Malaysia welcomed thousands of visitors on January 1 - the first day of Visit Malaysia Year (VMY 2014).

The visitors, entering Malaysia through 37 entry points across the country, received special receptions from local artists dressed in traditional costumes.

According to Malaysian Secretary General of Tourism and Culture Ong Hong Peng, special ceremonies were held at many airports like the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) and Low Cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT), Penang International Airport, Langkawi International Airport and Kuching International Airport.

According to Ong Hong Peng, the Ministry of Tourism and Culture of Malaysia is targeting 28 million tourists, corresponding to 76 billion RM in tourist receipts for the Visit Malaysia Year 2014 campaign.

As of the end of November 2013, Malaysia received over 200,000 tour bookings from China, Japan, Southeast Asian and European countries, he said, noting that the figure proves the attraction of Malaysia when it offers more than 600 attractive tours packages to the country.

(Source: VNA)