I was to represent Malaysia?
Wow! “Is this for real?” I asked myself. That’s a real honour, representing
your own country, wasn’t it?
The event was ASEAN Explore
Quest Malaysia 2014 (AEQM). Tourism Malaysia organized it’s second year of the
ASEAN Explore Quest Malaysia after having successfully organizing the same
program last year. It started on the evening of the 13th of November
with a press conference by the Director General of Tourism Malaysia, Datuk Mirza
Mohammad Taiyab at the Sheraton Imperial Hotel in Kuala Lumpur. Also present
was Syed Yahya Syed Othman, Director of Tourism Malaysia – ASEAN sector.
THE Asean Explore Quest Malaysia this year brings together glitzy
personalities from 10 countries in the region. The second installment of the
event sees over 100 participants – comprising regional celebrities, media
members and tour agents – racing through four states in Malaysia.
Much like the previous year, the event melds exploration, homestays and
photography competition into a The Amazing Race-like
experience as participants traverse across some of the country’s top tourist
destinations and perform a myriad of activities.
Participants travel by bus from Kuala Lumpur to Negeri Sembilan and
Johor Bahru, and then proceed to Penang via flight while engaging in the
country’s tourism products.
“We want to create a memorable event for the celebrities, media, travel
agents and tour operators. At the same time, we also want them to have a
first-hand experience of Malaysia,” said Tourism Malaysia director general
Datuk Mirza Mohammad Taiyab, when interviewed by the media.
After the press conference, we attended the official opening and a
hearty dinner whilst being entertained by some cultural performances. Performed
by a troupe from the Negeri Sembilan Cultural Department, the guests were
impressed with the local duo who sang popular songs from all the different
countries, in their own different languages!
Towards the end of the performances, guests and participants were
invited on stage to join in the Malay dance of ‘Joget’, a very upbeat traditional
dance that enthralled both the dancers and the audiences. It was joined by
Datuk Mirza Mohammad Taiyab himself!
No comments:
Post a Comment