Sunday January 14, 2007
PETALING JAYA: Selected shopping complexes may be allowed to operate until midnight in conjunction with Visit Malaysia 2007.
Deputy Tourism Minister Datuk Donald Lim said the move was to attract more tourists, especially Middle Eastern visitors to literally “shop until they drop.”
He said the extension of hours had been discussed with several local councils and also the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry.
“The shopping industry is one of the major contributors to the country's tourism revenue, accounting for at least 20% of takings,” he said during The Summit Subang USJ 9th Anniversary Celebration here yesterday.
“Last year's tourism revenue was estimated at RM37bil, and it is expected to increase this year with a projection of 20 million tourist arrivals,” he added.
Lim said any move to extend the shopping hours would, however, be market driven, rather than be made compulsory.
“We're not rushing into any decision yet as the pros and cons of such a move are still unclear.”
He urged industry players to provide more opportunities for local Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) to display their products instead of just carrying foreign brands in shopping complexes.
Source: The Star - Nation
Showing posts with label The Star. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Star. Show all posts
Monday, January 15, 2007
Special deals for F1 fans
Saturday January 13, 2007
FORMULA ONE fans can now purchase tickets for the 2007 Formula One Petronas Grand Prix with a 5% discount as well as limited edition F1 gifts at Tower Records Suria KLCC.
A special early bird counter has been set up to help secure a full house for the race in Sepang in April.
The first 2000 tickets purchased will get the discount as well as limited edition F1 kits that contain a special edition lanyard and a pair of earplugs.
According to Sepang International Circuit (SIC) representative Azlan Akil, the company has sold 500 Citrine tickets worth RM 500 at RM 99 and another 1000 tickets priced at RM 199 online and are now selling the third batch of Citrine tickets at RM 299.
“In promoting Formula One among the young, SIC is offering a 50% discount for students for the covered Hillstand C2”, he added.
Promotional counter: The counter set up for fans at Tower Records KLCC.
The Hillstand tickets, which are sold at RM 150 for three-day entry from April 6 to 8, will host a luxury giant screen apart from covered open areas to allow fans to enjoy the 56- lap race.
“We have also introduced a special GP Package that will provide different seats for three different packages for each of the three days”, said Azlan.
SIC will also kick off its road shows in March starting with Johor Bahru, followed by Penang and the Klang Valley apart from an international campaign targeting South East Asian countries to secure 120,000 spectators.
The promotion ends on Jan 31.
Source: The Star
External Links
Sepang GP - http://www.malaysiangp.com.my.
FORMULA ONE fans can now purchase tickets for the 2007 Formula One Petronas Grand Prix with a 5% discount as well as limited edition F1 gifts at Tower Records Suria KLCC.
A special early bird counter has been set up to help secure a full house for the race in Sepang in April.
The first 2000 tickets purchased will get the discount as well as limited edition F1 kits that contain a special edition lanyard and a pair of earplugs.
According to Sepang International Circuit (SIC) representative Azlan Akil, the company has sold 500 Citrine tickets worth RM 500 at RM 99 and another 1000 tickets priced at RM 199 online and are now selling the third batch of Citrine tickets at RM 299.
“In promoting Formula One among the young, SIC is offering a 50% discount for students for the covered Hillstand C2”, he added.
Promotional counter: The counter set up for fans at Tower Records KLCC.
The Hillstand tickets, which are sold at RM 150 for three-day entry from April 6 to 8, will host a luxury giant screen apart from covered open areas to allow fans to enjoy the 56- lap race.
“We have also introduced a special GP Package that will provide different seats for three different packages for each of the three days”, said Azlan.
SIC will also kick off its road shows in March starting with Johor Bahru, followed by Penang and the Klang Valley apart from an international campaign targeting South East Asian countries to secure 120,000 spectators.
The promotion ends on Jan 31.
Source: The Star
External Links
Sepang GP - http://www.malaysiangp.com.my.
