The World Islamic Tourism Mart (WITM) and Matta Travel Fair will collaborate to host a joint three-day fair, WITM-Matta Fair, at the PWTC, beginning Sept 6.

About 120,000 visitors are expected to turn up for the event which will boast of more than 1,250 exhibitor booths.

The annual WITM is usually held in June.

WITM-Matta Fair patron Datuk Mohd Khalid Harun said the joint fair would be convenient for the National Tourism Organisation participants as there were also other events happening globally.

"By participating in the joint-fair with Matta, it will provide an ample time for all, including the sponsors, as when the organisers approach them, they could easily put in their annual budget," he said in a press conference here Monday.

Also present were WITM-Matta Fair 2013 chairman Jeffri Sulaiman and Malaysia Airlines (MAS) regional senior vice-president Muzammil Mohamad.

Meanwhile, Mohd Khalid disclosed about 50,000 Mattakad (a loyalty card for members and the public) would be introduced on the opening day of the fair.

"This card allows card holders to earn discounts and points which later can be exchanged for gifts or converted to cash. We are currently in the process of signing on several merchants," he said.

Jeffri hoped the collaboration would benefit all parties and expected at least, 120,000 visitors this year, as compared to 118,000 last year.

At the press conference, MAS announced that as the official airline for WITM-Matta Fair 2013, it would offer more than one million seats at up to 55 per cent discount on its domestic and international network.