KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia is listed in the top 10 wellness tourism markets in Asia Pacific with a growing trend in the future, said the Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (Matta) president Datuk Tan Kok Liang.
“Wellness tourism is the fastest growing travel sector globally and Malaysia is listed in the top 10 wellness tourism markets in Asia Pacific with expenditures standing at RM20.5 billion and 8.3 million trips with a growing trend for wellness vacations and packages especially to our country,” he said.
To further promote the sector, Matta and the Association of Malaysian Spas (Amspa) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) today to strengthen wellness tourism.
He said the MoU was expected to unleash the potential of the tourism sector and ensure that it remained competitive in the global market, hence keeping Malaysia’s wellness tourism on par with other famous wellness destinations in Asia.
“This collaboration also affirms both associations’ commitment to promote domestic tourism products and to attract more tourists to visit Malaysia,” he said, adding that Matta would also promote “wellness tourism” in the upcoming Matta fair in September.
The MoU explained the arrangement relating to promotional programmes and activities leading to Visit Malaysia 2020, exchange of information, cooperation in capacity building as well as development in the area of wellness tourism, he added.
At the signing ceremony, Matta was represented by Tan while Amspa was represented by its president, Datin Jeanette Tambakau, and witnessed by Tourism Malaysia chairman Datuk Ahmad Shah Hussein Tambakau.
Jeanette said the Malaysian wellness and spa industry had the potential to become a revenue earner for the tourism sector. - Bernama
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