Johor goes all out to meet Chinese tourists target

Johor goes all out to meet Chinese tourists target

The Johor Tourism Department will go all out to achieve its one million Chinese tourist arrivals target this year with six tourism packages being promoted to 243.4 million people in three provinces in China.

Led by state Tourism Committee chairman Datuk Tee Siew Kiong, a group of 15 delegates from the department and industry players embarked on a eight-day Xplore Johor tourism mission to meet their counterparts here between June 23 and June 30.

Tee said Johor tourism industry players had come up with six types of four-day, three-night packages to highlight Johor’s beautiful islands, theme parks as well as splendid shopping experience.

“The family-oriented packages also incorporate sight-seeing and popular spots in Johor, Malacca and Port Dickson and tourists can also opt for packages with visits to Singapore and Indonesia.

“The key point is that they have been packaged in such a way that tourists will start and end their vacations in Johor Baru, boosting the industry in the state,” he said during the promotion day attended by 60 Chinese travel agencies on Friday.

He said with the availability of AirAsia’s new direct flight between Guangzhou and Johor Baru daily, the state government was optimistic about getting a good response for the packages.

“The direct flight has opened a new window for the Johor tourism industry to climb to greater heights as we no longer have to wait for Chinese tourists to come via Kuala Lumpur or Singapore, saving visitors up to three hours of travel time.

“I have personally taken the low-budget flight to Guangzhou with my family and the rest of the delegates and I am glad to say there were no qualms and we arrived ahead of schedule,” he said.

Tee said China was the fourth country to enjoy direct flights to Johor Baru, after Indonesia, Vietnam and Thailand.

“The Xplore Johor promotion in Guangdong, Hei Long Jiang and Shandong provinces with population count of 107.2 million, 38.3 million and 97.9 million respectively is in line with our move towards tapping into second-tier cities,” he added.

He stressed that the state government’s active involvement in promoting the industry had reinforced tourists’ confidence in taking a trip to Johor.

“Our proactive ways of going to the ground to conduct this kind of events have in some ways convinced tourists that we welcome and care for them.

“Besides, we have a lot to offer our tourists, but if we do not show and promote what we have, then it is unlikely for tourists to come to the state, thus this kind of events are important,” he said.

~News courtesy of The Star~

Grab announces new Singapore-JB ride-sharing

Grab announces new Singapore-JB ride-sharing service



Commuters travelling between Singapore and Johor Baru can soon make use of a new cross-border ride-sharing service.

The GrabHitch Johor Baru-Singapore Inter-Country Service will be available from next Monday (June 20), Grab said in a media release on Monday (June 13).

Passengers, who can pre-book rides between seven days and 30 minutes in advance, will be matched with drivers based on similar pick-up and drop-off locations.

A trip between City Square shopping centre in Johor Baru and Woodlands starts from RM9 (S$3) per person, and passengers can opt to pay either in cash or by credit card.

Fares are aimed at offsetting the driver's cost of petrol, and rides will be charged in the currency of the country from which the passenger starts his trip.

The new service is an extension of the carpooling platform, GrabHitch, which was launched last November (2015).

"The high cost of travelling, frequent congestion and lack of point-to-point transportation between Johor Baru and Singapore are compelling reasons for us to introduce the GrabHitch JB-SG service," said GrabHitch head Ngiam Xin Wei.

The Causeway and Second Link are among the busiest land checkpoints in the world, with an estimated 400,000 crossings in both directions daily.

~Straits Times/Asia News Network~

Plans afoot to transform Mersing into Caribbean of the East

Plans afoot to transform Mersing into Caribbean of the East

Plans are already in the pipeline to develop and transform the laid-back Mersing district, located on the north-east of Johor, about 130km from here, into the Caribbean of the East.

Johor Tourism, Trade and Consu­merism Committee chairman Datuk Tee Siew Kiong said the district, blessed with natural richness, had the potential to become one of the leading regional tourist destinations.

He said the state government would look at Thailand and the Maldives which capita­lised on sun, sea and sand to lure tourists.

“We are banking on Mersing’s rich flora and fauna and eco-tourism as the district’s selling points,” he said.

He noted that the Mersing district, located amongst 40 unspoiled islands off the South China Sea and the 200 million-year-old Endau-Rompin National Park, had the right ecosystem to become a regional tourism draw.

Tee was speaking to reporters yesterday after the opening of the RM30mil, 200-room, three-star V8 Hotel at Taman Nusa Bestari here.

He also said he had just returned from a working visit with State Housing and Local Government Committee chairman Datuk Abd Latif Bandi as well as Mersing and Kota Ting­­gi district officers to meet tourism players in the Maldives.

“Its tourism industry is largely driven by the private sector with the island resort opera­tors there working closely to attract tourists from all over the world,” said Tee.

Maldives, he said, received 1.6 million fo­reign tourists annually who enjoyed diving, snorkelling, deep-sea fishing and island-hopping, and 50% of the visitors were from China. 

He added that foreign tourists to Maldives were big spenders and willing to pay for room rates starting from US$500 (RM2,045) per night.

Tee said officials from the state tourism department had also visited Phuket, Krabi and Phi Phi Island in Thailand to study their ways of putting Thai tourism on the map.

“We will continue with promotional efforts to attract more visitors to Mersing.

