KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 9 — The upcoming Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (Matta) Fair is expected to generate RM25 million in sales turnover and attract a total of 20,000 visitors.

Its president Datuk Tan Kok Liang said the fair would be held with strict adherence to the standard operating procedure (SOP) from November 20 to 21 at the World Trade Centre (WTC), here.

Tan said visitors planning to visit the Matta Fair should also avoid bringing young children along as advised by the Ministry of Health.

"We will only allow visitors who are fully vaccinated in, they must wear a face mask at all times and keep a physical distance while there will be crowd control measures as a limited number of visitors are allowed at any one time,” he added.

Tan said the fair would focus on promoting Sabah as a favourite destination and this was the third time that Sabah had been selected as Malaysia’s Favourite Destination for the Matta Fair after the Matta Fair in September 2015 and March 2019.

"As the largest state tourism pavilion with 12 booths at the Matta Fair 2021, the Sabah Tourism Board (STB) will promote to the visitors, a wide variety of the state’s tourism products ranging from heritage and culture, scenic island visits, scuba diving, jungle trekking, birdwatching, adventure to attractions that are top notch and of good value.

"This will be a great opportunity for holiday seekers to meet representatives from the Sabah Tourism Board and travel agents at the Sabah Pavilion for the state’s unique and exciting attractions,” Tan said at a virtual press conference today.

Meanwhile, Sabah Tourism Board chairman, Datuk Joniston Bangkuai said after a long halt due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Sabah was very honoured to be designated as Malaysia’s Favourite Destination.

Joniston, who is also Sabah assistant minister of tourism, culture and environment, said as Malaysia’s Favourite Destination, STB would be setting up a pavilion in Hall 4 with 12 booths during the two-day fair.

"Sabah is blessed with an enchanting array of natural wonders, from our signature attractions of Mount Kinabalu, which is Malaysia’s first Unesco World Heritage Site, and National Geopark that will soon be an aspiring Unesco Global GeoPark; Danum Valley, a 130 million-year-old virgin rainforest; Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre, the largest orangutan rehabilitation centre in the world, to Sipadan island, one of the world’s top dive sites.

"There is also cultural immersion through rural and community-based tourism such as at Kadamaian village, the recipient of an international accolade for Asean Community-Based Tourism Standard 2019-2021 at the Asean Tourism Ministers’ Conference 2019 in Hanoi, Vietnam,” he said. — Bernama