Routes Asia 2014 Catalyst for More Tourists From China

PR56016

KUCHING, Malaysia, Feb. 28/PRN=KYODO JBN/ --

    Sarawak's Minister for Tourism Datuk Amar Abang Haji Abdul Rahman Zohari

bin Tun Datuk Abang Haji Openg will be launching Routes Asia 2014, the largest

route development forum for the entire Asia region in Kuching on March 9 2014.

    Datuk Abang Zohari said, "I am happy to launch Routes Asia 2014 and to host

members of the regional aviation industry in Kuching. I hope this will be a

start of bigger things to come for Sarawak's tourism industry."

    He added, "The tourism landscape is changing rapidly. China is now the

number one tourism market in the world with the number of Chinese tourists

travelling outside the country hitting 97 million in 2013. We want to increase

the number of Chinese tourists coming into Sarawak from the 30,000 that we are

currently getting now and hopefully events like Routes Asia will make that

happen."

    A total of 146 delegates representing 100 airlines and 233 delegates

representing 173 airports have so far confirmed their attendance at the event.

The hosting of one of Asia's most important civil aviation events holds the

promise of new routes and air services into Sarawak's thriving capital and is

testimony of the growing importance of Kuching as an international air hub and

destination.

    Hosted by the State Government of Sarawak and co-hosted by Malaysia

Airports Holdings Berhad (MAHB), the three-day forum will be attracting a

number of airlines from China including China Southern Airlines, China Eastern

Airlines and Air China. Routes Asia 2014 will also feature long running

airlines such as Singapore Airlines and Malaysia's national carrier Malaysia

Airlines.

    Face-to-face Meeting form the core of the event, while a series of Route

Exchange Airline Briefings will be offering offer valuable insights for those

interested in airline financing, new routes' requirements and new tourism

markets. The Routes Asia Strategy Summit is set to cover some of the major

topics affecting the Asia region, including the Future of LCCs in Asia and

Emerging Outbound Tourism Markets. Speakers at the summit include Azran

Osman-Rani, CEO of AirAsia X, Andrew Cowen, Deputy Chief Executive Officer,

Hong Kong Express, Dr. Hugh Dunleavy, Director of Commercial, Malaysia Airlines

and Vijay

Poonoosamy, VP International Affairs Etihad amongst others.

                For more information on Routes Asia 2014 please go to

               http://www.routesonline.com/events/167/routes-asia-2014

    About Routes Asia

    Routes Asia forms the essential event for all aviation based companies who

wish to conduct business to, from and within the region. Bringing together a

range of airlines, airports and tourism authorities, including some of the

largest carriers from the whole Asian region, the 12th Routes Asia event in

Kuching, Sarawak in 2014 will offer organisation the opportunity to meet with

some of the most influential aviation professionals from across the world.

    About Kuching

    Kuching is reputed to be one of the most accessible and modern cities on

the island of Borneo. Kuching International Airport, 11 kilometers away from

the city center is one of four major airports in Sarawak (the others being

Sibu, Bintulu and Miri) and is the third largest airport in Malaysia in terms

of passenger volume approaching 4.85 million passengers in 2013.

    Kuching is also the gateway to the interior of Sarawak, Malaysia's largest

state, which is blessed with natural resources such as petroleum and gas,

rivers for hydropower and seas with abundant marine life, land for agricultural

pursuits such as forestry (timber), oil palm, sago and pepper and more recently

through the Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy (SCORE) project, industries

for the oil and gas, aluminum and steel sectors.

    SOURCE: Ministry of Tourism Sarawak, Host of Routes Asia 2014