This year's Matta Fair, Tourism Industry RockZ!!!

KUALA LUMPUR: The Matta Fair is back — and this time round, in line with Visit Malaysia 2007, visitors who buy domestic packages have a chance to win a Proton Gen2 car. Organizing committee deputy chairman Joseph Xavier said that for the first time, those who spend a minimum of RM200 on domestic packages could enter the Buyers Contest in the domestic category. Those who spend a minimum of RM500 instead, stand to win the other grand prize of a Proton Waja 1.6 Campro. [quote: theStar March 15]

Even though our country in known as an almost corrupt country, but one thing that I still feel proud of our country is it’s tourism industry, especially this year. Other than building many beautiful and elegant Mosque in our land, this year, the Malaysian government had built a wonderful and gorgeous ferris wheel which name “Eye On Malaysia”. This make me feels that 2007 is a wonderful year, because it will be full of tourist coming in to visit out country, and the most important, the economy of Malaysia will grow.

Come back to 23^rd Matta fair, about 80,000 visitors are expected for the three-day event held at the Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC). There will be over 230 exhibitors and sponsors occupying 915 booths in Halls 1, 2 and 3. About 41% of the booths taken up are to promote domestic tourism.

"The projected sales turnover is RM85mil,"said Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (Matta) president Ngiam Foon , adding that local and international travel agents, carriers and National Tourism Organisations were taking part in the fair.

The fair will be opened on Friday by Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Andan Tengku Mansor. Ngiam also said that to better facilitate communications between Matta and the public, they have set up a Matta Complaints Bureau to handle complaints throughout the year. "Previously, unsatisfied customers have written letters to us, or to different parties.

"This bureau is to streamline the complaints and channel them to the right person," he said, adding they were looking into the possibility of having a dedicated hotline for this purpose. He added: "For now, the public can call the general line and to be directed to the bureau."

In a press statement, Malaysia Airlines (MAS) commercial director Datuk Abdul Rashid Khan said in line with the Matta Fair, MAS would be "marketing 23 packages to spur domestic tourism, and another 53 packages to 48 international destinations".

The 3 days/2 nights domestic packages range between RM411 and RM855 and are discounted between 11% and 25% off the normal prices.

For international travel, the offer ranges from 3 days/2 nights to 6 days/4 nights 'Free and Easy' packages between RM435 and RM4,952.