OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE MALAYSIAN

MATTA - Representation
on a Global Scale
An Active MATTA NS
Chapter in 2016
Mark Your Calendar
for APECO 2016
Successful Motions at
MATTA 41st National AGM
™
Official Publication of the Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents
APR - JUN 2016
PP13679/04/2013(033458)
Elevating the industry by helping travel
agents go online, story on page 9.
Inaugural Muslim Travel Dialogue on page 5
front coverA.pdf 1
6/23/16 2:59 PM
™
President’s Message
Dear Members,
SUARA MATTATM
A Quarterly Newsletter Publication by the
Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel
Agents (MATTA)
Editorial Board
President
Datuk Hj. Hamzah Rahmat
Deputy President
Rohizam bin Md Yusoff
Honorary Secretary General
Nigel Wong
Our Annual General Meeting (AGM) was successfully held in Penang
on May 14, the second MATTA AGM out of Kuala Lumpur, after the first
in Kota Kinabalu in 2014. As MATTA is a national association, rotating
the AGM among the states on alternate years is the right thing to do.
Having a B2B Session in the afternoon followed by the Annual Dinner
would also allow more opportunities for members to network and
derive maximum value for attending the AGM.
On the 1st of June this year, MATTA launched www.matta.travel, a platform for our members
to embrace technology and compete in the challenging marketplace. The one-stop online
shopping centre facilitates travellers to purchase domestic and international travel packages
with licenced travel agencies and members of MATTA.
Chief Executive Officer
Phua Tai Neng
A big event coming up that members ought to participate in is the Asia Pacific Ecotourism
Conference (APECO) in Kuching from October 21 to 23. MATTA owns APECO and will continue
to organise this conference. It is our objective to promote responsible and sustainable tourism,
bringing benefits to local communities without harming the environment.
Communications Executive
Nur Ilani Md Salleh
This year will also see the revival of MATTA Fair in Penang, a destination popular with foreign
and domestic tourists. This MATTA Fair is a major step in reactivating MATTA in Penang.
Publishing Consultant
Rightwiz Sdn Bhd
Lastly, I am glad to report that all the efforts put in by MATTA to ease entry for China visitors
since 2014 has paid off. There has been a 35% increase in visitor arrivals from China for the first
quarter of this year.
Printer
KHL Printing Co Sdn Bhd
Publisher
Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel
Agents (MATTA)
For Advertising enquiries, please call
+603 9222 1155
Thank you and I look forward to greater achievements for us all in the tour and travel industry
this year and beyond.
Warmest Regards,
DATUK HJ. HAMZAH RAHMAT
President
Term 2015 - 2017
Address:
Wisma MATTA
No 6, Jalan Metro Pudu 2,
Fraser Business Park,
Off Jln Yew,
55100 Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: +603 – 9222 1155
Fax: +603 - 9223 8555
Website: www.matta.org.my
A MATTA Publication
No part of this publication may be reproduced in any
form without the prior written consent of MATTA. Every
effort has been made to ensure that the contents of
this publication are correct and up-to-date at press
time. Details are subject to change without prior
notice and MATTA cannot be held responsible for any
consequences arising from errors or omissions in this
publication.
Suara MATTA | 1
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Contents
06
2016
Travel & Tour
Enhancement Course
Events
Education and training, part of MATTA’s
growth ambition.
08
Raising the Culture & Arts
Agenda
08
MATTA - Representation on a
Global Scale
Bringing the creative people together for a
unified cause.
09
Coverstory
Find out how MATTA is leading the domestic
travel agents into the global space.
16
Gearing into
the Digital
17
Economy with
MATTA.Travel
An Active MATTA Negeri
Sembilan Chapter in 2016
Making headway beyond its shores, exciting
times indeed.
Mark Your Calendar for
APECO 2016
Don’t miss the 9th Asia Pacific Ecotourism
Conference from the 21st to 23rd October.
It’s time to move into the digital travel
Features
market.
19
From Char Koay Teow
to Colombo at MAT TA
Annual Dinner 2016
A fun night to remember, from street art,
sampin to lucky draw prizes.
20
50 Air Tickets, the Main
Prizes at MAT TA Fair
March 2016 Buyers’ Contest
They came, they saw, they bought travel
packages and now, winning air tickets for
another holiday.
21
MAT TA Fair 2016 by the
State Chapters
22
Events & Activities for
MAT TA Members
Everybody can indeed travel regardless of
where you are, made possible now with
MATTA Fair.
Where have they gone? What did they do?
Industry
04
AGM
Regulars
Domestic Tourism B2B
Held Alongside National
24
It’s a session soon to be a common place to
boost MATTA members.
05
Inaugural Muslim Travel
Dialogue
The growing segment of Muslim travel holds
its first Dialogue.
2 | Suara MATTA
18
AGM
Successful Motions at
MAT TA 41st National
Held for the second time outside KL, it was a
fruitful AGM in Penang.