Saturday, January 13, 2007
FAX considering regional flights from Miri
Friday January 12, 2007
MIRI: Malaysia's third national airline Fly Asian Xpress (FAX) is mulling over plans to operate regional flights from Miri to neighbouring countries.
In the pipeline are flights from Miri to cities and towns in Kalimantan to "test" the Indonesian market, said FAX CEO Raja Mohd Azmi Razali.
FAX, recently licensed by the Government to operate international long-haul flights using the Air Asia X brand, has its headquarters in this oil capital of Sarawak.
Raja Azmi said Friday FAX wanted Miri as the base for regional operations to countries in the east Asean zone if it was commercially-viable.
"We will operate our international flights from Kuala Lumpur first before we start similar overseas long-haul flights from Kuching and Kota Kinabalu.
"These two cities in Sarawak and Sabah would serve as the bases for our international operations from east Malaysia, while Miri may be used as the base for regional flights.
"We may start with flights from Kuching and Kinabalu to cities in China, and then from Miri to Kalimantan. If the response is good, we will fly to more countries from east Malaysia," he said.
Raja Azmi was asked to comment on the feasibility of using these three cities to operate international direct flights now that Air Asia X had been given the greenlight to go international from July.
"Our foremost concern now is to establish the links between Kuala Lumpur and the international destinations we want to fly to.
"Once we have established this, then we can think of operating similar flights to overseas from east Malaysia," he explained.
FAX operates the rural air service in east Malaysia, serving some 700,000 people, many of whom are from remote places.
Source: The Star
External Links:
Fly Asian Xpress (FAX) - http://www.flyasianxpress.com
MIRI: Malaysia's third national airline Fly Asian Xpress (FAX) is mulling over plans to operate regional flights from Miri to neighbouring countries.
In the pipeline are flights from Miri to cities and towns in Kalimantan to "test" the Indonesian market, said FAX CEO Raja Mohd Azmi Razali.
FAX, recently licensed by the Government to operate international long-haul flights using the Air Asia X brand, has its headquarters in this oil capital of Sarawak.
Raja Azmi said Friday FAX wanted Miri as the base for regional operations to countries in the east Asean zone if it was commercially-viable.
"We will operate our international flights from Kuala Lumpur first before we start similar overseas long-haul flights from Kuching and Kota Kinabalu.
"These two cities in Sarawak and Sabah would serve as the bases for our international operations from east Malaysia, while Miri may be used as the base for regional flights.
"We may start with flights from Kuching and Kinabalu to cities in China, and then from Miri to Kalimantan. If the response is good, we will fly to more countries from east Malaysia," he said.
Raja Azmi was asked to comment on the feasibility of using these three cities to operate international direct flights now that Air Asia X had been given the greenlight to go international from July.
"Our foremost concern now is to establish the links between Kuala Lumpur and the international destinations we want to fly to.
"Once we have established this, then we can think of operating similar flights to overseas from east Malaysia," he explained.
FAX operates the rural air service in east Malaysia, serving some 700,000 people, many of whom are from remote places.
Source: The Star
External Links:
Fly Asian Xpress (FAX) - http://www.flyasianxpress.com
Russian tourist drowns off Sabah
Friday January 12, 2007
KOTA KINABALU: A Russian tourist drowned while swimming at Karambunai near here Friday.
The man, Boris Puchkov, 59, had gone for a swim at about 10am and after a while, a lifeguard at a nearby resort noticed him struggling in the water.
The lifeguard rushed into the water, pulled Puchkov to the shore and administered first aid.
Puchkov was rushed to the Sabah Medical Centre and arrived there at about 11.10am. He was pronounced dead 30 minutes later. The body was later sent to the Queen Elizabeth hospital here for a post mortem.
Kota Kinabalu district police chief Asst Comm Ku Chin Wah confirmed the incident.
