MALAYSIA RECORDS 24.7 MLN TOURIST ARRIVALS IN 2011

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 10 (Bernama) -- Malaysia recorded 24,714,324 tourist arrivals

last year, with tourism receipts climbing to RM58.3 billion, a remarkable notch

over the previous year.

In 2010, 24,577,196 arrivals were recorded with RM56.5 billion in tourism

receipts.

Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen has attributed the showing to be in

line with the Malaysia Tourism Plan 2020 target of achieving 36 million tourist

arrivals and RM168 billion in tourism receipts by 2020.

She said double-digit growth in arrivals were recorded mainly from medium

and long-haul countries like Kazakhstan, New Zealand, Russia, Iran, South

Africa, France, Myanmar, Taiwan, China and Brunei.

"Kazakhstan arrivals surged by 65.9 per cent, boosted by the thrice weekly

direct Air Astana flights from Almaty to Kuala Lumpur," she told reporters after

launching the Tourism Satellite Account (TSA) 2000-2010 here today.

Dr Ng said, other markets showing strong growth included New Zealand -- up by

23 per cent -- which benefitted from the opening of the Tourism Malaysia office

in Auckland in May, last year.

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NCD MAM GR