By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, Oct 20: Tourism Malaysia will work closely with cruise chartering travel agencies and industry partners to promote destinations nationwide, attract more international cruise calls, and expand opportunities for shore excursions and pre- and post-cruise travel.
In a Facebook post, Minister of Tourism, Arts, and Culture Malaysia Dato Sri Tiong King Sing said that during his May visit to Shanghai, he visited Adora Cruises’ headquarters and met with its management to explore closer cruise tourism cooperation between Malaysia and China.
He said discussions covered the development of Southeast Asian cruise routes, port facilities and resources, shore excursion products, and regional cultural tourism cooperation.
The visit led to Adora Mediterranea, set to make its maiden call in Penang, with Adora Cruises announcing it will operate eight international voyages from Port Klang between Nov 24 and Dec 19 this year, with itineraries covering Penang, Langkawi, Phuket (Thailand), and Nha Trang (Vietnam).
He said this will further strengthen Malaysia’s position within the regional cruise network while creating more opportunities for local tourism operators to develop cruise packages, shore excursions, and related tourism services.
Tiong added that expanding the cruise tourism market requires close coordination among cruise operators, chartering travel agencies, port operators and tourism promotion agencies.
When planning itineraries and selecting destinations, he said, cruise companies consider factors beyond port facilities and operational requirements, including shore excursion options, visitor experiences, and market demand.
“Moving forward, the Ministry of Tourism, Arts, and Culture, through Tourism Malaysia, will continue working closely with international cruise operators, cruise chartering travel agencies, port authorities, and local tourism industry players to attract more cruise routes and port calls to Malaysia, further strengthening the country’s competitiveness in the international cruise tourism market,” he said. — DayakDaily
