Make Malaysia the talk of tourists - Najib

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said an extensive and effective marketing strategy is needed, right from the entry point into the country to the hotels, to create an attractive and unforgettable experience for tourists.

"To boost the country's tourism industry to a higher level, Malaysia has to have a product which is different, be it in physical term, the ecosystem, courtesy and the best service for tourists.

"Never look at tourists as a chance for making excessive profits, including to cheat by marking up prices, like taxi drivers who do not use the meter," he added.

He said the choice of providing an attractive or bad experience for tourists is in the hands of players in the industry.

The prime minister was speaking at a dinner hosted by the National Tourism Council of Malaysia (NTCM) here Wednesday.

Also present was NTCM president Datuk Seri Mohd Sharkar Shamsuddin.

In a related development, Najib said the growth of the tourism industry gave Malaysia the confidence to achieve the target of 36 million tourist arrivals in 2020 with revenue of RM168 billion, as stated in the National Key Economic Areas (NKEA).

"For this year alone, we are targetting 29.4 million tourist arrivals with spending at RM89 billion.

"We believe, with the Malaysia Year of Festivals 2015 campaign, as a continuation of the Visit Malaysia Year, the target can be achieved on the condition that all parties involved play their respective roles," he added.

Najib said Malaysia is not only rich in natural environment as a tourist attraction, but also various world-class infrastructure which continue to draw attention and made it the choice destination for tourists.

"In fact, in terms of shopping satisfaction, Malaysia is the choice because of the price and quality factors," he said.