MAT TA in the News
INDUSTRY
Domestic Tourism B2B Held
Alongside National AGM
I
n conjunction with MATTA’s National Annual General Meeting 2016, the Domestic Tourism Promotion
Business-to-Business (B2B) Session was held in the afternoon of 14th May at Hotel Jen in Penang.
Penang State Exco Member for Tourism, Development & Culture YB Danny Law launched the B2B
Session and expressed his gratitude for the AGM to be held in Penang.
The B2B Session was a platform for members to cross-sell every state’s attraction to each other and
to foster a closer bilateral relationship between states. Penang Global Tourism took the opportunity
to present the reasons behind Penang’s appeal as a preferred tourist destination while Sabah Tourism
Board presented its attractions surrounding the Land Below the Wind.
Organised for the third time, the previous two outings of the Domestic Tourism B2B Sessions were
held in Kota Kinabalu in 2014 and Kuala Lumpur in 2015. The Domestic B2B Session this year was well
received given the market climate and up to 200 MATTA members participated in the productive
afternoon.
(Clockwise from left) Penang State Exco Member for
Tourism, Development & Culture YB Danny Law receiving
a token from MATTA President Datuk Hj. Hamzah Rahmat,
accompanied by (from left) Datuk KL Tan, Pn. Nor Yahati
Awang and Rohizam Md Yusoff; YB Danny Law giving his
B2B Session launching speech; B2B Session is a hive of
activities; Vice President of Inbound addressing the panel
and the attendees at the B2B Session; A good turnout at
the B2B Session.
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Inaugural Muslim Travel Dialogue
T
he inaugural MATTA Muslim Travel Dialogue
was held on the 26th of May at PWTC, Kuala
Lumpur. The Dialogue was to keep members
informed about the needs, convenience and
expectations for the muslim travellers.
According to Dato’ Hj Yaacob Hj Hussin,
Chairman of MATTA Government Liaison/Muslim
Travel sub-committee, “Muslim travelers travel
with family members, stay for a longer period of
time and spend more money in their holidays. For
these reasons tourism brands across the world
are adapting their services to meet the needs of
these Muslim guests.”
Main speakers for the Dialogue were from the
Halal Industry Development Corporation, Islamic
Tourism Centre, Korea Tourism Organisation,
Japan National Tourism Organisation, Tourism
Authority of Thailand, Macao Government
Tourism Office and Ministry of Tourism Indonesia.
Representatives from organisations involved in
the Halal industry were also invited to give their
speech.
Thumbs up to a good beginning of the inaugural MATTA Muslim Travel Dialogue with (third from left) MATTA Deputy
President Rohizam Md Yusoff and Bumiputera Representative Dato’ Hj. Yaacob Hj. Hussin together with the panel of
speakers.
A presentation to better understand Muslim Travel.
Front row VIPS at the opening of the historical event.
(From left) Bumiputera Representative Dato’ Hj. Yaacob Hj.
Hussin and MATTA Deputy President Rohizam Md Yusoff
taking questions from the media on MATTA Muslim Travel
Dialogue.
Members at the Dialogue had the opportunity
to discuss ideas and deliberate on issues
surrounding Muslim travel such as Muslimcompliance travel packages, Halal services and
availability of Halal food in different destinations.
Members were also made aware that Halal
facilities are also patronised by non-Muslims
and not just Muslims alone. For example, many
Malaysians including non-Muslims would choose
restaurants displaying the Halal logo in overseas
destinations given the higher precaution and
compliance standards undertaken by such
establishments. As such, marketing activities
should not be confined to only Muslim travelers.
Main sponsors for the event were Macao
Government Tourism Office, Tourism Indonesia
and Islamic Tourism Centre. Up to 130 members
and members of the media attended the
Dialogue.
Delegates at the first MATTA Muslim Travel Dialogue.
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INDUSTRY
Travel & Tour Enhancement Course
2016
A
collaboration between Ministry of Tourism
and Culture, and MATTA Academy, the
Travel & Tour Enhancement Course (TTEC) was
conducted in eight different states from March to
May this year.
Pahang 20 participants attended the course
on the 19th of March at the M.S Garden Hotel,
Kuantan.
Terengganu 22 participants attended the course
on the 25th of May at the Sumai Suites Hotel,
Kuala Terengganu.
Sabah 19 participants attended the course on
the 1st of April at the MATTA Sabah Chapter office
in Damai Point, Luyang, Kota Kinabalu.
Penang 23 participants attended the course on
the 27th of April at the Georgetown City Hotel.
Negeri Sembilan 20 participants attended the
course on the 7th of March 2016 at the Klana
Resort Seremban.
Johor 42 participants attended the course on the
17th of March at the Ponderosa Golf & Country
Resort Berhad.
