Malaysia’s Tourism Ministry Wooing Expatriates in West Asia Essay Example

As part of an extensive tourism promotion campaign, Malaysia's Tourism Ministry is making a concerted effort to entice both tourists and expatriates working in West Asian countries.

Minister for Tourism Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor revealed that more than 20 million foreigners work in the Gulf states, and among them, 20% earn over Malaysian ringgit 15,000 every month. This percentage can easily afford to visit Malaysia. As most of these expatriates are from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh, Tengku Adnan expressed his hope that the Malaysian Immigration Department would not classify them as migrant workers searching for employment, but instead as expatriates visiting Malaysia for leisure. Bernama, the Malaysian national news agency reported this. The Minister also cited complaints he had received regarding the issues faced by expatriates from Saudi Arabia at the immigration counters while visiting