Sep 06, 07 | 1:59 am
Malaysia's tourism minister Thursday said 2007 tourist arrivals would exceed expectations, and advised tour operators to "cool off" as the nation was running out of hotel rooms.
Malaysia launched a major campaign to attract visitors on the 50th year of its independence, but the marketing blitz appears to have been too successful.
Tourism Minister Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor said almost all hotel rooms were booked in and around the capital until October.
Popular tourist spots Penang, Langkawi island and eastern Sabah state were also fully booked.
"These are the places the tourists want to be and it looks like we have no choice but to advise the tour operators to cool off," he said.
"Much of the problems are caused by the fact that many tourists are over-extending their stays here."
Tengku Adnan said the country was likely to exceed its tourism arrival target of 20.1 million visitors this year.
"I believe by December, we will have at least 24 million tourists visiting us," he said, adding that so far, the immigration ministry has reported more than 13.5 million arrivals.
Faced with growing regional competition for the tourist dollar, Malaysia spent 200 million ringgit (59 million dollars) during "Visit Malaysia Year 2007" to boost tourism, the nation's second-largest foreign exchange earner.
Malaysia will celebrate its independence day on August 31.
The country received 17.5 million visitors in 2006.
Officials said they hope for 44.5 billion ringgit in tourism receipts this year. Tengku Adnan said they have achieved half that amount so far.
Source: Sydney Morning Herald/AFP
