Malaysia's Selangor: Expo 2020 Dubai is the ideal platform for promoting ecotourism

The Malaysian state of Selangor aims to return to receive foreign tourists at the beginning of next February, with the state's tourism expected to target a return to the numbers recorded before Covid 19, as Malaysia received about 32,000 tourists from the Emirates.

Starting from Expo 2020 Dubai, Selangor Tourism launched the tourism promotional campaign in the state during the Malaysian Tourism Week, which kicked off at the Malaysia Pavilion at the International Exhibition.

Chairman of the Standing Committee for Tourism, Environment, Green Technology and Indigenous Affairs of the Malaysian state of Selangor, Y.

Tuan Hee Loy Sian said that Expo 2020 Dubai is the ideal station for us to announce the return to receive foreign tourists during the next year, adding, "We expect the return of receiving foreign tourists during next February, and currently there is foreign tourism, but in small numbers, as foreign tourists can come and undergo a whole week." From the quarantine on the island of Langkawi, and after the end of the quarantine period, he can travel to any area in Malaysia.”

Sian explained that the state of Siglangor spent a lot of money to support the tourism sector, especially tourism agencies that suffered during the crisis, pointing out that domestic tourism formed a strong support for the hotel sector and the rest of the supporting sectors.

Sian said, the presence of Selangor tourism at Expo 2020 Dubai is very important given the size of the visiting numbers, whether they are local residents or foreigners, as we target them all, and it is an opportunity for us in this global event to get close to them and communicate with them about the state’s tourism plans in addition to its large capabilities and advanced infrastructure that Serving all segments of society.

Sian pointed out that the state aims to focus on eco-tourism in view of Selangor's richness in natural places, large forests, waterfalls and other attractive places that attract local tourists in the UAE and the Arabian Gulf.

Sian pointed out that Selangor is counting on its majestic nature and its attractive heights to provide these areas with all the elements of ecological and environmental tourism and a large number of international hotels that serve all the requirements of Emirati and Middle Eastern tourists.

On safety procedures for tourists, Sian stressed that both Malaysia and the UAE have the largest number of vaccinators, in addition to that, there are health measures that ensure the safety of travelers, noting that the number of Emirati tourists who visited Malaysia in 2020 amounted to about 18,000, while their number in 2019 exceeded 32 thousand Emirati tourists.

Sian expected the return of recording the numbers that were before Covid 19, especially since Selangor attracts Emirati tourists due to the great similarity between the two countries in terms of providing halal food and places of worship, among others, where the Emirati and Gulf tourists do not feel alienated in Malaysia.

It should be noted that Malaysia was recently ranked, for the eighth year in a row, the number one destination for Muslim travelers, based on several factors, for example the availability of halal food, access to prayer facilities, the provision of Muslim-friendly services in hotels, and safety and security in general.

With the increasing number of Muslims traveling around the world, the demand for halal tourism offers is expected to rise dramatically once the travel sector recovers.

Malaysia, for its part, is fully aware of the needs of tourists from the Gulf and thus ensures that halal food is readily available through a range of local and international cuisines, including Arabic.