LONDON: Malaysia Week is not just a programme found to be effective in introducing Malaysian culture and attractions to foreigners, but also in providing the latest information on Malaysia, says Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen.
“Therefore, I hope this programme can be held in many more countries around the world,” she told Malaysian journalists after closing the Malaysia Week London 2012 on Wednesday.
The five-day event held at the South Bank since last Saturday was launched by Information, Communications and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim.
Also present at the closing ceremony were the ministry’s secretary-general Datuk Seri Kamaruddin Siaraf, Malaysian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom Datuk Seri Zakaria Sulong, Mayor of Colchester, Councillor Helen Chuah and Member of the House of Lords, Lord Tom Pendry of Stalybridge.
Dr Ng said Malaysia Week was a good programme as information on the country could reach the target groups, besides giving an opportunity to the visitors to savour Malaysian food and to experience playing traditional games like congkak.
She said Malaysia recorded 24.7 million foreign tourist arrivals last year with about 400,000 of them from the United Kingdom.
Dr Ng said many Britons were surprised as they did not expect Malaysia to have developed so rapidly including in the tourism sector, especially its 9th position among the world’s top tourist destinations.
Kamaruddin when met said the programme, the fourth to be held in London, had attracted 304,000 visitors, double the targeted figure.
“We hope the programme’s success will be manifested by more tourist arrivals from Britain to Malaysia,” he said. — Bernama