Tourism Malaysia has thrown down the challenge to its retailers to invest in more initiatives to promote Malaysia as one of the world’s best shopping destinations.
Malaysia’s shopping sector is a major contributor to the country’s tourist receipts, amounting to RM19.8 billion or 30.2% of the total receipts of RM65.4 billion in 2013. Indeed, the shopping sector continues to hold the second biggest share of tourist expenditure after the accommodation sector, which exceeds it by a margin of only 0.1%.
Having called on the retail industry players to rally around to achieve a healthier growth for the sector, Tourism Malaysia’s Deputy Director general (Planning) Madam Chong Yoke Har says
“If retailers continue to push harder and strategize better, the shopping sector can overtake accommodation as the number one tourism revenue contributor.”
Madam Chong Yoke Har
Tourism Malaysia’s promotional efforts to boost the country’s shopping sector have clearly paid off in recent times. CNN has consistently ranked Kuala Lumpur as one of the world’s top shopping destinations, with Malaysia’s largest and most cosmopolitan city securing the number four spot in CNN’s World’s Best Shopping Cities in 2012 and 2013 consecutively. This puts Malaysia in the league of some of the world’s top shopping capitals – New York, Tokyo and London. Kuala Lumpur was also ranked as the second Best Shopping Destination in Asia Pacific by Globe Shopper Index, making the city the best shopping destination in Southeast Asia and among the top shopping destinations in Asia.
One of Malaysia’s best shopping events, the 1Malaysia Grand Prix Sale will take place from 14 March to 5 April, coinciding with the Petronus Formula 1 Grand Prix. Along with the 1Malaysia Mega Sale Carnival (27 June to 31 August) and the 1Malaysia Year-End sale (14 November 2015 – 3 January 2016) this event is one of the biggest and most eagerly anticipated shopping events of the year, and is expected to provide a significant boost to tourist expenditure.
Fast facts:
- Malaysia’s tourist arrivals for 2013 were 25.7 million, an increase of 2.7% compared to 25.0 million tourists in 2012.
- Tourist receipts for 2013 were RM65.4 billion, an increase of 8.1% compared to RM60.6 billion in 2012.
- In 2013, tourists spent RM19.8 billion on shopping in Malaysia, an increase of 6.3% compared to RM18.6 billion in 2012.
- The retail sector contributed 30.2% of the total tourist expenditure in 2013 against 30.7% in 2012.
- Shopping expenditure holds the second biggest share of tourist expenditure after accommodation.
- MyFest 2015 is expected to help Malaysia secure the targeted 29.4 million tourist arrivals and RM89 billion in tourist receipts for 2015.
These figures will help achieve the target of 36 million tourist arrivals with RM168 billion in tourist receipts by 2020 under the Malaysia Tourism Transformation Plan.
