KUALA LUMPUR: Despite uncertainties that still plague the United States economy and the enormous geographical distance, tourism traffic to Malaysia from the United States surged in the first half of 2012. According to Tourism Malaysia's New York office, Malaysia received 119,528 arrivals from the U.S. between January and June of 2012, an 18.9 percent growth over the corresponding period last year. Indeed, this growth was the third highest amongst the top 10 long-haul markets, after France's 20.6 percent (68,530 arrivals) and Russia's 28.2 percent (24,198). In absolute terms, the United Kingdom is, traditionally, the largest source of traffic amongst the long-haul markets; it provided 196,738 arrivals, posting a 5.9 percent growth rate. Juggling with figures, vice-president at the New York office of Tourism Malaysia, Salahuddin Mohd Ariffin, pointed out some characteristics of the American traffic. “Americans visiting peninsular Malaysia tend to spend over a week in Malaysia and, usually, combine it with another destination, possibly Bali or Thailand. “But if an American tourist is visiting Borneo, then he will not, usually, combine it with another destination. “Borneo in itself will consume all his time because of its sheer natural splendor, pristine beaches and wildlife. Americans recognize Borneo as a brand,” Salahuddin said in an interview with Bernama in his New York office. Scuba diving is a favorite past time while vacationing in Borneo. Americans also like to explore city life, try out different cuisines in Borneo, etc. “Sabah and Sarawak are good selling points because of their unique beauty, wildlife, nature, etc.,” Salahuddin said. He pointed out that the latest figures from the Office of Travel and Tourism Industry (OTTI) of the US Department of Commerce revealed that during the first half of the year, some 2.20 million Americans had visited Asia (mainly India, Southeast Asia, including Malaysia, and the Far East) posting a 9.1 percent growth while Europe recorded only 5.6 percent growth in the same period.
