04 June 2015
Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Tourism Malaysia today signed a global partnership agreement to boost inbound tourism to Malaysia by leveragingthe airline's global passenger network.

Under the agreement, Etihad Airways and Tourism Malaysia will put into effecta range of joint marketing activities targeting Malaysia's leading inbound visitor markets - the UK, US, Europe (Germany, France and Italy), and the Middle East region (UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Oman, Bahrain, Qatar and Kuwait). Research by Tourism Malaysia revealed in 2014 there were more than 1.2 million visits from these key markets, a10 per centincrease compared to 2013.

Signing the agreement at the Etihad Airways-Alitalia joint pavilion at Expo Milano 2015 wereMadam Chong Yoke Har, Deputy Director General (Planning) of Tourism Malaysia, and Andrew Ward, Vice President Marketing of Etihad Airways. For two weeks, Tourism Malaysia will participate in the airline's pavilion and showcase its travel packages and destinations to attendeesthrough multimedia videos, traditional food sampling and Batik painting.

Mr Ward said: "This partnership underlines the long-standing links between Etihad Airways and Malaysia, and will help to create even greater opportunities to increase the growing number of tourists and business travellers flying to the country with us.

"Malaysia is one of our top destinations, and Etihad Airways has carried more than one million passengers to and from the country since 2007, offering travellers from all around the world the chance to enjoy the many attractions of this beautiful country."

From promoting the cosmopolitan capital of Kuala Lumpur to the exotic islands of Langkawi and Penang to the stunning Johor Bahru and island of Borneo - Sabah, the campaign will focus on multimedia marketing and familiarisation trips for travel trade and media from around the world to Malaysia.

Etihad Airways marketing messages and Malaysia's 'Years of Festivals' campaign will be maximised throughout the partnership and the airline will also benefit from an enhanced presence on Tourism Malaysia's traditional and digital platforms.

Chong Yoke Har, Deputy Director General (Planning) of Tourism Malaysia, said that Etihad Airways had demonstrated a strong and growing commitment to the Malaysian market since it first commenced services in 2007.

"Now with the new agreement, we can work together on robust tactical campaigns to make Malaysia the top-of-mind destination among Etihad Airways' extensive customer base. This agreement is an important step towards Malaysia achieving its strategic goal of earning RM168 billion from the targeted 36 million tourist arrivals by 2020," Mrs Yoke Har said.

Etihad Airways currently flies twice daily between Abu Dhabi and Kuala Lumpur, and offers flights to other regions in Malaysia through its codeshare partner Malaysia Airlines.

-Ends-

About Etihad Airways
Etihad Airways began operations in 2003, and in 2014 carried 14.8 million passengers. From its Abu Dhabi base, Etihad Airways flies to 110 existing or announced passenger and cargo destinations in the Middle East, Africa, Europe, Asia, Australia and the Americas. The airline has a fleet of 116 Airbus and Boeing aircraft, and more than 200 aircraft on firm order, including 69 Boeing 787s, 25 Boeing 777-X, 62 Airbus A350s and eight Airbus A380s.
 
Etihad Airways holds equity investments in airberlin, Air Serbia, Air Seychelles, Aer Lingus, Alitalia, Jet Airways, Virgin Australia, and Swiss-based Etihad Regional, operated by Darwin Airline. Etihad Airways, along with airberlin, Air Serbia, Air Seychelles, Alitalia, Etihad Regional, Jet Airways and NIKI, also participate in Etihad Airways Partners, a new brand that brings together like-minded airlines to offer customers more choice through improved networks and schedules and enhanced frequent flyer benefits.  For more information, please visit: www.etihad.com

About Tourism Malaysia
MALAYSIA TOURISM PROMOTION BOARD OR TOURISM MALAYSIA is an agency under the Ministry of Tourism & Culture, Malaysia. Tourism Malaysia focuses on the specific task of promoting Malaysia at all levels. Since its inception, Tourism Malaysia has grown by leaps and bounds and it has emerged as a major player in the international tourism scene. In 2014, Malaysia registered 27.4 million tourist arrivals and RM72 billion in receipts, making tourism its second largest foreign exchange earner.
 
Malaysia celebrated its fourth VISIT MALAYSIA YEAR (VMY) in 2014 with the theme "Celebrating 1Malaysia Truly Asia". The promotion of the country continues with the MALAYSIA YEAR OF FESTIVALS (MyFEST) campaign in 2015 with the theme "Endless Celebrations" emphasising the various festivals celebrated by its multicultural society. Both campaigns are key drivers towards achieving the country's target of 36 million tourist arrivals and RM168 billion in receipts by 2020, as outlined in the Tourism NKEA (National Key Economic Area).    

Through the Tourism NKEA, collaborative efforts between the Ministry of Tourism and Culture, other Government agencies and the private sector have been enhanced to help secure Malaysia's position as a leading tourist destination. The targets set under the Tourism NKEA will be achieved through the implementation of twelve Entry Point Projects (EPPs) clustered under five themes: Affordable Luxury; Nature Adventure; Family Fun; Events, Entertainment, Spa and Sports; and Business Tourism.  

For more media releases, media info and media features on Malaysia's tourism industry, kindly visit the Media Centre of Tourism Malaysia's website at http://www.tourismmalaysia.gov.my/

For more information contact:
Asif Khan, Etihad Airways Corporate Communications
Dir: +971 (0) 2 511 1543
Mob: +971 50 812 1364 
Email: AsifK@etihad.ae

Corporate Communications & Media Relations Unit:
Azizah Aziz (Ms), Senior Deputy Director, Communications & Publicity Division
Tel: +603-8891 8752
Email: azizahaziz@tourism.gov.my

Editorial Unit:
Anis Rozalina Ramli (Ms), Senior Editor, Communications & Publicity Division
Tel: +603-8891 8759
Email: anisramli@tourism.gov.my

© Press Release 2015