Routes Asia 2014 Catalyst for More Tourists From China

Kuching, Malaysia (ots/PRNewswire) -

Sarawak's Minister for Tourism Datuk Amar Abang Haji Abdul Rahman
Zohari bin Tun Datuk Abang Haji Openg will be launching Routes Asia
2014, the largest route development forum for the entire Asia region
in Kuching on March 9 2014.

Datuk Abang Zohari said, "I am happy to launch Routes Asia 2014
and to host members of the regional aviation industry in Kuching. I
hope this will be a start of bigger things to come for Sarawak's
tourism industry."

He added, "The tourism landscape is changing rapidly. China is now
the number one tourism market in the world with the number of Chinese
tourists travelling outside the country hitting 97 million in 2013.
We want to increase the number of Chinese tourists coming into
Sarawak from the 30,000 that we are currently getting now and
hopefully events like Routes Asia will make that happen."

A total of 146 delegates representing 100 airlines and 233
delegates representing 173 airports have so far confirmed their
attendance at the event. The hosting of one of Asia's most important
civil aviation events holds the promise of new routes and air
services into Sarawak's thriving capital and is testimony of the
growing importance of Kuching as an international air hub and
destination.

Hosted by the State Government of Sarawak and co-hosted by
Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad (MAHB), the three-day forum will be
attracting a number of airlines from China including China Southern
Airlines, China Eastern Airlines and Air China. Routes Asia 2014 will
also feature long running airlines such as Singapore Airlines and
Malaysia's national carrier Malaysia Airlines.

Face-to-face Meeting form the core of the event, while a series of
Route Exchange Airline Briefings will be offering offer valuable
insights for those interested in airline financing, new routes'
requirements and new tourism markets. The Routes Asia Strategy Summit
is set to cover some of the major topics affecting the Asia region,
including the Future of LCCs in Asia and Emerging Outbound Tourism
Markets. Speakers at the summit include Azran Osman-Rani, CEO of
AirAsia X, Andrew Cowen, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Hong Kong
Express, Dr. Hugh Dunleavy, Director of Commercial, Malaysia Airlines
and Vijay Poonoosamy, VP International Affairs Etihad amongst others.

For more information on Routes Asia 2014 please go to

http://www.routesonline.com/events/167/routes-asia-2014

About Routes Asia

Routes Asia forms the essential event for all aviation based
companies who wish to conduct business to, from and within the
region. Bringing together a range of airlines, airports and tourism
authorities, including some of the largest carriers from the whole
Asian region, the 12th Routes Asia event in Kuching, Sarawak in 2014
will offer organisation the opportunity to meet with some of the most
influential aviation professionals from across the world.

About Kuching

Kuching is reputed to be one of the most accessible and modern
cities on the island of Borneo. Kuching International Airport, 11
kilometers away from the city center is one of four major airports in
Sarawak (the others being Sibu, Bintulu and Miri) and is the third
largest airport in Malaysia in terms of passenger volume approaching
4.85 million passengers in 2013.

Kuching is also the gateway to the interior of Sarawak, Malaysia's
largest state, which is blessed with natural resources such as
petroleum and gas, rivers for hydropower and seas with abundant
marine life, land for agricultural pursuits such as forestry
(timber), oil palm, sago and pepper and more recently through the
Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy (SCORE) project, industries for
the oil and gas, aluminum and steel sectors.

ots Originaltext: Ministry of Tourism Sarawak, Host of Routes Asia 2014
Im Internet recherchierbar: http://www.presseportal.de

Contact:
For media enquiries, please contact: MARY WAN MERING (Principal
Assistant Secretary), Ministry of Tourism Sarawak , via telephone
+6082
319313 or via email marywan@sarawak.gov.my