KUALA LUMPUR: The organisation of the Malaysia Cultural Week 2024 in Urumqi, Xinjiang, China from today until June 30 is part of the government’s efforts to promote the country’s tourism products overseas.
MoTAC undersecretary of event management Rosnan Abdul Rahman said among the products to be highlighted is Islamic tourism, considering that half of Xinjiang’s population are Muslims.
“We aim to promote Muslim-friendly tourism. The Islamic Tourism Centre of Malaysia under MoTAC will plan attractive packages to be marketed there, taking into account their preferences,” he said when appearing as a guest on Bernama TV’s Ruang Bicara programme last night.
Rosnan further said that the diversity of Malaysia’s culture and arts needs to be showcased internationally to attract more tourists, similar to efforts by neighbouring countries such as Indonesia and Thailand.
“Malaysia’s diverse communities, including Malays, Chinese, Indians, indigenous peoples and the ethnic groups of Sabah and Sarawak, offer unique cultures. We aim to make these cultural aspects tourism products in conjunction with the Visit Malaysia 2026 campaign,” he added.
Meanwhile, MoTAC undersecretary of international relations Dr Christina Yeo Ken Yin said that the local ‘Musang King’ durian is increasingly in high demand among the people of China.
“Some of them, when they come to Malaysia, request to eat fresh durian at the farms. We are exporting frozen durian products to China, but now the demand for fresh durian from them has increased,” she said.
She added that Malaysia is preparing to join the Alliance for Cultural Heritage in Asia (ACHA), led by China, to collaborate in the field of culture, particularly in the conservation and preservation of arts, culture and heritage.
The Malaysia Cultural Week programme, held in conjunction with the 8th China-Eurasia Expo, will also promote the country’s traditional cuisine. – BERNAMA