The incident comes just four days after a boat carrying 11 people, including seven tourists, capsized in rough seas near Sandakan, leaving one local dead.
Source: The Star
KOTA KINABALU: A Russian tourist drowned while swimming at Karambunai near here Friday.
The man, Boris Puchkov, 59, had gone for a swim at about 10am and after a while, a lifeguard at a nearby resort noticed him struggling in the water.
The lifeguard rushed into the water, pulled Puchkov to the shore and administered first aid.
Puchkov was rushed to the Sabah Medical Centre and arrived there at about 11.10am. He was pronounced dead 30 minutes later. The body was later sent to the Queen Elizabeth hospital here for a post mortem.
Kota Kinabalu district police chief Asst Comm Ku Chin Wah confirmed the incident.
The incident comes just four days after a boat carrying 11 people, including seven tourists, capsized in rough seas near Sandakan, leaving one local dead.
Source: The Star
Friday, January 12, 2007
Ong says lion and dragon dance should be used to attract tourists
Friday January 12, 2007
ALOR STAR: The ability of our world-class lion and dragon dance teams should be exploited in the effort to attract more tourists, MCA president Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting said.
He said the country was home to some of the world's most skillful teams, which have won at least 19 world titles.
“Our teams have mastered superb techniques and acrobatic skills to keep spectators in awe. They are world class,'' he said when opening the International Lion Dance Invitation Championship at Sultan Abdul Halim Stadium here on Friday.
The event, supported by the Tourism Ministry, was organised by the Kuala Kedah MCA in conjunction with Visit Malaysia Year 2007.
The event attracted 14 teams from seven countries.
Teams from Singapore and Thailand had to pull out due to injuries.
Ong said lion dance was part of Chinese culture, adding that the event could attract tourists from China, Hong Kong and Taiwan,” he said.
Event chief judge Lew Sai Fet said 25 judges from all the participating countries assessed the performers.
“The three Malaysian teams participating in the world championship are the top three winners of the national championship held on Thursday,” he said.
The national champion was Boon Seng King Lion and Dragon Dance Association from Johor.
The first and second national runners-up were Johor-based Kor Chor and SJK ( C) Yick Nan from Sabah.
Source: The Star
Keywords: Malaysia, Tourism Malaysia, Malaysia Tourism, Visit Malaysia Year 2007, VMY 2007, VMY'07, VMY2007
ALOR STAR: The ability of our world-class lion and dragon dance teams should be exploited in the effort to attract more tourists, MCA president Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting said.
He said the country was home to some of the world's most skillful teams, which have won at least 19 world titles.
“Our teams have mastered superb techniques and acrobatic skills to keep spectators in awe. They are world class,'' he said when opening the International Lion Dance Invitation Championship at Sultan Abdul Halim Stadium here on Friday.
The event, supported by the Tourism Ministry, was organised by the Kuala Kedah MCA in conjunction with Visit Malaysia Year 2007.
The event attracted 14 teams from seven countries.
Teams from Singapore and Thailand had to pull out due to injuries.
Ong said lion dance was part of Chinese culture, adding that the event could attract tourists from China, Hong Kong and Taiwan,” he said.
Event chief judge Lew Sai Fet said 25 judges from all the participating countries assessed the performers.
“The three Malaysian teams participating in the world championship are the top three winners of the national championship held on Thursday,” he said.
The national champion was Boon Seng King Lion and Dragon Dance Association from Johor.
The first and second national runners-up were Johor-based Kor Chor and SJK ( C) Yick Nan from Sabah.
Source: The Star
Keywords: Malaysia, Tourism Malaysia, Malaysia Tourism, Visit Malaysia Year 2007, VMY 2007, VMY'07, VMY2007
Big savings for travellers who plan well ahead
Friday January 12, 2007
BY WONG SAI WAN
KUALA LUMPUR: Good news for travellers. From Monday, MAS will implement its new fare structure, which will also see cheaper air ticket prices.
