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Tuesday September 14, 2010

Malaysia to attract halal restaurateurs from China

SHANGHAI: Malaysia welcomes more halal restaurateurs from China to open outlets in Malaysia. Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen said she had invited the China Cuisine Association to organise delegations from the halal food industry to visit Malaysia to scout for business opportunities.

“I hope the association will send its delegations to participate in our three major food festivals, namely the Malaysian International Gourmet Festival in October; Malaysian Asean Heritage Trail in November and Restaurant & Hawker Food Deliciously 1Malaysia in December,” she said during her meeting with the association’s vice-president Shen Siming over lunch here yesterday.

On Sunday, after officiating the Malaysia Pavilion National Day at the World Expo here, Dr Ng said tourists from China were a high-yield tourism worth tapping. “We have spoken to tour operators to develop very focused tour products. “We know Chinese are high spenders who like to stay in top-class hotels and travel in style; so we are now aiming for this high-end market,” she said.