The country tackles the diversity of interests of Europe’s travellers – with a diversity of packages.

The Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents is working with its members to create at least 50 inbound packages for the European Travel Agents and Tour Operators Associations to sell in Europe, TTG Asia reports.

The packages, to be ready by August, will cover a range of activities and attractions to meet the diverse interests of tourists and travellers from 27 European countries. Topics embrace Malaysia’s culture, food, adventure and other travel interests.

“There are more than 700 million travelling consumers and we are barely scratching the surface. Last year, Malaysia attracted only 1.1 million tourists from Europe,” the Malaysian Toursim director of Scandinavia Nasha Ericsson said.

“Our main challenges are the lack of direct air connectivity and lack of awareness about what Malaysia has to offer.”

Shee added: “To address the latter and to expand the market, our packages will include culinary, eco and nature attractions, adventure tourism, shopping, theme parks, culture and heritage.”

Air connectivity
The association will again organise a pavilion for its members at ITB 2019, where Malaysia will be the official partner country. In 2018, 29 of its members exhibited at the pavilion.

Improvements in air connectivity are in the works, especially as Germany’s Condor prepares to start thrice-weekly services from Frankfurt and TUI Group launches its Fly & Cruise programme.

Tourism Malaysia has also initiated joint marketing efforts with airlines that serve both Europe and Malaysia through their hubs, namely Turkish Airlines, Emirates, Etihad Airways, Qatar Airways, KLM and Singapore Airlines.