UFI's presence in Malaysia was highly significant to the country's tourism industry, according to Malaysian Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture Malaysia Tiong King Sing (centre), accompanied by Hajah Seraya Binti Arbi, secretary general of MOTAC; Abdul Khani Daud, CEO of MyCEB; Michael Duck, president of UFI; and Kai Hattendorf, managing director/CEO of UFI at the opening ceremony of UFI APAC Conference in Kuala Lumpur.
The MICE sector in Malaysia is off to a good start in 1Q 2023 as
business events return to the country swifter and in bigger numbers.
A series of high-profile business events in recent weeks have brought
a surge of more than 30,000 business event visitors to Malaysia, said
Dato’ Sri Dr Abdul Khani Daud, CEO of Malaysia Convention &
Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB).
Key among recent events was UFI Asia-Pacific Conference, which took
place in Malaysia for the first time from 2-3 March 2023. The event,
which was supported by MyCEB, attracted over 200 delegates from 22
countries, including 150 international visitors, and translated into
RM2.8 million (US$626,000) in economic impact.
UFI's presence in Malaysia was highly significant to the country's
tourism industry, according to Tiong King Sing, Minister of Tourism,
Arts and Culture Malaysia (MOTAC), speaking at the opening ceremony of
UFI Asia-Pacific Conference in Kuala Lumpur.
"As international travels are being restored to its vibrancy, MOTAC
is proactively supporting business events activities that will attract
high-yield delegates to Malaysia and also promoting our country as an
international business events destination," he said.
MyCEB's Abdul Khani added, "We strongly believe the hosting of this
conference will bridge the gap in strengthening the current portfolio
that exhibitions in Malaysia hold, whilst securing more high-profile
business events in the future through connections and recognition."
Other major business events that took place in Kuala Lumpur include
Malaysia International Furniture Fair, which attracted a record-breaking
number of 671 exhibitors from 11 countries as the largest furniture
trade fair in Southeast Asia; and the 38th Asia-Pacific Academy of
Ophthalmology Congress, which hosted a total of 4,500 with 3,800
international delegates over a four-day period.
Upcoming shows in Malaysia include WePACK ASEAN 2023, Food and Drinks
Malaysia 2023, and Intelligent Manufacturing 2023, which are projected
to bring 8,800 local and international visitors and generate RM26.6
million in economic impact.
"All these are signs that we can keep our growth in good momentum,"
Abdul Khani told M&C Asia. The Chinese MICE delegation is also
returning to Malaysia "in a big wave", following the country's reopening
two months ago.
The chief executive also believes that Malaysia's position as a value
for money destination for international delegates will be elevated,
especially when viewed against rising costs in other destinations as
well as a weaker ringgit.
It is thus key that air capacity and direct connectivity to Malaysia
is ramped up further to keep up with the rising demand, said Abdul
Khani. These are also areas that MyCEB has been readily advocating for
with the government, he pointed out.