Sarawak 31 participants attended the course on
the 12th of May at the 56 Hotel in Kuching.
Perak 31 participants attended the course on the
26th of May at the Kinta Riverfront Hotel & Suites
in Ipoh.
TTEC Schedule from July to December 2016
Date
Chapter/Venue
Proposed Venue
7th Oct
Sabah
Matta Sabah Chapter, Damai Point, KK
14th Jul
KL/Selangor
Matta Academy, Desa Pandan, KL
12th Oct
Kedah
Alor Setar
20th Jul
Kedah
Langkawi
20th Oct
Pahang
Kuantan
28h Jul
Penang
Georgetown City Hotel, Georgetown
3rd Nov
KL/Selangor
Matta Academy, Desa Pandan, KL
4th Aug
KL/Selangor
Matta Academy, Desa Pandan, KL
10th Nov
Sarawak
Kuching
5th Aug
Sabah
Matta Sabah Chapter, Damai Point, KK
17th Nov
Perak
Ipoh
25th Aug
Kelantan
Kota Bahru
23th Nov
Terengganu
Kuala Terengganu
8th Sep
KL/Selangor
Matta Academy, Desa Pandan, KL
1st Dec
KL/Selangor
Matta Academy, Desa Pandan, KL
29th Sep
Johor
Johor Bahru
2nd Dec
Sabah
Matta Sabah Chapter, Damai Point, KK
6th Oct
KL/Selangor
Matta Academy, Desa Pandan, KL
15th Dec
Johor
Johor Bahru
*schedule accurate as at 11th May 2016.
6 | Suara MATTA
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INDUSTRY
Raising the Culture & Arts Agenda
A
meeting was held between Jabatan Kebudayaan & Kesenian Negara
(JKKN or the National Department for Culture & Arts) and MATTA on
the 4th of May 2016. JKKN’s delegation was led by its Deputy Director
General for Policy & Planning Mohammad Razy while CEO Phua Tai Neng
and Industry Services Manager Bharathi Naidoo represented MATTA.
Discussions were centred on using culture and arts to attract more
inbound tourists for events organised by JKKN and for MATTA members to
promote as well as market them.
MATTA CEO Phua Tai Neng (second from left) at the meeting.
MATTA - Representation on a Global Scale
M
ATTA ensures that your interests and concerns reach the ears of decision makers in Government and in the private sector both at home and abroad.
At national level, MATTA works closely with the Ministry of Tourism and Culture, Tourism Malaysia, and Land Public Transport Commission, Road
Transport Department Malaysia, Performance Management and Delivery Unit (Prime Minister’s Department) and state governments to safeguard the rights
and interests of Members.
Regionally, MATTA plays a key role in encouraging bilateral tourism partnerships through active participation in key industry bodies such as the ASEAN
Tourism Association (ASEANTA), the Federation of ASEAN Travel Associations (FATA) and by collaborating with our ASEAN counterparts.
Internationally MATTA is recognised as the preeminent travel association of Malaysia. Our constant engagement with many foreign national tourism
organisations and global tourism bodies has opened doors of opportunity to our Members and allowed us to effectively promote Malaysia as an attractive
and vibrant tourism destination.
Benefits
1. Greater Consumer Confidence
Consumers place great confidence and trust
in the MATTA brand. MATTA Members are
recognised as professional, top-of-the-line
agencies.
2. Keeping You Updated
We work very closely with industry stakeholders
worldwide and we keep you apprised of the latest
industry trends through Suara MATTA (published
quarterly) and our monthly e-newsletter. We
also keep you abreast of critical industry updates
through our website and e-bulletins.
3. Education & Training
We organise workshops and seminars to equip
our Members with the latest skills and know-how.
Courses are practical and designed specifically
to meet the needs of the Malaysian travel and
tourism industry.
4. Global Business Networking
Members have the opportunity to engage and
connect with potential business partners through
MATTA’s extensive global network.
5. Building for the Future
We are involved in developing talent and
manpower to meet the growing demand for
highly-skilled workers. Through MATTA Academy,
members are first in line to tap into this highly
desirable resources.
6. Complaints Arbitration
We help consumers and Members resolve
disputes without going to court.
8 | Suara MATTA
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COVER STORY
MATTA.Travel was successfully launched by Director General of Tourism Malaysia YBhg. Datuk Seri Mirza Mohammad Taiyab (middle, red tie), receiving a momento
for the milestone day from MATTA President Datuk Hj. Hamzah Rahmat. Together commemorating the achievement are (from left) MATTA CEO Phua Tai Neng,
MATTA Bumiputera Representative Shahrulnezam Mohd Daud, MATTA VP of Outbound Mita Lim, Tourism Malaysia Licensing Division Secretary and Ex-Officio to
MATTA Nor Yahati Awang, Deputy Director General (Advertising & Digital) of Tourism Malaysia YBhg. Dato’ Sri Abdul Khani Daud, MATTA Deputy President Rohizam
Md Yusoff and MATTA VP of Inbound Datuk KL Tan.
