KUALA LUMPUR: Bernama Systems & Solutions Advisor Sdn Bhd (Bessar), a subsidiary of Malaysian national news agency Bernama mainly involved in developing ICT solutions, is diversifying into the travel and tourism sector, it was announced yesterday.
Bessar’s chief executive officer Muniyati Muhamad said Bessar had decided to purchase a 60 per cent stake in Goodwill Travel and Tours Sdn Bhd, an established travel company.
Following the acquisition expected to be completed by next month, the company will step up its promotion of travel packages and tap the mass market from among Bessar’s corporate clients nationwide.
“Goodwill is a fully licensed travel agency and we are planning to introduce attractive in-bound and out-bound packages.
“By the year-end, we will add Umrah packages into the current business,” Muniyati told Bernama.
She said that it was timely for the information technology solutions provider to diversify into the tourism business, which was expected to contribute about 10 per cent to Bessar’s earnings and indirectly to Bernama’s earnings.
Bessar, incorporated in September 2002, is the technical arm of Bernama and is involved in information technology business, including developing solutions, content creation, and newsroom systems.
Muniyafi said Bessar’s existing 500 corporate clients nationwide would synergise well with Goodwill following the acquisition.
“We will leverage on our offices throughout Malaysia and with Goodwill’s existing customers, we definitely believe it will work out very well,” she added.
According to the Economic Transformation Programme report, Malaysia is the ninth most-visited country in the global tourism world and receives RM1 billion in receipts per week from foreign visitors.
Under the 12 initiatives proposed under ETP’s National Key Economic Areas, the tourism industry is poised to grow by three times and will contribute RM3 billion in terms of receipts per week to the country in 2020. — Bernama