Date: 15/7/04
New Straits Times 12 July, 2004 Tourists from the Middle East, tired of being viewed as potential terrorists on visits to the United States and Europe, are flocking to Malaysia's shopping malls and beaches.
Lured to this mainly Muslim South-east Asian nation by canny advertising campaigns touting the country's range of attractions from glitzy designer stores to jungle-clad island resorts, a growing number of Arabs are pumping cash into the nation's coffers.
Nearly 30,000 visited during the first five months of this year and the summer holidays are expected to see a spike in visitors, with women in black chador already a common sight among the mini-skirted local Chinese minority on Kuala Lumpur's streets.
Arrivals from Saudi Arabia grew by 28 per cent in the first five months of this year, according to government statistics, which also showed 38 per cent more Kuwaiti visitors and 30 per cent more tourists from the United Arab Emirates.
Hotels and resorts are making special efforts to make the visitors feel at home. The popular Sunway Lagoon Resort Hotel, for example, has seven Arabic-speaking guest service officers.
It has flown in five students from the Lebanese-American University to hold weekly lessons on Middle Eastern etiquette and teach basic Arabic phrases to local staff, said marketing director Farizal Jaafar.
Mr Mohamad Khalid from Saudi Arabia said. 'My wife and I decided to avoid going to Europe and America after what happened after Sept 11. It's difficult to get visas now anyway.
'We heard about Malaysia, the people are nice, it's much cheaper than Europe and it's good for a nice family holiday,' he said |