On June 23, coinciding with the much-anticipated premiere of Transformers: The Last Knight, the Malaysian Tourism Board’s South China Office, in collaboration with major domestic cinema chains, launched a pre-movie advertising campaign. To express gratitude to domestic tourism industry partners and media for their support, the Malaysian Tourism Board held its pre-movie advertising premiere event that afternoon at Mayflower Cinema on Beijing Road in Guangzhou. Representatives from multiple consulates in Guangzhou, numerous industry colleagues from South China, and media representatives were invited to attend, jointly witnessing the full-scale relaunch of Malaysia’s tourism promotion in China.
This round of pre-movie advertising by the Malaysian Tourism Board will run for six months, covering 18 cities in South China. The promotional video series “Share Your StoryYour Joy” includes five major themes: shopping, island beaches and fine dining, beach spas and golf, culture and cuisine, and Malaysian food, giving Chinese consumers a glimpse of Malaysia’s rich and diverse tourism offerings.
China has long been the largest source market for Malaysia outside the ASEAN region. Last year, thanks to the successful implementation of Malaysia’s ENTRI and e-visa programs, as well as strong support from major airlines and travel agencies between China and Malaysia, Malaysia’s inbound tourism market from China continued to grow. In 2016, it welcomed over 2.1 million Chinese tourists, an increase of 26.7% compared to the previous year. Since the beginning of this year, multiple domestic and international airlines—including Malaysia Airlines, AirAsia, Malindo Air, Spring Airlines, Xiamen Airlines, China Southern Airlines, and Lucky Air—have launched regular flights to various destinations in Malaysia such as Kuala Lumpur, Sabah, Langkawi, Penang, and Johor Bahru. Currently, there are a total of 218 weekly flights from 13 cities in South China to Malaysia, offering 38,017 seats, providing Chinese tourists with more diverse and convenient travel options, and striving to make Malaysia a go-anytime holiday destination for Chinese travelers.
It is reported that during this pre-movie promotion, whether it’s the internationally beloved Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Pavilion Shopping Mall, pristine beach resorts, top-notch golf facilities, or the rich multicultural heritage and mouthwatering Malaysian specialties such as durian, bak kut teh, and nasi lemak—all perfectly embody Malaysia as the “Allure of Asia.” At the same time, they bring important information to Chinese tourists who love to explore global cuisines and shop worldwide, including Malaysia’s island beach resorts, three major annual shopping promotions, and the durian season.
(Miss SHOPhia, the Shopping Enthusiast Lady)
The Malaysian Tourism Board also officially launched its new tourism ambassador persona, Miss SHOPhia (the Shopping Enthusiast Lady), at this press event in China. As a new symbol of Malaysian tourism, Miss SHOPhia will provide the latest information on fashion, shopping, and food in Malaysia for shopping enthusiasts and fashionistas through global social networks. Since her introduction last year, she has received widespread popularity and attention, and even won the “Most Favorite Promotional Activity” award at Hong Kong’s U Weekly Travel Awards in 2016.
Appendix:Three MajorAnnual Shopping Events
in MalaysiaMalaysia Shopping Carnival:March 1 – March 31, nationwide
Malaysia Shopping Festival:June 15 – August 31, nationwideMalaysia Year-End Grand Sale:
November 1 – December 31, nationwideYear-End Shopping Bonanza: November 1 – December 31, across the country