KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia will host the World Tourism Conference 2010 (WTC2010) here after its record-breaking success in 2007, Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen said.

She said hosting the international event again proved that the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) – a United Nations agency – had great confidence in the country.

“It is indeed an important event for our country to be hosting an international conference. It provides a platform where world leaders can share with us their successful tourism stories,” she said.

Thank you: Ng (centre) receiving a token from Asian Strategy & Leadership Institute director Puan Sri Susan Cheah (right) at the National Tourism Seminar 2010 in Petaling Jaya Thursday. At left is ASLI CEO/director Datuk Dr Michael Yeoh.

“We believe that by sharing the experiences with over 43 countries, it will help increase total world tourism. It is about creating opportunity,” she added.

Ng said the WTC2010 entitled “Tourism Success Stories and Rising Stars” would bring together a wide range of world leaders from the tourism industry, high-level policymakers, specialists and experts to put forward ideas and provide guidance for future tourism development.

“The conference aims to uncover the secrets of tourism’s leaders, learning from those destinations and organisations which have succeeded in tourism planning, development and marketing,” Ng told reporters at PWTC yesterday.

WTC2010 is organised by the Tourism Ministry, the Government of Sabah and UNWTO from Oct 4 to 6 at Magellan Sutera, Sutera Harbour, in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah.

Ng added that Sabah was chosen as the venue as it is an established eco-tourism state.

The conference will be graced by Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Mohd Yassin.

WTC was held for the first time in Manila, the Philippines, in 1980, followed by Acapulco, Mexico, in 1982.

After an absence of 25 years, the WTC returned for the third time in Kuala Lumpur in 2007.

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