Goodies galore: (Third from left) Head of Airlines Global Sales Syazwan Ahmad Sabri, Dersenish, Wong and MATTA deputy president Sheikh Awadh say visitors will stand a chance to walk away with special deals and free flight tickets. — YAP CHEE HONG/The Star
KUALA LUMPUR: With a target of 150,000 visitors and RM250mil in sales, the Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) says its international travel fair next month will further boost the tourism sector.
MATTA president Nigel Wong said there had been a resurgence of tourists and that numbers had continued to show positive growth this year.
“Now, more people are travelling into and out of the country.
“We aim to keep the momentum going for this year and 2025, ahead of Visit Malaysia Year in 2026.
“With that, MATTA Fair is a key travel platform where travellers can keep tabs with tourism trends and preferences,” he told a press conference yesterday.
The 54th edition of MATTA Fair will be held from March 22 to March 24 at the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre (Mitec).
Wong said the group had once again entered a partnership with Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG) as the official airline partner.
“We are thrilled to once again join forces with MAG airlines for the MATTA Fair.
“Their partnership and support not only add significant value to the fair but also underscore our commitment to meeting the evolving demands of our consumers at the MATTA Fair,” he said.
MAG chief commercial officer of airlines Dersenish Aresandiran said the airliner group promised exciting deals throughout the three-day fair.
“This year promises to be our most thrilling participation in MATTA Fair yet, with an array of giveaways and exclusive offerings awaiting visitors.
“As part of our continuous efforts to elevate the experience, we are excited to unveil new innovations and enhancements for a better travel experience,” he said.
Dersenish also said that during the travel fair, customers would be able to have the opportunity to engage with travel agents and companies in curating the best travel experiences for them.
The parent company of Malaysia Airlines, Firefly and MASwings will be offering up to 25% off on ancillary products including seat selection and extra baggage, among others.
Through the airline loyalty programme, Enrich members will be able to enjoy 5% off their bookings, 5x EnrichMoney points for EnrichMoney users and 50% Bonus Enrich Points on Malaysia Airlines flights during this period.
“We will have the same deals on our websites.
“However, by attending MATTA Fair, consumers will stand a chance to win 30 free tickets to London and Ahmedabad, India, among others,” he said.
Dersenish said that to date, the number of passengers with the airliner group had reached about 95% compared to pre-Covid-19 level.
“In terms of recovery, we’re about 95% to pre-pandemic level; last year around this time, I think it was about 90% due to certain markets,” he added.
Wong agreed, saying that the travel trends showed that Malaysians were travelling to East Asian countries such as China, especially with the free visa initiative.
“There are also a lot more movements to India and South-East Asian countries, besides the Middle Eastern countries,” he added.
Other national tourism organisations that will be joining the MATTA Fair include Australia, the Maldives, South Korea, Thailand, Tanzania and Japan.
For the convenience of visitors to the fair, Wong said free shuttle bus services would be provided at two locations – KL Sentral and Sunway Putra Mall – that depart for Mitec every 10 minutes.
As the fair will be taking place during Ramadan, MATTA is also providing dedicated F&B facilities and services for “buka puasa” at various locations at the venue and dedicated prayer halls.