Gearing into the Digital
Economy with MATTA.Travel
Elevating the industry by helping travel agents go online.
T
ravellers are today used to making
reservations online. They are spoilt for choice
from the many resources available through online
reservations. Known as the Online Travel Agents
(OTAs), they are made more attractive with
pictures, videos, maps, price comparisons and
special booking rates. No wonder, online travel
today makes up 28% of all online transactions
globally.
In an effort to stay competitive and in line with
progress of technology, MATTA has launched the
MATTA.Travel portal on the 1st of June 2016. The
new platform is a significant step forward because
it represents a whole new era for the Association.
It is effectively tapping into the online travel
market, measured at more than US$500 billion
in 2016 potential revenue worldwide. It is also a
convenient way to get members online to enjoy
the benefits rather than incurring a high cost of
Deserving of applause, the launch of MATTA.Travel by (left of monitor) Director General of Tourism
Malaysia YBhg. Datuk Seri Mirza Mohammad Taiyab and (right of monitor) MATTA President Datuk
Hj. Hamzah Rahmat.
Suara MATTA | 9
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COVER STORY
A day not to be missed and signing
his attendance is MATTA VP of Ground
Transportation S Jaya Kumar.
up to millions of Ringgit to build and maintain a
site individually, competing against the OTAs all
by themselves.
According to Director General of Tourism
Malaysia YBhg. Datuk Seri Mirza Mohammad
Taiyab, who represented Deputy Minister of
Tourism and Culture YB Datuk Mas Ermieyati
Samsudin, “The best way for travel industry
players to help boost the country’s tourism
economy is to collaborate through an integrated
online platform where the complexity of
technology adoption and cost of collaboration
will be minimal.”
With the e-enabled platform, cost of doing
business will no doubt decrease and the burden
of MATTA members in making their presence
felt in the online space will also reduce. They
now have an opportunity to sell travel packages
via MATTA.Travel without having to rely on the
OTAs especially the foreign ones such as Expedia,
Agoda, Booking.com etc.
“As OTAs are focused on selling hotel
rooms, MATTA takes an alternative approach by
providing a platform for travel agencies with the
mission of making MATTA.Travel a world leader
as far as e-trading platform for travel packages
Towards an integration with the travel industry,
Director General of Tourism Malaysia YBhg. Datuk
Seri Mirza Mohammad Taiyab.
is concerned,” said President of MATTA Datuk Hj.
Hamzah Rahmat at the launch.
Further, to safeguard Malaysia’s interest, the
use of MATTA.Travel will help reduce capital
outflow, thereby creating a healthy economic
environment that is sustainable in the long term.
.Travel?
So why “.travel” instead of “.com” or “.my”? Known
as the top level domain, it was launched by
Tralliance Corporation in October 2005 as an
exclusive web address for all related to the
travel industry. It is an easier way for travellers
to differentiate a committed travel service
provider from an ordinary one and the success
of the domain registration is today reflected by
MATTA spearheads the challenge into
the digital economy, MATTA President
Datuk Hj. Hamzah Rahmat.
A new beginning with a variety of travel packages online at MATTA.Travel.
10 | Suara MATTA
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the adoption at the national level as well such
as Canada.Travel, Egypt.Travel, Germany.Travel,
Indonesia.Travel and more recently Malaysia.
Travel.
Given its unique and relevant identity, MATTA
Deputy President Rohizam Md Yusoff confirmed
at the launch that the Association is currently
negotiating for a better rate from the current
US$99 a year for MATTA members. If and when
successful, interested members can be part of this
dedicated community (see Who else is on .Travel?).
But domain names aside, what can members do
on MATTA.Travel?
“We will have travel agents providing travel
packages where Matta.Travel is an e-marketplace
or portal. In other words, licenced travel agencies
are able to feature their packages and to be
marketed via this new and dedicated website,”
explained Rohizam.
And for marketing of packages, they are
currently divided into five categories - Malaysia,
Umrah, Halal, Special Needs and International.
All information and tour packages are safe for
consumption as well because participating travel
agents are MATTA-verified and appropriately
licenced. The risks of an unknown service provider
behind the screen is no longer a threat to fellow
travellers because one can see the travel agent’s
details right on the site itself.
Collaborative Advantage
Eligible travel agents and operators can use
MATTA.Travel at a preferential rate with both the
Setup & Maintenance Fees for credit card and
online banking waived by Payment Gateway
Partner ipay88 Sdn Bhd. Transaction charges
is reduced from 2.8% to 1.6% while the Mobile
Point-of-Sale (Mpos) is reduced from 1.95% to
1.6% (see MATTA.Travel Exclusive Offer to Travel
Agents). That’s not all, Alliance Bank Malaysia
Berhad has also stepped forward on Launch
Logon to www.matta.travel for a brand new experience in travel reservation.
morning to waive the RM900 required for
account opening, provided exclusively for MATTA
members only.
