JATA Travel Showcase awards Malaysia

The Malaysian Tourism and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Aziz received an award yesterday in Tokyo on behalf of Tourism Malaysia.

The Jata Tourism Award conferred to Tourism Malaysia is in recognition of its efforts in promoting and enhancing tourism exchanges between Japan and Malaysia, including a joint initiative called the Jata 1 Million Project.

Tourism Malaysia has been awarded the prestigious Japan Association of Travel Agents (Jata) Award of Excellence in the tourism board and embassy category at the Jata Tabihaku Travel Showcase 2013, which is one of the largest travel shows in Asia.

Malaysia saw a rise in Japanese tourist arrivals last year with an increase of 21.5%, reaching 470,008 from a total of 25.03 million tourists. In 2011, there were 386,974 arrivals, according to the Tourism Ministry.

“We are proud to be a major sponsor of the Jata Travel Showcase. It is a great platform for Malaysia to make its presence felt and to help promote Visit Malaysia Year 2014.

“I am delighted that all our efforts and strategies have been fruitful,” Nazri said in a statement.

Tourism ministers, national tourism associations, travel professionals and officials, airlines, hotels and travel agents from 150 countries took part in the four-day travel show, which ends tomorrow.

At the event, the Malaysian pavilion offered visitors various VMY 2014 holiday packages as well as discounts via the Friends of Malaysia Card.

Nazri also launched the VMY 2014 Taxi Wrap Around promotional campaign covering 720 taxis across Tokyo, Osaka, Sapporo and Fukuoka.