Visit Happy Malaysia?

 

Whilst strolling online, I stumbled on this 1963 poster by the Embassy of the Federation of Malaya in the United States, inviting Americans to holiday in our land. The poster says, “Malaya has so much to offer you. You’ll find it is a unique blend of the old and the new, a charming fusion of many cultures and customs.”

The enticements carry on as the poster waxes lyrical about our beaches, plantations, temples, mosques, bazaars and our “friendly, happy people.” And the final lure is the tagline below that flashes the words – Visit Happy Malaya.

It seemed like an idyllic and mystical land to visit – this Malaya. A place where cultures meld, religions coexist beautifully, where the landscape and vistas are spectacular, and the deal clincher is that the people are charming and happy.

Perhaps this was what the holiday-makers wanted in 1963. A vacation where they could slow down, be caressed by our tropical climate, get seduced by our pristine beaches, enjoy the unique offerings in our bazaars that they do not find in their own countries, and be greeted by warm and congenial locals.

Sixty-one years later, how would a similar poster read?

I think Tourism Malaysia will still say our country has so much to offer and extol our multiculturalism, beaches, bazaars, and possibly they will add the modern playgrounds of malls, skyscrapers, and food fusion.

Naturally, it would be positive messaging for publicity that they would need to promote about our country. Anything short of an optimistic and constructive promotion would get the new director-general demoted.

But does our tourism promotion board actually know what tourists who may come to our country actually want, today? I ask this question because we are slowly but surely deteriorating into a bit of a controversial nation as far as tourists are concerned.

Of course, the low hanging fruits like our beaches, food, and shopping will still attract some.

However, what does the 20-year-old to 40-year-old demographic want on their holiday? And what do the older demographic desire on a vacation? And, do we treat all holiday makers as “Islamic” tourists? Or do we open our nation to a wider world audience?

And most of all, can we say in our new promotions – Visit Happy Malaysia – in 2024? If an outsider looks at our country, what do they actually see?

I reckon that they would see Chinese tourists being detained in the airport and get into mysterious trouble with our border control authorities. And, how the minister of tourism went charging like a bull in a China shop, and stirred-up controversy.

Tourists would read about how the minister of tourism and the chief minister of one state got into a spat about Langkawi, one of the most glorious islands in our nation. The heated argument was ignited by a silly archaic ruling about beach-wear.

Holiday-makers who want to experience a driving holiday in Malaysia, to explore remote places would be in for a real treat. They would have seen a video of a British couple known on social media for their globe-trotting adventures in a camper van, filming a traffic policeman offering to settle a traffic ticket, which he had just issued.

People thinking about visiting Malaysia, in comparison with our neighbours, would see that Malaysians ourselves are the biggest tourists in Thailand. A whopping 4.56 million Malaysians travelled to Thailand in 2023, making us the biggest nationality to visit this country last year.

Unfortunately, the feeling isn’t mutual. We do not attract Thai people in their droves. In fact, the president of a Thai tourism association claimed that the level of hospitality and friendliness by tourism industry players in Malaysia needs to be increased to attract more Thai people to visit our country.

The concert-goer demographic that flocks to our other neighbour, Singapore, is a complete lost revenue group for Malaysia. Everyone has been talking this week about how our devious little neighbour conjured up a cunning plan to make sure Taylor Swift only performed in this tiny city state.

I say bravo to Singapore for putting their money where their “tourist mouth” is. They wanted an influx of concert tourists, and they were willing to fork out the seed money for the benefit of their nation.

Now, even Indonesia is emulating Singapore’s “Swiftonomics.” They have launched the Indonesia Tourism Fund, a seed fund worth two trillion rupiah (US$128 million). The fund was set up to help the country bid for music, sports, and cultural events deemed capable of generating a multiplier effect for Indonesia’s tourism. Clever chaps!

Located smack in the world’s “green belt,” Dubai draws in tourists like a magnet with its glitz and glamour. It thrives with its malls, the Burj Khalifa, their state-of-the-art venues, a plethora of activities, adventures, and experiences, and amazing nightlife. Unlike Malaysia, they do not make tourism parochial and about religiosity.

So, is holidaying in our country still attractive in 2024? Is it still Visit Happy Malaysia? You decide. - FMT

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.