The success of putting the site together would
not have been possible without the collaborative
effort with Travel Technology Partner Smart
Online Travel Assistant (SOTA). It has created
a platform accessible by travel agencies that
rides on its very own tried and tested platform;
stability in this case is therefore assured.
“I have been made to understand that the
core strength of this platform is that it facilitates
collaboration between the Ministry, state
tourism bodies, travel industry players and
associations for the benefit of travel consumers
locally and globally,” said Datuk Seri Mirza.
In that regard, with data now available
from MATTA.Travel, it would be able to furnish
relevant information to the government to
facilitate better and more informed planning
and decision making.
“The platform will also double as the channel
for gathering market intelligence or what in
IT parlance is known as “Big Data”,” Datuk Hj.
Hamzah pointed out. This will not only help
the government in its effort to boost arrivals
and income but also enable MATTA to be more
aligned with the country’s vision.
With a backdrop of RM150 and RM200 million
sales by the participating travel exhibitors in the
recent two MATTA Fairs in spite of the economic
settings and depreciating Ringgit, coupled with
the promising numbers of 29,579 visits and
107,271 page views of this new travel portal
just over three days of the most recent Fair, the
time is probably ripe for MATTA.Travel. It is the
first step of many more to come in helping our
agents to move into the digital travel market.
MATTA.Travel Exclusive Offer to Travel Agents
Transaction Charges
MATTA.Travel
Credit Card
Online Banking
Exciting times ahead with the .Travel future, MATTA
Deputy President Rohizam Md Yusoff.
MATTA.Travel
Normal
RM0
RM488 + RM500
1.6%
2.8%
1.6% or min.
RM2
2.8% or min.
RM2
1.6%
1.95%
Mpos
Who else is on .Travel?
Africa-adventure.travel
Alabama.travel
B2B.travel
Bruneitourism.travel
Cancun.travel
Chilenativo.travel
Ecruising.travel
Elsalvador.travel
Setup & Maintenance Fee
Normal
RM25/month
Goglobal.travel
Newzealandtours.travel
Philadelphiausa.travel
Pullmantur.travel
Seecolombia.travel
Simplebooking.travel
Thinkdigital.travel
...and more!
Suara MATTA | 11
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INDUSTRY
An Active MATTA Negeri Sembilan
Chapter in 2016
T
ourism is the second largest contributor
to the country’s national income. Realising
the importance of this from the perspective of
the economy, MATTA Negeri Sembilan Chapter
(MATTA NS) together with Government agencies
such as the Tourism Board and Tourism Malaysia
Negeri Sembilan, have taken the effort to devise
innovative strategies to attract tourists to the
state.
The Government’s modest target of achieving
at least 5 million tourists visiting Negeri Sembilan
and spending 2-days-1-night has received
favourable response from the tour and travel
stakeholders. On the part of MATTA NS, it has
been proactive in implementing new and exciting
ways to promote both the state and Malaysia to
the global markets. Among the most celebrated
success was the Chapter’s fruitful participation in
events across three districts in Indonesia, namely
Bali, Lombok and Labuan Bojo. The districts were
chosen due to its popularity with the tourists.
They are also the perfect platforms for MATTA NS
to promote Malaysia.
MATTA Negeri Sembilan’s efforts began on
the 10th of May when it received an invitation to
attend ASITA (Association of the Indonesian Tours
& Travel Agencies) Table Top in Mataram. The
event marked a new milestone as the Chapter
signed a joint cooperation to promote a two-way
tourism with ASITA and Negeri Sembilan.
About two weeks later from the 23rd to 26th
May, MATTA NS was again invited to a Table Top
ASITA NTT event held in Komodo Island. This
is followed by Halal Tourism Conference in Bali
from the 2nd to 5th of June where the Chapter
was also invited to be one of the speakers. The
active involvement of MATTA NS in Indonesia
has enabled it to be an integral part of Bali &
Beyond Travel Fair (BTF), scheduled from the 22nd
to 26th of June 2016. The events have received
overwhelming media coverage and this has been
very good for Negeri Sembilan’s tourism agenda.
Exciting and Fruitful Events
At home, MATTA NS has taken the step to
collaborate with Negeri Sembilan Tourism Board
to organise events throughout 2016. Some
of the recently organised events are the NS
International Auto Salon 2016 held from the 20th
to 22nd of May and Port Dickson Beach Festival
from the 27th to 29th of May.
The Festival of Fruits and Food Negeri
Sembilan 2016 is next on the cards from the
6th to 7th of August while the PD International
Triathlon 2016 is over a two-day period from 20th
to 21st of August 2016. Motor enthusiasts should
also lock down dates for the PD International
Bike Fest 2016 scheduled for the 2nd to 4th of
September 2016 while golf addicts can look
forward to the final quarter tee off at the Negeri
Sembilan Tourism Golf Challenge 2016 from the
8th to 9th of October.
