During the Holiday Fair Trade Day on 10 January, a festive opening of the Tourism Malaysia stand took place, by none other than the Malaysian Ambassador Roseli Abdul, who officially cut the ribbon. Also present at the booth were representatives of Sabah Tourism Board (Sabah is one of the two Malaysian provinces on the island of Borneo). Everyone who attended the opening was treated to a traditional dance performance and an assortment of tasty Malaysian dishes. In between, there was a draw among the attendees with great prizes, including overnight stays and short stays. 
Despite the fact that the Southeast Asian country is still recovering from the pandemic, visitor numbers are steadily rising again and the Tourism Malaysia team is looking to 2024 with great hope. During this opening, several national parks and destinations were unveiled that will receive extra attention this year. Where the tourist knows how to find the bustling cities or special native orangutans, the tourist board really tries to make special Malaysian niche experiences even more popular. The three highlighted niche tourism segments include Malaysia birdwatching packages, houseboat packages, and archaeotourism and geotourism packages. The featured destinations are Perlis, Endau Rompin, and, in collaboration with the Sabah Tourism Board, the Kinabalu UNESCO Global Geopark. The recognition of the Kinabalu UNESCO Global Geopark places Sabah as the third place in the world with a UNESCO triple crown site. 
Dutch market Ambassador Abdul: ‘The Netherlands is an essential long-haul market, after the UK, Germany and France. Pre-covid, we saw more than 80,000 Dutch people annually, and from February to October 2023, 58,000. A nice number, which we hope to surpass again this year. The Dutch tourist in particular seems to be strongly focused on adventure, new experience and beautiful nature parks and in Malaysia we are blessed with many natural wonders – the country has been recognized as one of the 12 mega-biodiversity countries in the world. So it’s the best place for an eco-adventure.’
Multicultural and affordable What makes Malaysia such a perfect holiday destination for the ambassador? ‘Firstly, the strong multiculturalism: Malaysia is home to three of Asia’s oldest civilisations – the Malay, Chinese and Indian populations – as well as the unique ethnic communities in Sabah and Sarawak. In addition, it is very affordable – you book a five-star hotel under a hundred euros, the lowest price in the world – and everyone speaks good English. And well.. living in Malaysia the nicest people in the world!’