“With its rich marine habitat, we want to position Mersing as one of the diving spots in the world,” he said.

~News courtesy of The Star~

Johor on Zika alert at entry points

Johor on Zika alert at entry points



A general view shows a notice warning outbound travelers about the Zika virus in the departure lobby of Incheon airport, west of Seoul, South Korea, 11 May 2016. - EPA

All Johor Health Department staff and personnel on duty at entry points have been instructed to scan tourists coming into the state from Zika-infected countries.

Department deputy director Dr Fatimah Othman said the tourists would have their temperature screened and be issued a health alert card that explains the Zika symptoms and urge them to see a doctor if they experience the symptoms.

“We have also put up buntings and banners and distributed flyers at all the international entry points in Johor, warning the people about the Zika virus,” she said in a statement on Monday.

She added that at entry points such as the Sultan Iskandar Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) Complex, thermal scan screenings were available to monitor whether visitors from Singapore have a fever if they fail to inform Immigration or Health Departments personnel.

Dr Fatimah added that they were on high alert following the first Zika case that was reported in Singapore on May 13 after a 48-year-old man tested positive for the virus.

“Although the Singapore Health Ministry has established that it was an imported Zika case and not one that was contracted in the island republic, both Malaysia and Singapore are in close contact to monitor and prevent Zika from spreading,” she added.

She said standard operating procedures have been established since the World Health Organisation issued a warning about the Zika virus in Brazil on Feb 4.

She added all government and private hospitals, district health offices, government agencies and universities were briefed on the virus on Feb 13.

She said as of April 7, 672 tourists who entered Johor from Zika-affected countries were screened but they did not show symptoms of the virus while 5,291 health alert cards were distributed to visitors who had been screened.

“There are also no reported cases of the virus at health clinics," she said.

~News courtesy of The Star~

Expect heavy traffic at checkpoints over May 1 weekend

Expect heavy traffic at checkpoints over May 1 weekend



TRAFFIC is expected to be heavy at both the Woodlands and Tuas land checkpoints over the Labour Day (May 1) weekend, the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) said.

Travellers can expect heavy traffic heading to Malaysia on Friday while arrival volume is likely to be particularly heavy on Monday, ICA added in a statement yesterday.

"Security at our checkpoints remains the ICA's top priority," the authority noted.

The BioScreen system has been implemented at the passenger halls of the land checkpoints to capture the thumbprints of visitors.

Traffic build-up is "inevitable" with security checks in place, ICA said.

"To avoid a surge of travellers and vehicles seeking clearance at the land checkpoints, travellers are advised to adjust their travel plans if possible," it added.

It also reminded travellers to ensure that their passports are valid before their journey. The passports must have a validity of six months or more.

Singaporeans have also presented passports that were previously reported as lost.

These can no longer be used even if they are later found as they have been cancelled by the ICA.

The ICA is also encouraging Singaporean travellers to carpool. Motorists leaving Singapore will be able to check the traffic situation using the Land Transport Authority's Expressway Monitoring & Advisory System (Emas) installed along the AYE and BKE.

Singaporeans, Singapore permanent residents and long-term pass holders are encouraged to use the automated clearance gantries for immigration clearance.

Travellers should also make sure that they are not carrying illegal or prohibited goods. The list of controlled and prohibited items can be found on ICA's website (www.ica.gov.sg).

"We seek travellers' understanding and cooperation when using the land checkpoints during the peak periods," ICA added.

~News courtesy of My Paper~

VEP system to be implemented soon

VEP system to be implemented soon, says Liow

The vehicle entry permit (VEP) system for foreign vehicles entering Malaysia will be implemented this year.

Transport Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai (pic) said the system would be introduced soon but did not give the exact date of implementation as “the final details are being worked out”.

Liow was speaking to reporters after attending the opening of the Road and Belt Initiative – China-Asean International Conference here on Saturday.

The event was opened by Mentri Besar Datuk Mohamed Khaled Nordin.

Also present was Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong.

Liow said the Government was confident that the VEP system would be implemented this year as it had also received good support from Singapore.

~News courtesy of The Star~

China's tourist arrivals in Johor to go up 10% in 2016

China's tourist arrivals in Johor to go up 10% in 2016

The Johor government is confident that tourist arrivals from China to the state can increase by 10% this year through the implementation of e-visa and the electronic travel registration and information (ENTRI).

State Tourism, Trade and Consumerism Committee chairman Datuk Tee Siew Kiong said it welcomed the initiatives as tourists from China formed the third biggest market for Johor.

"The implementation of e-visa and ENTRI will also encourage China's nationals in Singapore to visit Johor.

"It is understood there are about one million of them in Singapore including those doing business, studying or residing permanently in the island state," he told reporters after a dinner with the Cambodia Tour Agents Association (CATA) and Cambodian Chapter of the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) here yesterday.

Malaysia's electronic visa (e-visa) programme and ENTRI were launched by Tourism and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz in Beijing yesterday.

Tee said from the records, 628,087 tourists from China visited Johor in 2014 and 313,939 between January and June, last year. He said with the implementation of e-visa and ENTRI, the state government urged the tourism operators in Johor to take this opportunity by offering suitable tourism packages to attract more tourists from China.

~News courtesy of Bernama~