MATTA Negeri Sembilan Chapter Chairman Hj. Mohd Azri
Abd. Razak (left) with Negeri Sembilan Tourism Board
General Manager, Baharudin Jali (centre) at the launch of
the NS International Auto Salon 2016.
Aside from the above, MATTA NS has also
received an invitation from the Chairman of
Tuanku Ja’afar Gallery Trust in January this year
to provide input for the Gallery from the tour and
travel perspectives. This was part of the Gallery’s
preparatory efforts in ensuring the official
opening on the 22nd of May 2016 is a successful
one. MATTA NS is convinced that up to 10,000
visitors will step into this brand new Gallery as
part of their travel itinerary.
For all the achievements that it has recorded
thus far, MATTA Negeri Sembilan Chapter
is grateful for the sincere support from the
Government of Negeri Sembilan, Negeri
Sembilan Tourism Board, Tourism Malaysia Negeri
Sembilan and the travel agencies. In earnest,
MATTA Negeri Sembilan Chapter would like to
record its sincere appreciation to all who have
made it special and memorable for the state in
2016. MATTA Negeri Sembilan Chapter Chairman Hj. Mohd
Azri Abd. Razak (right) at the launch of the Tuanku Ja’afar
Gallery Trust.
Hj. Mohd Azri Abd Razak at
the launch of the Tuanku
Ja’afar Gallery Trust. Also
with him was Director of
Tourism Malaysia Negeri
Sembilan, Ahmad Husni
Ahmad Basri (with songkok).
16 | Suara MATTA
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TTA
T and
g.my.
INDUSTRY
Mark Your Calendar for APECO 2016
T
he 9th Asia Pacific Ecotourism Conference is
scheduled for the 21st to 23rd October 2016
at the Riverside Majestic Hotel, Kuching. The
theme is “Creating Opportunities in Ecotourism”
as it looks to educate, inform and facilitate
participants in the way they create and develop
new ecotourism products, observing industry
standards, raise conservation awareness and
income of local communities as well as investing
in sustainable tourism. The Conference is
supported by Sarawak Tourism Bureau and other
stakeholders.
APECO 2016 is led by Organising Chairman
Dayang Azizah Abg Zaidan and Sarawak
Chapter Chairman Chris Kon as the Advisor.
The Conference anticipates the presence of
12 speakers and up to 300 participants. It will
be a good platform for members to exchange
ideas and learn from each other, especially
with members coming from a diverse range
of expertise ranging from tour operators,
accommodation providers, soft-adventure
specialists, nature experts, local authorities,
tourism investors, academics and students.
The first press conference for APECO 2016 was
held on 26 May and attended by Benedict
Jimbau, Director of Marketing Unit, Sarawak
Tourism Board; Dylan Redas Noel, Director of
Industry Development, Sarawak Convention
Bureau; Dayang Azizah Abg Haji Zaidan, APECO
2016 Organising Chairman, organising committee
members and representatives from the media.
Registration fee for international delegates is
RM530, Malaysian delegates at RM424, MATTA
members at a preferred rate of RM317 and
students at RM212. Fees are inclusive of GST and
claimable for HRDF contributors.
Sarawak Chapter Chairman Chris Kon (fourth from right)
with the APECO committee at the press conference.
For more details, logon to http://apeco.org.my.
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EVENTS
Successful Motions at
MATTA 41st National AGM
All smiles to commemorate the 41st MATTA National AGM.
T
he 41st MATTA National Annual General Meeting (AGM) was successfully conducted on 14
May 2016 at Hotel Jen in Penang and attended by
127 active members and 21 observers.
Among others, the AGM approved
RM5 million to purchase properties for various
MATTA Chapters in the country. The meeting also
passed the motion to dispose of two MATTAowned properties, one each in Desa Pandan in
Kuala Lumpur, and Penang.
Several clauses in the Constitution and
Code of Ethics were amended in an effort to move
with the times while TCRS was given the consent
to wind up.
Other reports that received approval
included the 40th AGM’s Minutes held on 23 May
2015, Annual Report for 2015, Annual Budget
for 2017 as well as the Audited Annual Accounts,
Statement of Receipts and Payments ended 31
Dec 2015. The appointment of MATTA’s External
Auditors for year 2016 was also approved at the
AGM.
Motion put forward and a decision is to be made with (from left, front row) MATTA CEO Phua Tai Neng,
MATTA Honorary Secretary General Nigel Wong, MATTA President Datuk Hj. Hamzah Rahmat,
MATTA Deputy President Rohizam Md Yusoff, MATTA Honorary Treasurer Datin Josepphine Low and
MATTA Exco Members 2015/17.
