KUALA LUMPUR: With the reopening of borders, tourism players are expecting to see sales turnover of between RM35mil and RM40mil at this year’s Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA)Fair.

       MATTA honorary secretary-general Mohammad Faeez Mohamad Fadhlillah said the association is optimistic that its various holiday and experiential packages will attract travellers and rejuvenate the tourism industry.

       He said MATTA, which has over 3,400 members, is offering attractive deals and promotions for travellers to enjoy visiting top destinations and places of interest.

       Additionally, he said that MATTA Fair visitors will have the opportunity to buy from a wide variety of value-for-money domestic and international holiday packages from over 200 tourism companies.

       The fair will be held at the World Trade Centre (WTC) Kuala Lumpur for two days beginning April 9.

       “We estimate the sales turnover at this MATTA Fair to be from RM35mil to RM40mil.

       “We expect the sales to increase by 20% from MATTA November 2021,” he told a press conference held at Wisma MATTA here yesterday.

       Some 348 booths had been taken up at the fair with the participation of 86 organisations, including 11 state tourism organisations.

       He said that Resorts World Genting (RWG) would be their resorts partner while GOJO, an e-hailing transport company, would be their second-time partner to support domestic tourism.

       RWG senior sales and marketing vice-president Spencer Lee said they were ready to welcome visitors with a variety of offerings and promotions.

       “We are also excited to showcase Genting SkyWorlds – the region’s leading theme park – to the world. We have made the necessary arrangements to welcome visitors from across the region, while working closely with MATTA, Tourism Malaysia and key industry players.

       “We have more than 8,000 employees at the ready, prime and excited to host all our guests at Resorts World Genting,” he added.

       Lee said RWG has seven hotels with a total of 10,000 rooms, and has 138 retail options and over 108 food and beverage outlets.

       It also has five theme parks and family attractions.

       “We are offering up to 40% discount for various hotel stays. It is a destination for everyone,” he added.

       GOJO business head (Malaysia) K. Mathy shared that the e-hailing transport company would offer many incentives for its passengers and drivers.

       For instance, he said, they would provide a 10% discount for MATTA Fair attendees and those who make early bookings until May 9.

       Mathy said GOJO has recorded 160,000 passengers and drivers, as well as 200,000 downloads.

       “Those who download our application and have a ride can get a chance to win an iPhone 13,” he added.

       MATTA assured its visitors that strict compliance to the standard operating procedure will be followed.

       Only fully vaccinated visitors are allowed to enter the premises and they must wear face masks at all times and exercise physical distancing in the halls. This applies to exhibitors’ staff, too.

       Admission to the fair is free and it is open from 9am to 7pm.

       The public can follow them on MATTA Fair official Facebook account @mattafairkualalumpur, Instagram account @mattafair and Twitter account @MATTA_FAIR.