KUALA LUMPUR, 15 June 2016: Malaysia’s mid-year nationwide shopping extravaganza kicked off today with the launch of 1Malaysia Mega Sale Carnival 2016 at Avenue K shopping mall in conjunction with itsAidilfitri Celebration.

Jointly organised by Tourism Malaysia and Avenue K, the launch of 1Malaysia Mega Sale Carnival was officiated by Director General of Tourism Malaysia, Y.Bhg. Datuk Seri Mirza Mohammad Taiyab.

The carnival takes place concurrently with 1Malaysia Unified Sale organised by Ministry of Domestic Trade, Co-operatives and Consumerism, which is participated not only by industry players from the shopping and retail sector but also from other sectors including banking, spa, hotel, transportation and telecommunication. There are 15,958 branches from 3,424 companies nationwide participating in this sales campaign.

FESTIVE SPENDING SPREE

Taking place from today until 31 Aug, the 1Malaysia Mega Sale Carnival is set to entice domestic shoppers to celebrate the upcoming Hari Raya in style with numerous exciting deals, super discounts and in-store redemptions up for grabs, as well as to attract foreign tourists to indulge in a marvellous shopping experience while spending their summer holidays in this country.

Most of the shopping malls in Malaysia are taking part in the carnival, offering huge bargains that are hard to resist as well as line-ups of themed events and fun-filled activities relating to dining, entertainment and leisure.

Shoppers can get the best out of shopping in Malaysia by following Miss SHOPhia, Malaysia’s ultimate shopping icon. Miss SHOPhia is the shopping companion who will guide and update shoppers on shopping locations, happenings and trends through her Facebook (facebook.com/missshophia), Instagram (@miss_shophia) and Twitter (twitter.com/missshophia).

Adding to its Aidilfitri celebration promotion, Avenue K is organizing a ‘Hunt for Miss SHOPhia’ online contest that runs from 1 July to 31 Aug. The contest requires participants to look for Miss SHOPhia in any installation display at Avenue K and snap photos of them and the icon in their unique styles. Photos should be uploaded to Instagram using the hashtag #AKMS2016, #AvenueKMY and #1Malaysiamegasale2016.

Kuala Lumpur Fashion Week Ready To Wear 2016 is among the event highlights that will be organised in conjunction with 1Malaysia Mega Sale Carnival. The event, a business-to-consumer (B2C) platform for Malaysian designers to promote their ready to wear collections to local and international audience, will be held at Pavilion Kuala Lumpur on 17-21 Aug, featuring runway-worthy looks from more than 80 designers.

FAST FACTS

1. Shopping is one of the most lucrative sectors of the Malaysian tourism industry. It has been included in the Tourism National Key Economic Areas (NKEA) with 12 Entry Point Projects (EPPs). Three of these EPPs are related to shopping:-

•EPP 1: Positioning Malaysia as a duty-free shopping destination.

•EPP 3: Establishing new premium outlets in Malaysia namely Johor Premium Outlet, Mitsui Outlet Park, Freeport A Famosa Outlet and Genting Premium Outlet.

2. In 2015, shopping expenditure constituted RM21.6 billion or 31.3% of the total tourist receipts of RM69.1 billion. It was the first time that the shopping component surpassed the accommodation component and became the biggest contributor to the country’s tourism income.

3. To date, Kuala Lumpur has won several international shopping awards including the World’s 5th Best Shopping Destination by Expedia UK in 2016 and the 2nd Best Shopping Destination 2015 for Muslims in the OIC Destination based on CrescentRating and MasterCard Muslim Travel Shopping Index.

For more information, kindly contact:

Baizuri binti Baharum
Head, Secretariat Shopping Malaysia
Tel: +603-88918469
Email: baizuri@tourism.gov.my

ENDS

For more media releases, media info and media features on Malaysia’s tourism industry, kindly visit the Media Centre of Tourism Malaysia’s website at http://www.tourismmalaysia.gov.my/

MALAYSIA TOURISM PROMOTION BOARD OR TOURISM MALAYSIA is an agency under the Ministry of Tourism & Culture, Malaysia. Tourism Malaysia focuses on the specific task of promoting Malaysia at all levels. Since its inception, Tourism Malaysia has grown by leaps and bounds and it has emerged as a major player in the international tourism scene. In 2015, Malaysia registered 25.7 million tourist arrivals and RM69.1 billion in receipts.

Through the Tourism NKEA (National Key Economic Area), collaborative efforts between the Ministry of Tourism and Culture, other Government agencies and the private sector have been enhanced to help secure Malaysia’s position as a leading tourist destination and achieve the country’s target of 36 million tourist arrivals and RM168 billion in receipts by 2020.

The targets set under the Tourism NKEA will be achieved through the implementation of twelve Entry Point Projects (EPPs) clustered under five themes: Affordable Luxury; Nature Adventure; Family Fun; Events, Entertainment, Spa and Sports; and Business Tourism.

Press contact:

Media Relations Unit:

Shukri Hanafiah, Senior Deputy Director, Corporate Communication Division
Tel: +603-8891 8767
Email: shukrihanafiah@tourism.gov.my

Editorial Unit:

Anis Rozalina Ramli (Ms), Senior Editor, Corporate Communication Division
Tel: +603-8891 8759
Email: anisramli@tourism.gov.my