18 | Suara MATTA
41st MATTA National AGM in motion.
Members registering for the big day.
From Char Koay Teow to Colombo at
MATTA Annual Dinner 2016
A
fter labouring through the National Annual
General Meeting in the morning, it was time
to reap the fruits in the evening at the Annual
Dinner. Held at the same hotel on the 14th of
May, the thematic dinner was aptly named after
Penang’s most popular dish - “Malam Char Koay
Teow”.
Members at the dinner were each
given a ‘kain pelikat’ (sarong) as a door gift. It was
to their own to style as members emerged with
unique designs from headgears to veil and some
wrapping it around the waist as ‘sampin’.
Another show stealer that night was
the replica of Penang’s most popular street art
“Little Children on a Bicycle”. The picture of a little
girl cycling with a little boy giggling as a pillion
rider painted by Lithuanian artist Ernest Zacharevic on Armenian Street in George Town was
reproduced as a life-size photo wall for the dinner.
Members took the opportunity to commemorate
the memorable evening with selfies and wefies
with each other.
Cheerful faces of MATTA Secretariat at the popular
street art ‘Little Children on a Bicycle’.
The charming spirit of Penang has indeed made its way into the hearts of the members at the
Annual Dinner.
An event in Penang is incomplete if without the ladies in their traditional and colourful Peranakan kebaya.
The fun filled night went on with great
food, drinks and entertainment by a stand-up
comedy, dance performance by the SayangSayang Dancers and musical band Metromob.
There were also the Best Dressed competition and
annual dinner’s favourite lucky draw.
Malaysia Airlines sponsored the grand
prize of air tickets to Colombo, Sri Lanka while
Innogen Sdn Bhd presented 50” LED TV. Other
lucky draw winnings include hotel and shopping
vouchers. The Char Koay Teow Night was indeed a
night of fun and one to remember for a long time
to come.
A shout out to MATTA Deputy President
Rohizam Md Yusoff and his team for a job well done,
bravo!
Everyone’s in a traditional costume of sorts dancing to the beat after a fruitful day from the AGM,
B2B Session and the Annual Dinner. A well deserved evening.
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EVENTS
50 Air Tickets, the Main Prizes at
MATTA Fair March 2016 Buyers’ Contest
T
he MATTA Fair March 2016 Buyers’ Contest
Prize Presentation Ceremony was conducted
on 6 April 2016 at PWTC Kuala Lumpur, one
month after the successful National MATTA Fair,
11th to 13th of March.
Eligibility is based on a minimum
RM300 spent on any tour and travel package and
visitors are entitled to one slot entry for every
RM300. In all, the contest received a total of
126,887 slots on the back of 4,136 entries.
Main prizes for the contest were 50 air
tickets to a variety of destinations sponsored by
various airlines. Consolation prizes were made
up of hotel stay packages. Contest winners went
home happy and satisfied with their winnings.
A successful presentation of the winning flight tickets with (top row middle, in white) MATTA President
Datuk Hj. Hamzah Rahmat.
Queueing to draw the winning ticket, where will they go?
MATTA Fair Penang 2016
S
eptember 2016 marks the return of MATTA Fair in
the Pearl of the Orient to Penang. To be held from
the 23rd to 25th at Straits Quay Convention Centre,
bookings to the 125 booths will be opened from the
16th of June.
Booths are available at RM2,200 for MATTA
Members and RM2,700 for non-members.
Worth the visit to MATTA Fair by winning these flight tickets.
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MATTA Fair 2016
by the State Chapters
MATTA Fair Johor 2016
MATTA Fair Kelantan 2016
MATTA Fair Negeri Sembilan 2016
was held at the Expo @ Danga City Mall from the
8th to 10th April and attracted 13,000 visitors over
the three-day exhibition. The Fair was launched
by YB Datuk Tee Siew Kiong, Committee Chairman
of Tourism, Trade and Consumer Affairs of Johor.
140 booths and over 30,000 sq ft of exhibition
space were occupied.
was successfully held from the 28th to 30th
April at KB Mall, Kota Bharu. The event attracted
approximately 6,000 visitors from Kelantan and
neighbours Terengganu and Southern Thailand.
YB Mejar (B) Dato’ Mohd Anizam Abd. Rahman,
Exco Chairman of Culture, Tourism and Heritage
Kelantan, launched the event. 24 booths from 16
agents participated at the Fair. MATTA was represented by VP of Ticketing, Zarinah Hashim.
was held from 29th April to 1st May at Palm Mall
in Seremban. 10,000 visitors attended the 5th edition of the Fair. Jointly organised with the Negeri
Sembilan Tourism Board, the Fair was launched by
YB Dato’ Tun Hairudin Abu Bakar, Negeri Sembilan
Chairman of Tourism Action Committee.
