Expect the unexpected when it comes to MATTA Fair 2023, which will boast a new venue, a new partner destination and new visitor experience.
That’s the message the Malaysian Association of Tour & Travel Agents (MATTA) is conveying for its upcoming MATTA Fair, set to be held from 17 to 19 March 2023 at the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre (MITEC) in Kuala Lumpur.
“Our MATTA fair this year will be a totally different affair. We’d like to call it a travel funfair,” said this year’s MATTA Fair organising chairman, Rocky Kho. “Previously we had space constraints hence why we focused only on sales and travel packages.”
With MITEC as a new venue offering 30% more space, the 52nd MATTA Fair is on track to be the biggest yet with 37,000sqm n floor space, enabling the organisers to create a more visitor-centric experience that will go beyond travel products and packages.
MATTA Fair, set to be held from 17 to 19 March 2023, will be held at MITEC in Kuala Lumpur.
Visitors can look forward to a distinct experience that showcases cultural, arts and food highlights from participating exhibitors, including state tourism boards and NTOs. MATTA hopes to have visitors stay longer and enjoy a more wholesome experience.
The upcoming fair will also highlight a new destination – Saudi Arabia. “We are extremely excited about this new destination. Saudi Arabia is typically known as an Umrah and Hajj destination, but with Malaysia as among the few countries able to benefit from a one-year multiple entry tourist visa, I am sure many Malaysians – not just Muslims – will not want to miss the opportunity to explore the Kingdom and what it has to offer,” added Kho.
Other partner organisations include Tourism Philippines, Tourism Perak and Taiwan Tourism, Malaysia Aviation Group and Royal Caribbean International.
MATTA is aiming to achieve RM400 million (US$94 million) in sales from this year’s fair and attract 250,000 visitors across the three-day exhibition. Organising committee member Nigel Wong said: “We are doubling our spending on promotion and advertising this year, and are also optimistic on meeting the targets of the fair despite Malaysia and the entire world facing recession this year.”
Malaysia, added Wong, is enhancing its resilience against the expected 2023 economic downturn. “We are in a better position with our political stability and already seeing signs of recovery in the economy, translating to a lot more positive spending by consumers,” he said.