MELAKA HOSTS 4.89 MILLION VISITORS BY JUNE 2010

elaka gets 4.89 mil tourists as of June
Sunday, August 29th, 2010 12:36:00
MELAKA: A total of 4.89 million tourists, 21 per cent of them from abroad, visited Melaka as of June this year, said state Tourism, Culture and Heritage Committee chairman Datuk Seet Har Cheow.
He said the figure was encouraging in the state's endeavour to achieve its target of getting 8.2 tourists by the end of this year compared to 8.9 million last year, of which 18 per cent from abroad.
He said most of foreign tourists, who visited Melaka, were from Singapore, China, Indonesia and Vietnam.
Tourist arrivals in Melaka will increase dramatically if there are more direct flights between Melaka and other countries, he said, adding that the state government was holding discussions with Chinese and Thai authorities on the proposed direct flights between Melaka and Nanjing and Melaka and Hadyai.
He said the upgrading work of refuelling facilities at the Melaka International Airport would be completed in December to enable it to accommodate wide-bodied aircraft such as Boeing 737.
The upgraded airport will be a catalyst to the Melaka tourism industry, he told reporters after delivering a speech before the breaking of fast with the media and orphanages organised the Melaka chapter of the Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents in Ayer Keroh here last night.
On anti-Malaysia protests in Jakarta, he said it had not affected tourist arrivals from Indonesia and Malaysians visiting the republic from the state.