MATTA Fair Sabah 2016
The Inaugural MATTA Fair Miri,
Sarawak 2016
MATTA Fair Pahang 2016
was held at the Suria Sabah Shopping Mall in Kota
Kinabalu from the 6th to 8th of May. The Fair was
attended by 50,000 visitors. YB Datuk Seri Panglima Masidi Manjun, Minister of Tourism, Culture
Environment Sabah, launched the Fair. 96 booths
were taken up over the three-day event.
was held at Bintang Megamall from the 6th to 8th
May. The Fair was officiated by Benedict Jimbau,
Director of Marketing Unit from Sarawak Tourism Board who represented YBhg. Datuk Pahon
Joyik, Permanent Secretary of Ministry of Tourism
Sarawak. Organising Chairman for the inaugural
event was Wilson Chiam.
was held at Berjaya Megamall in Kuantan from
20th to 22nd May. The Fair was officiated by YBhg.
Datuk Ishak Mokhtar, Manager of Tourism Pahang
who represented YB Dato’ Sri Haji Mohd Sharkar
Haji Shamsudin, Chairman of Tourism and Culture
Affair Pahang. In conjunction with the state’s Visit
Pahang Year 2017, the “Hogoh Pahang” tagline
enliven the tourism spirits with a full and supportive turnout by Tourism Pahang and Tourism
Malaysia Pahang, Ministry of Tourism and Culture
of Pahang, Tioman Development Authority and
the Kuantan Municipal Council. 51 booths were
taken up.
Suara MATTA | 21
EVENTS
Events & Activities for MATTA Members
MATTA Outbound Sub-committee jointly organised FAM Trip to Siem Reap, Cambodia, together
with Mubarak Travel & Tours of Siem Reap and
Air Asia. Held from the 26th to 29th April 2016,
the trip was led by VP of Ground Transportation
Jaya Kumar S. Sannadurai and participated by 10
MATTA members and media representatives from
The Star and China Press.
MATTA Outbound and Inbound Sub-committee
jointly organised FAM Trip to Malang, East Java,
from the 24th to 28th April 2016. Sponsored by
The Unity of Tours, Indonesia, Honorary Secretary
General of MATTA Nigel Wong led a delegation
comprising 27 outbound and 10 inbound operators.
MATTA Ground Transportation Sub-committee
led by its VP Jaya Kumar made a courtesy visit
on 24th of May to the Director General of Road
Transport Department Dato’ Sri Ismail Ahmad.
Representing the Director General was Deputy
Director Datuk Yusof Ayob. The committee also
met with YB Abdul Aziz Kaprawi, Deputy Minister
of Transport. A meeting will be scheduled again
to discuss issues relating to ground
transportation in the tour and travel industry.
MATTA Negeri Sembilan Chapter Chairman Hj.
Azri Abd. Razak participated in the Lombok Travel
Mart III in Lombok, Indonesia, from the 8th to
10th April 2016 on the invitation of the Association of the Indonesian Tours & Travel Agencies
from the district of Nusa Tenggara Barat (ASITA
NTB).
22 | Suara MATTA
An MoU was signed between MATTA Negeri
Sembilan Chapter and ASITA NTB at Mataram,
Bali, on the 10th of April to promote Halal tourism
as part of the Wisata Campaign. Signatories of
the MoU were President of ASITA NTB Dewantoro
Umbu Joka and MATTA Negeri Sembilan Chapter
Chairman Hj. Mohd Azri Abdul Razak.
MATTA Kuala Lumpur Chapter organised FAM
Trip to Taiwan from the 18th to 22nd of May 2016
with support from the Taiwan Tourism Bureau.
The trip was led by MATTA KL Chapter Chairman
Rocky Kho and participated by the KL Chapter
Committee, 12 MATTA members and six media
representatives.
MATTA Selangor Chapter held its Annual Dinner
at Hotel Concorde in Shah Alam on the 31st of
March 2016. Present at the Dinner were 43
Chapter members. MATTA HQ was represented by
VP of Ticketing Zarinah Hashim.
A meeting was held at MATTA Sarawak Chapter
office with senior officials from the Ministry of
Tourism & Culture from Putrajaya on the 28th of
April 2016. Chris Kon together with other
committee members met with Puan Nor Yahati
Awang, Undersecretary of Licensing Division, to
discuss issues faced by the members with regards
to illegal tour operators and licensing in Sarawak.
Suara MATTA | 23
EVENTS
MATTA in the News
Alarmed Over Huge
DCA Fee Increase
Calls for Laws on Private
Taxis to be Enforced
Launching First Online Travel Portal
Refutes Claims KL is Unsafe
MATTA.Travel Online Portal Launched
24 | Suara MATTA
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Organizer:
Endorsed by:
Supported by:
ASEAN Favourite
Destination:
Malaysia’s Favourite
Destination:
Official Airline:
Official Cruise:
Official Technology
Partner:
Theme Park Partners:
Strategic Partner: