[ad_1]
PETALING JAYA: The Malaysia Convention and Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB) says it is in the midst of formulating a proposal to reopen the country’s borders to delegations coming to business events from neighboring countries.
In an attempt to stimulate and revitalize the business events industry and economy, he said the proposal involves Singapore delegations meeting in Desaru, Johor, Thai delegates in Langkawi and Brunei officials in Sabah and Sarawak.
In a statement, he argued that any proposal to reopen the nation’s international borders must meet strict SOPs to ensure Malaysia remains a safe destination for business events, also known as meetings, initiatives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE).
Meanwhile, MyCEB CEO Abdul Khani Daud welcomed Putrajaya’s decision to allow commercial events to take place in areas under the conditional movement control order (CMCO).
He said these events could help advance the Ministry of Tourism, Art and Culture’s goal of achieving its tourism recovery goals.
“As an authority, we are also learning to deal effectively with (the pandemic). But, at the very least, we strive to play our role as an active bridge between the government and various ministries for our industry players.
“It is through proactive initiatives such as the ‘Meet in Malaysia’ campaign that we hope to further stimulate the business events segment and help the industry to reactivate its business as soon as possible,” he said.
Malaysia joined other countries around the world to gradually reopen the events industry after months of movement restrictions and lockdown, although the number of attendees at MICE events in CMCO areas is currently limited to 50%.
Khani said that MyCEB will continue to play its role in positioning Malaysia as a hub for business events in Asia, even with the circumstances that the new normal brings.
He added that the office will launch its 10-year strategic marketing plan for 2021 to 2030, with three strategic pillars: optimization, forecasting and competitiveness.
The 10-year plan seeks to expand MyCEB’s performance while showing Malaysia’s strength and opportunities to engage global business event meeting organizers.
