_A Monitor Report
Dhaka : Familiarisation (FAM) trips and promotions pay off in the long run. Malaysia Airlines heavily practised it here and saw passenger numbers to Malaysia going up tenfold in 10 years.
MAS is now promoting Bangladesh in Malaysia, becoming the first airline to do so. The airline hopes for a similar growth in the flow of Malaysian tourists to Bangladesh.
"Only 10,000 Bangladeshis visited Malaysia in 2000. This number has risen to 100,000 now. Most of them were carried by us. Nine thousand Malaysians travelled to Bangladesh in 2009," Nur Shaffik Haris, Area Manager, Bangladesh, Malaysia Airlines, hoping for a similar growth in numbers, said "Numbers can multiply very fast with everyone's efforts."
A delegation of travel agents, tour operators and travel media visited Bangladesh from June 25 to 27 on a familiarisation trip. The results have been immediate.
Their counterparts in Bangladesh are already receiving enquiries, he informed.
"Malaysian love shopping and so we are promoting Bangladesh as a shopping destination. We also highlighted historical and modern attractions during their visit."
"The team members came with one piece of baggage, spent their money in the markets and went back with several pieces each.
They appreciated the quality of garments very much. Earlier Malaysians went to countries like Indonesia. Now they will consider coming to Bangladesh," the MAS Area Manager hoped.
Nur Shaffik Haris said, "The recent visit by Dato' Bernard Francis, Senior General Manager, Sales and Marketing, Malaysia Airlines to Bangladesh opened the eye of the management. He gave the nod to the Dhaka and Kuala Lumpur teams to make this FAM trip possible."
"The perception of the members of the Malaysian delegation changed after their visit. It was like an eye opener for them to see Bangladesh. They looked at different aspects of life first hand. The reality was better than they thought, imagined or heard."
During their short stay, they went round Lalbagh Fort, Shaheed Minar, Curzon Hall, Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban, Kurmitola Golf Club, shopped at Bango Bazar, New Market, beside Dhaka College, Aarong, Artisan, Basundhara City Shopping Mall, visited Pan Pacific Sonargaon, Radisson Water Garden, Dhaka Regency, Ascott the Residence as well as the Town Office of Malaysia Airlines. They found it was safe to be in Dhaka, he said adding, "We also took Dato' Bernard around Dhaka on a similar itinerary."
The delegation members opined that the product can be better if the infrastructure improves so that it is easy to go from one place to another, or to combine visits to places outside Dhaka, like Chittagong, Cox's Bazar, St Martins Island, Sylhet.
"You have to visit places outside Dhaka to experience the real beauty of Bangladesh. Team members enquired about train connections, boat (river vessel) timings," he informed.
Nur Shaffik Haris disclosed that its passenger mix from Bangladesh has also changed_ only 20 per cent is now workers and the rest 80 per cent leisure and business travellers.
He thanked hotels Pan Pacific Sonargaon, Radisson Water Garden, Dhaka Regency, Ascott the Residence, travel agencies and tour operators Oasis Tours, Sky Holidays, Discovery, Haji, Galaxy, Travelcare for their wholehearted cooperation in making this FAM trip possible.
He felt easing of the visa process and the cooperation of Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism, Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation (BPC) as well as of hotels, travel agencies, tour operators outside Dhaka would greatly help in taking Malaysian FAM groups across Bangladesh.
Tourism is important to a country's economy. It is the third highest money earning sector for Malaysia and Bangladesh could achieve the same with the needed steps, he said.
"Things (promoting Bangladesh in Malaysia) have started and we hope it will continue," Nur Shaffik Haris concluded.
Besides organising the FAM trip, Malaysia Airlines is also highlighting Bangladesh in its inflight magazine "Going Places."
The June 2010 issue of the magazine included Buddhist ruins on its cover and four-page photo-feature "Sinar Bangladesh" in Bhasha Malaysia.
