Selangor chosen as MATTA Fair’s featured destination in September

KUALA LUMPUR: The upcoming Malaysian Association of Tour & Travel Agents (MATTA) Fair 2023 will be returning this September with Selangor as its featured destination.

The 53rd MATTA Fair 2023 which will be held for three days from Sept 1 to 3, at the Malaysian International Trade and Exhibition Centre (Mitec) will feature the collaborative effort between MATTA and Tourism Selangor to promote the state.

MATTA president Nigel Wong said the fair is expected to draw 200,000 visitors and RM70mil in sales for domestic travel.

“This year, MATTA Fair will witness a display of Malaysia’s domestic tourism potential, with Tourism Selangor at the forefront.

“The Tourism Selangor pavilion comprising 34 booths will showcase the diverse attractions, historical sites and vibrant local cultures that make Selangor and Malaysia a must-visit destination for travellers from all around the globe,” he said in a press conference at the MATTA head office here on Wednesday (Aug 9).

Also present at the event was MATTA fair organising committee Datuk Hamzah Rahmat and Tourism Selangor promotion manager Khuzaimah Jamaluddin.

The previous MATTA Fair in March this year, managed to obtain sales worth RM150,000 for the Selangor pavillion.

Tourism Selangor chief executive officer Azrul Shah Mohamad is also targeting 70,000 visitors to its pavilion compared to 30,000 visitors in March.

Azrul said the booths at Tourism Selangor will feature hotel promotions, theme parks, adventure tourism, agro-tourism and many more.

“This year, we are expecting an increase of 10% in sales compared to the last fair in March.

“Among the highlights are a virtual tourism experience using VR 360 technology for visitors to experience travelling to Selangor, its theme parks and ecotourism as well as activities such as chocolate, dim sum and sushi making demonstrations,” he said.

Azrul added that visitors will also be able to participate in Tourism Selangor’s TikTok Challenge where attractive prizes are to be won throughout the three-day travel fair.

Tourism Selangor will be partnering with strategic partner Gamuda Land and 10 key operators namely; GL Play: strategic partner, Chocolate Museum, JumpStreet Asia, Selangor Fruit Valley, GM Klang, Rumah Hutan Terapi Alam, VR 360, Eastin Hotel, Farm Fresh UPM and Selangor Hop On Hop Off Bus at the fair to offer more travel destinations in the state.

Azrul said there will be a double-decker bus on display to promote the Selangor Hop On Hop Off Bus services in the state.

Admission to the fair, which starts from 10am until 9pm, is free.

Wong said that there will be shuttle services to Mitec from Sunway Putra Mall and KL Sentral for visitors.

The national tourism organisations from Turkiye, Guam, India, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Uzbekistan, Tokyo, Philippines and Uganda are expected to participate in the fair this September.

There are five state tourism organisations that will take part in MATTA this year, namely; Putrajaya, Sabah, Sarawak, Selangor and Perak.