Sunny outlook: Wong (centre) with (from left) MATTA Kedah/Perlis chapter chairman P. Subramaniam, Perlis State Economic Planning Division secretary Dr Puteh Soraya, Rusdi and MATTA deputy president Sheikh Awadh Sheikh Abdullah after the press conference on Perlis Visit Year 2024-2025. — AZMAN GHANI/The Star
State picked as MATTA Fair’s favourite destination
KUALA LUMPUR: Perlis has been designated as the favourite destination for the Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) Fair from March 22 to 24.
Taking place at the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre (Mitec) here, visitors can expect exclusive travel deals at the fair, as well as insightful cultural exhibitions and engaging activities highlighting the best of Perlis, known for its harumanis mango, kenaf plantations, agro farms and geoparks.
MATTA president Nigel Wong said it is dedicated to showcasing Perlis’ unique allure as a prime travel destination during the Visit Perlis Year 2024 campaign and beyond.
“This partnership puts Perlis on the map for both local and international tourists, highlighting its vast array of tourism products and destinations,” he said yesterday.
On outbound tourism, Wong said Malaysia still has a robust industry, noting that many people are still travelling, especially with greater flight connectivity.
“The trends for travellers are (domestic) travel, outbound travel closer to home and new destination tours,” Wong said.
Perlis state deputy secretary Rusdi Yahya said it is offering five tourism clusters, including eco, agro, shopping and food, recreational sports, and history, cultural and arts.
“Last year, we recorded about four million visitors. Our target is to reach six million in 2030.
“The tourism industry has been expanding and progressing well.
“We have participated in the fair previously but this time, it will be on a larger scale with our tourist players taking part to promote the state,” he said, adding that the best time to experience the harumanis is from April to May.Rusdi said as part of its calendar of events, the state is also planning the Perlis Marathon this year.
Other state tourism bodies present at the fair are from Pahang, Penang, Putrajaya, Sabah, Sarawak, Selangor and Terengganu.
Admission to the fair, which starts from 10am until 9pm, is free.
There will be shuttle services to Mitec from Sunway Putra Mall and KL Sentral for visitors.
In conjunction with Ramadan, MATTA, together with Mitec, is offering dedicated food and beverage facilities and services for buka puasa at several locations throughout the venue as well as dedicated prayer rooms in Hall 5.
The MATTA Fair is spread across Hall 2 to 4 (Level 1), Hall 6 to 8 (Level 2) and Hall 9 to 11 (Level 3) of Mitec with 1,345 booths and 177 tour and travel agents participating.
