It's back and it's big.
That’s
the first impression visitors got at the MATTA Fair 2023, which took
place 17-19 March at it new home in Malaysia International Trade &
Exhibition Centre (MITEC), Kuala Lumpur.
The 52nd MATTA Fair, organised by the Malaysian Association of Tour
and Travel Agents (MATTA), featured 1,420 exhibition booths occupying
nine halls across 37,000 square metres.
Consumers had a choice to pick deals and offers from not just the 107
participating travel and tour agencies, 19 national tourism
organisations (NTOs), 13 state tourism offices, 37 hotels and resorts,
seven theme parks, two cruise lines, six airlines, and 31 other
travel-related services exhibitors.
“MATTA is defining a new standard of travel fair paving the way for
the MATTA Fair to realise its full potential as a truly holistic
consumer travel fair in the years to come," said MATTA president Datuk
Tan Kok Liang. "The decision to move our famous MATTA Fair to this new
venue has the potential to result in the expansion and improvement of
the MATTA Fair to the very highest level."
Apart
from having a new home in MITEC, this year’s fair also scored a number
of firsts, including having a dedicated Umrah Pavilion and participation
by Saudi Tourism Authority.
Asian NTOs, including Macao Government Tourism Office, Taiwan Tourism
Board and Hong Kong Tourism Board, also had a marked presence at the
fair to entice Malaysian travellers with their diverse offerings and
destinations.
It has been a good start to the year for MATTA which also recently
embarked on a mission to secure collaborative partnerships with its
European counterparts, such as Switzerland, the Czech Republic, Poland,
Estonia, and Finland.
“These collaborative partnerships will accelerate our organisations’
members’ journey towards recovery. We will be working closely to
actively cross-promote tourism between our countries to achieve
meaningful short and long-term results,” added Tan.
MATTA Fair 2023 was officially launched by Malaysian Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture Dato Sri Tiong King Sing (centre). Photo Credit: MATTA
MATTA Fair 2023 was officially launched by Malaysian Minister of
Tourism, Arts and Culture Dato Sri Tiong King Sing, who also announced
his ministry’s support for MATTA members to extend the validity period
of licenses for tour operators and tour guides from three to five years
during during the opening ceremony.
True to its promise of offering a fanfare environment, themed cafes
were located on each floor including Michelin-selected restaurants,
Qureshi and Limapulo. There were also daily talk shows and a variety of
multicultural performances from STOs and NTOs including crafts and
fashion shows.
An estimated 250,000 visitors turned up over the three-day affair from 17-19 March, 2023.
Click here for a look at the lively atmosphere at MATTA Fair 2023.
MATTA Fair 2023 makes travel great again