While the country’s flag carrier has taken a beating Tan Kok Liang, the vice-president of the Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents, said agencies are hoping tourists will continue to visit the country on different airlines.
“Our outlook is that the average tourist will still want to come to Malaysia. The latest incident has got nothing to do with the safety of Malaysia and there is no reason why people will stay away,” he said.
That seems to bear out with foreign travellers arriving at Kuala Lumpur International Airport after the latest incident; with most saying they were mostly unperturbed.
“Sadly there is a lot of scepticism about coming to Malaysia … This is my first time. I came because I am attracted to its multi-cultural society,” Alfred McDonnell, a 60-year-old American teacher, told AFP.
