MATTA Facilitates Bumiputera Tour Operators Through Umrah and Muslim Holidays B2B

Kuala Lumpur, 2 July 2018: The Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) today launched its first B2B Umrah and Muslim Holidays 2018, held at the Sunway Putra Hotel, Kuala Lumpur. With over 30 tour companies and hoteliers from Saudi Arabia sellers in the event, MATTA is taking this opportunity to develop and grow the Umrah travel and to facilitate the business of the Bumiputera tour operators.

MATTA President Datuk Tan Kok Liang said, “The Muslim travel market continues to grow rapidly and evolve amidst a changing business environment. There are about one million pilgrims who perform their Umrah and Haj yearly from the region.”

“In Malaysia, there are 356 licensed travel agencies which offer umrah packages, of which 80 are travel agencies with Lesen Khas Umrah (LKU) Muasassah while another 276 travel agencies are non-Muasassah agents. Out of these numbers, 79 of the LKU travel agencies are MATTA members with 256 MATTA members under non-Muasassah.”

“Today’s MATTA B2B Umrah and Muslim Holidays is conducted in response to the rapid growth of Umrah and Muslim Travel in Malaysian travel industry. It is also to support MATTA members with better understanding of Halal tourism, the needs and expectations, and to enhance the development of Muslim travel tourism products to a higher level in the market.”

“MATTA members are encouraged to study and hold every opportunity to understand on what is needed in selling Muslim Travel products from their counterparts from Midded East.”

Tan added, “As the business grows, MATTA will continue to read of people being cheated for illegal Umrah packages by illegal operators. Enforcement policies need to be revisited and to impose heavier penalties especially on ‘middleman’ cheating Umrah pilgrims while safeguarding the interests of Bumiputera tour operators for the benefit of the industry. We must educate consumers to practise diligence buying such packages. Do a little background search — on the operator, comparing prices of the packages, the difference in visas to ensure that they are not cheated of their life savings.”

“Building confidence and trust in consumers buying behavior, MATTA has dedicated an Umrah Pavilion at Hall 1M to accommodate Bumiputera tour operators specialising in umrah packages with more than 80 booths. As at today, 80% of the booths for Hall 1M has been taken for the upcoming MATTA Fair this September held at Putra World Trade Centre, Kuala Lumpur.” concluded Tan.

DATUK TAN KOK LIANG
President MATTA
Term 2017 - 2019