In keeping with the global trend, MAS as a full service airline will be taking on its local low-cost rival AirAsia by expanding its classes of fare from eight to 16.
A return economy air ticket to London during the low season could be as cheap as RM2,640 under the new structure while the present fare is RM3,685 (see graphic). For Hong Kong, a V class fare during low season will only cost RM1,270 compared to RM1,370.
The fare differential between the different buckets is about 10%.
These fares are over and above the Internet fares which the national carrier introduced last year.
Industry sources who had been briefed about the new fares said the trick to getting the cheaper fares was to plan trips early.
“Not all the fares will be cheaper than the one in the old structure. The new system is called fare buckets and each basket is drawn up according to restrictions,” one source said.
“The highest class is the Y fare which will almost be free of any restriction. This means that a passenger can change the travelling date with minimal charges.
“The lowest class is V and it will almost be impossible for travellers to make any changes and even if they can, the charges will be prohibitive.”
Other sources said the new structure to be managed by the new RM200mil computer would even enable passengers to book their tickets 340 days in advance.
However, they stressed that booking for cheap fares is not time-based; rather, it will be on a first-come-first-served basis.
“The system will be intelligent. If there is a lot of demand, then the system will reduce the number of cheaper fares but if there are a lot of seats available, then the number of cheaper ones will be increased,” said a source familiar with the computer system.
He said that unlike low-cost carriers, the MAS new structure would allow the number of cheap tickets to fluctuate.
He estimates that on a low demand flight during an off-peak season, the number of low-priced seats could go up by as much as 40% of the passenger load.
When contacted, MAS head of Media Relations Tan Wai Fong confirmed that the new fare structure would be introduced in the local market on Jan15.
“It will be introduced globally four days later,” she added.
Source: The Star
Keywords: Malaysia Airlines (MAS)
External Links:
Malaysia Airlines - http://www.malaysiaairlines.com
BY WONG SAI WAN
KUALA LUMPUR: Good news for travellers. From Monday, MAS will implement its new fare structure, which will also see cheaper air ticket prices.
In keeping with the global trend, MAS as a full service airline will be taking on its local low-cost rival AirAsia by expanding its classes of fare from eight to 16.
A return economy air ticket to London during the low season could be as cheap as RM2,640 under the new structure while the present fare is RM3,685 (see graphic). For Hong Kong, a V class fare during low season will only cost RM1,270 compared to RM1,370.
The fare differential between the different buckets is about 10%.
These fares are over and above the Internet fares which the national carrier introduced last year.
Industry sources who had been briefed about the new fares said the trick to getting the cheaper fares was to plan trips early.
“Not all the fares will be cheaper than the one in the old structure. The new system is called fare buckets and each basket is drawn up according to restrictions,” one source said.
“The highest class is the Y fare which will almost be free of any restriction. This means that a passenger can change the travelling date with minimal charges.
“The lowest class is V and it will almost be impossible for travellers to make any changes and even if they can, the charges will be prohibitive.”
Other sources said the new structure to be managed by the new RM200mil computer would even enable passengers to book their tickets 340 days in advance.
However, they stressed that booking for cheap fares is not time-based; rather, it will be on a first-come-first-served basis.
“The system will be intelligent. If there is a lot of demand, then the system will reduce the number of cheaper fares but if there are a lot of seats available, then the number of cheaper ones will be increased,” said a source familiar with the computer system.
He said that unlike low-cost carriers, the MAS new structure would allow the number of cheap tickets to fluctuate.
He estimates that on a low demand flight during an off-peak season, the number of low-priced seats could go up by as much as 40% of the passenger load.
When contacted, MAS head of Media Relations Tan Wai Fong confirmed that the new fare structure would be introduced in the local market on Jan15.
“It will be introduced globally four days later,” she added.
Source: The Star
Keywords: Malaysia Airlines (MAS)
External Links:
Malaysia Airlines - http://www.malaysiaairlines.com
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