To drive more visitor arrivals to the country, Tourism Malaysia signed a new agreement with Etihad Airways to target key source markets in Europe, the Middle East and the United States.

Under the terms of the new agreement, signed at the joint Etihad–Alitalia pavilion at the World Expo in Milan, Tourism Malaysia and Etihad are partnering on a range of joint marketing activities targeting Malaysia’s main inbound visitor source markets, including the United Kingdom, the United States, Germany, France, Italy and the Middle East. According to Tourism Malaysia, these markets provided 1.2 million visitors to the country in 2014, representing an increase of 10 per cent compared to 2013.

“This partnership underlines the longstanding 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,” said Andrew Ward, vice president of marketing, Etihad Airways.

“Malaysia is one of our top destinations and Etihad Airways has carried more than 1 million passengers to and from the country since 2007,” said Ward.

The agreement is a strategic part of Malaysia’s goal of earning MYR 168 billion from a targeted 36 million tourist arrivals by 2020, according to Chong Yoke Har, deputy director general planning, Tourism Malaysia.

Etihad currently offers service twice daily between Abu Dhabi (AUH) and Kuala Lumpur (KLL) and offers connections to other destinations across Malaysia through its codeshare partnership with Malaysia Airlines.

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