Malaysia’s worldwide tourism profile has grown higher than ever before, thanks in part to the “Malaysia, Truly Asia” advertising campaign. In fact, tourism receipts, a large earner of foreign exchange, contribute heavily to the country’s GDP.

A major attraction for Malaysia is its tropical location. With temperatures high all year round, it is truly a destination that can be visited at any period of the year. However, Malaysia‘s tourism sector tends to be divided between the eastern and western parts of the country in accordance with the monsoons.

The country’s main destinations are the Islands of Langkawi (see article) and Penang to the north, Selangor surrounding Kuala Lumpur in the center, and the charming and historical old Portuguese settlement of Melaka toward the south . Finally near the Thai border on the east coast lies a string of islands—the Perhentians and the resort of Terrengganu. This is where you will find the clearest water in Malaysia.

Borneo is the location of the rest of Malaysia, the states of Sarawak (see article) and Sabah, which offer great alternatives for the intrepid traveler seeking adventure and ecotourism.

On a recent visit to Kuala Lumpur, I sat down with The Hon. Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor, former Minister of Tourism, who gave me his perspective on the future of Tourism in Malaysia. Here are excerpts from that interview:

Q: Malaysia saw an increase in tourist arrivals from the United States (over 30%) during the first six months of 2006. To what do you attribute this substantial increase?

Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor: The growth in tourist arrivals from the United States has been attributed to the aggressive promotions by the Ministry of Tourism and Tourism Malaysia. This has created awareness on Malaysia through advertising (printed media, electronic media, etc.) and also by taking part in trade fairs, seminars, workshops, and working closely with airlines as our strategic partners.

We also relied on word-of-mouth from both travelers that have visited Malaysia and the tour operators who sell the destination. We believe that this is one of the most effective methods of building awareness about Malaysia.

Besides that, the fact that Malaysia is a politically stable country with sound infrastructure, state-of-the-art communications facilities and good foreign exchange rates has helped make Malaysia one of the most sought after Asian destinations among Americans.

Q: Malaysia is a very diverse country from a tourism point of view, offering a visitor many different experiences. What are the segments that you are emphasizing the most? Culture? Gastronomy? Sports-tourism? Ecotourism?

Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor: While the Visit Malaysia Year 2007 was more events-driven, this year the Visit Malaysia campaign will adopt a destination-focused approach—that is, identifying selected destinations in Malaysia and carrying out intensive promotions of these destinations and niche tourism.

In terms of the destinations themselves, we’re primarily focusing on Malaysian Borneo (the states of Sabah and Sarawak), Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Langkawi.

The niche products that are being promoted include: eco-tourism, sports tourism, adventure tourism, culture tourism, golf tourism, “Malaysia My Second Home,” home stay programs, medical and health tourism, fashion and lifestyle, filming, education tourism, agro-tourism, marine tourism and gastronomical tourism (Malaysia Truly Kitchen). It’s hard to say which we emphasize the most, as all of these are important aspects of what our country has to offer.

Q: One of the biggest drawbacks for Americans is the distance involved in traveling to Malaysia. What are some of the points you would like to emphasize that might help Americans overcome those fears of spending 25 hours on a plane? Are you working with Malaysia Airlines to increase capacity to and from the U.S.A.?

Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor: Long distance travel should not be considered as an obstacle for a good holiday. Asia and Southeast Asia have rapidly become the new hotspot for travel, and Malaysia is a wonderful introduction to the region as well as a great gateway to other countries in Southeast Asia.

Malaysia serves as a perfect soft-landing for North American travelers because it’s safe, it’s easy to get around in, and it has a good infrastructure and a stable economy and political system. We are proud to have a diverse population and we celebrate many different cultures, languages, and religions here. In addition, English is widely spoken, and the exchange rate between the Malaysian ringgit and the U.S. or Canadian dollar is very favorable, making us a great value-for-money destination.

There is an old Chinese proverb which goes like this: If you don’t scale the mountain, you can’t enjoy the view. Likewise, if you have fear in long distance travel, you will not be able to enjoy the exciting thrills and spills of Malaysia. Furthermore, the 25-hour flight from the United States will be a truly rewarding experience, especially when ASEAN is promoting the Hip-Hop ASEAN package (which resembles the Visit USA package) where a visitor can enjoy traveling to any two ASEAN destinations at a minimal cost.

Currently, Tourism Malaysia and Malaysia Airlines are working on a smart partnership in stimulating travel interest to Malaysia by developing a cooperative tactical campaign with attractive packages that are competitively priced. These packages also seek to use the direct flights from Los Angeles to Kuala Lumpur, which is only about 18 hours or so.

Q: What was the main reason for extending Visit Malaysia Year (VMY) well into 2008?

Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor: The Visit Malaysia Year celebration has been extended until August 2008, because the celebration that commemorates Malaysia’s 50 Years of Independence only began on Aug. 31, 2007. It was agreed upon that to truly make the most of this special Golden Anniversary, we would extend it to Aug. 31, 2008 so that a full year could be devoted toward the anniversary itself.

As mentioned before, while Visit Malaysia Year 2007 was more events-driven, the Visit Malaysia campaign this year will adopt a destination-focused approach by identifying selected destinations in Malaysia and carrying out intensive promotions of these destinations and for niche products.

Incidentally, this year, three of Malaysia’s northern states will be celebrating their “Visit the State Year” simultaneously -- Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu. These states showcase an endless discovery of fascinating adventures, eco-tours, checkered history, and the rich cultural diversity of the multi-racial society. As such, travel agents and tour operators in the United States should take advantage of this and develop exciting packages and tours.

Q: What in your mind makes Malaysia great? And what would you like to say to our readers to help them make that critical decision to come to Malaysia?

Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor: To our American readers, I would say that when you embark on tours to the various destinations in Malaysia, you will discover that the warm hospitality, lush green flora and fauna, the country’s indelible heritage, natural attractions, and multi-cultural fascinations with multi-carnival and multi-festival events are some of the reasons attributed to tourism growth in the country.

And then, if you walk down any street in Malaysia today, you will notice that some buildings have retained the grandeur of a bygone era, coexisting in harmony with ultra modern creations like the Petronas Twin Towers and the Kuala Lumpur Tower (452 meters). These masterpieces stand strong to remind us of our indelible past. Many have now become useful landmarks and many more have become icons and tourist attractions.

As mentioned before, Malaysia is an exceptional place to visit because of our friendly and diverse population. It’s a great location if you want to be able to experience a variety of different aspects of Southeast Asia in one country. As English is widely spoken and the exchange rate is very favorable, Malaysia is an exotic destination that American travelers can visit without having to relinquish their comfort and without putting a dent in their wallets.

Malaysia’s rich diversity is not something we put on to show the international tourists. If you observe the Malaysian life during your stay here, you will find the natural blending of culture, race, and heritage embedded harmoniously in the people and in our lifestyle.

To our American readers: I sincerely hope that you will make a trip to Malaysia soon and catch the sights and sounds of truly Asia at its best.