Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, today announced a partnership with Tourism Malaysia to attract visitors from Europe and the Middle East to Malaysia, via the airline’s Abu Dhabi hub.
Etihad Airways began flying to Malaysia’s capital, Kuala Lumpur, in 2007 and has since flown 2.7 million passengers to Malaysia on the Boeing 787 Dreamliner.
Travelers interested in visiting Malaysia can also enjoy a free two-night hotel stay, exclusive deals and endless adventures in the vibrant city of Abu Dhabi as part of Etihad Airways’ Free Stopover program.
The campaign aims to promote the enhanced connectivity between Malaysia and the Middle East in line with the goals of the country’s ‘Visit Malaysia 2020’ initiative, which seeks to attract 30 million tourists and around US$24.6 billion in tourism receipts by the year 2020.
Datuk Musa Hj. Yosuf, director general of Tourism Malaysia, said that the Middle East region was very important for Malaysia, as travellers have the highest travel spend on their holidays. He also noted that Malaysia and the UAE had a long history when it came to travel, with visitors from both countries frequently flying to the other.
“Recently, we have seen a growth in competition from other destinations such as Thailand, Indonesia, and Vietnam,” he said. “However, Malaysia remains a popular name in the travel industry. Visitors from the UAE and the GCC like to come to Malaysia because of its halal friendly offerings, beautiful natural scenery, and vast entertainment options. Right now, we are working on promoting the country on the digital sphere, so that millennials know all about what they can expect from it when they travel.”
Over the decades, Malaysia and the UAE have developed a strong bond and both countries have emerged as leading models for Islamic economy which embraces progress and development for its communities, he said.
The UAE is Malaysia’s largest trading partner among the GCC countries, followed by Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
