report.

Overall, travellers were paying an average of RM306 per night for hotels in Malaysia in the first half of 2015. Among all travellers from Switzerland were spending the most (RM 425) on average hotel price paid in Malaysia, followed by Norway (RM402), United Kingdom (RM391), and two Asian countries – Hong Kong (RM381) and South Korea (RM378).

“We believe that the recent softening of the ringgit clearly has an impact on local destinations. Subsequently, Malaysians are also noticeably getting back to their roots when it comes to planning vacations,” said Hotels.com senior marketing director Asia Pacific Nelson Allen.

It is also surprising that according to the trends seen for hotel searches for next year by Malaysians for local destinations, the fourth most searched destination is Port Dickson! It registered three-digit figures in percentage growth.

The softening of the ringgit doesn’t necessarily mean a higher cost of travel. The HPI also revealed that there was a steady drop in hotels prices paid by Malaysians in the United Arab Emirates (36%), France (21%), Macau (12%), as well as Malaysians’ all time favourite – Thailand (7%), Indonesia (12%), Singapore (18%), and Hong Kong (4%). This could be attributed to more Malaysians using online and mobile applications for their travel planning.

Top destinations for Malaysian travellers

1. Bangkok
2. Singapore
3. Bali
4. Hong Kong
5. Phuket
6. Melbourne
7. Krabi
8. Seoul
9. Tokyo
10. Taipei

SINGAPORE: Discover A Unique Experience

Unique is the word that best captures Singapore, a dynamic city rich in contrast and colour where you will find a harmonious blend of culture, cuisine, arts and architecture.

Unique is the word that best captures Singapore, a dynamic city rich in contrast and colour where you will find a harmonious blend of culture, cuisine, arts and architecture. A bridge between the East and the West for centuries, Singapore, located in the heart of Southeast Asia, continues to embrace tradition and modernity today. Brimming with unbridled energy and bursting with exciting events, the city offers countless unique, memorable experiences waiting to be discovered. A single day’s trail will take you from the past to the future, from a colourful ethnic enclave to an efficient business centre, from serene gardens to sleek skyscrapers. Take a step back in time as you enter a traditional Chinese temple, Muslim mosque, Hindu temple or Christian church, all in one neighbourhood. Indulge in Singapore’s favourite pastime – shopping. From fascinating antiques to luxury labels. The latest gadgets to ethnic crafts, you will find them all.

Beyond Singapore’s gleaming skyscrapers and business hub status, you will find a country with a vibrant and flourishing arts scene. All year round a diverse repertoire of visual and performing arts events will provide a mind-boggling range of options. The opening of the landmark Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay in October 2002 has expanded the number of offerings on the events calendar. Its distinctive architecture alone makes it worth a visit.

The earliest known mention of Singapore was a 3rd century Chinese account, which described Singapore as Pu-luo-chung (island at the end of a peninsula). Little is known about the island's history at this time but this matter-of-fact description belies Singapore's colourful past. By the 14th century, Singapore had become part of the mighty Sri Vijayan Empire and was known as Temasek (Sea Town).

During the 14th century, this small but strategically placed island had earned a new name - Singa Pura, or Lion City. According to legend, a visiting Sri Vijayan prince saw an animal he mistook for a lion and Singapore's modern day name was born. The British provided the next notable chapter in the Singapore story. During the 18th century, they saw the need for a strategic halfway house to refit, feed and protect the fleet of their growing empire, as well as to forestall any advances by the Dutch in the region. It was against this political backdrop that Sir Stamford Raffles established Singapore as a trading station. The policy of free trade attracted merchants from all over Asia and from as far afield as the United States and the Middle East. By 1824, just five years after the founding of modern Singapore, the population had grown from a mere 150 to 10,000.

In 1832, Singapore became the centre of government for the Straits Settlements of Penang, Malacca and Singapore. The opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 and the advent of telegraph and steamship increased Singapore's importance as a centre for the expanding trade between East and West.

Singapore had been the site of military action in the 14th century when it became embroiled in the struggle for the Malay Peninsula between Siam (now Thailand), and the Java-based Majapahit Empire.

Five centuries later, it was again the scene of significant fighting during World War II. Singapore was considered an impregnable fortress, but the Japanese overran the island in 1942. After the war, Singapore became a Crown Colony. The growth of nationalism led to self-government in 1959 and on 9 August 1965, Singapore became an independent republic.