MOU SIGNING WITH ASTINDO & ASITA ‘THE SERUMPUN ASSOCIATIONS SOLIDARITY IN PROMOTING TOURISM’
KUALA LUMPUR, 21 March 2023 - This signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in the tourism industry between MATTA and The Indonesian Travel Agents Association (ASTINDO) and Association of the Indonesian Tours and Travel Agencies (ASITA) can be advantageous in a number of different ways. By doing so, all concerns will be able to combine their assets and expertise in order to accomplish their shared goals and aims – promoting tourism for both countries.
As for MATTA, we have just recently embarked on a mission to secure an understanding and close working relationship with our European counterparts, particularly with nations such as Switzerland, the Czech Republic, Poland, Estonia, and Finland. This is to assist our members in getting ready for full recovery. We are interested in working together to promote tourism in both of our nations, as well as to share information related to tourist-related issues and conduct information exchanges.
“The signing this morning is crucial for MATTA since, prior to the Covid19 pandemic, Indonesia was our second largest arrival, trailing only Singapore, with 3,623,277 visitors/tourists. Similarly, the Indonesian Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy reports that 2.6 million Malaysian visitors visited Indonesia in 2019. As a result, we anticipate a large rise in arrivals for both countries following this signing” explained Datuk Tan Kok Liang, President of MATTA.
“Our Selangor Chapter held a B2B roadshow in Jakarta, Jogjakarta, and Surabaya late last year. MATTA will continue to hold a series of B2B roadshows to the Sumatera, Java, and Kalimantan islands in the next months. MATTA is also looking forward to the completion of collaborative programmes with both ASTINDO and ASITA. This will be revealed soon.” added Tan.
Overall, MATTA is satisfied with the progress it has made in resuming the tourism industry's recovery at a higher gear and speed for its members. The sooner we can move out of this situation and back to pre-pandemic levels, the better it will be for everyone, especially MATTA members.
The presence of Indonesia's Honourable Minister of Tourism, Bapak Sandiaga Uno, further demonstrates the importance of the Malaysia market to Indonesia. While Malaysians and Indonesians are known as "serumpun," this partnership among us is undoubtedly a step in the right direction. May we achieve what we set to achieve, Insha’Allah.