The 14th Routes Forum commences in Kuala Lumpur today with the Malaysian government using the annual aviation event as a platform to put the country’s tourism attractions in the spotlight, Bernama has reported.
Themed “The World Is Coming To KUL”, Routes 2008 will see the “who’s who” of the airline industry arriving in Malaysia, and the country wants to tap into this potential.
Malaysia Airports Holdings General Manager for Marketing, Sallaudin Mohamed Shah, said the event provides great opportunities.
“These are the decision makers of the airlines and they are here for the first time. So we have taken a great leap because Malaysia is renowned as a tourism destination, and we saw the opportunity. The world (is coming) to us,” he told Bernama in an interview.
Malaysian Airports is arranging activities such as the chance to drive at the Sepang motorsport circuit and city tours of Putrajaya and Malacca. It is also organising a golf tournament along with Tourism Malaysia, and providing free “hop-on, hop off” bus passes for KL.
“There are great tourism opportunities that one can savour. That is one unique thing that no other host has done before,” Shah added.