Monday, November 2, 2009

No windfall from Monsoon Cup

No windfall from Monsoon Cup

2009/11/02

By Zainuddin Muhammad

KUALA TERENGGANU: The Monsoon Cup appears to be losing its lustre as a marketing tool in the local business community.

State Tourism Malaysia director Suhaimi Abu Hassan Shari said he was expecting to see hotels, travel agents, eateries, department stores and souvenir shops running promotions.

"After all, the Monsoon Cup is a household name here and more than two billion people in the world have watched the race for the past four years on ESPN and other international television channels."

But he said of all the hotels and resorts here, he knew of only one home-stay establishment wooing tourists to see the action in the richest sailing event in the world.

"I am baffled that most businesses here are not tripping over each other to use the Monsoon Cup in their marketing strategies."

The last leg of the World Match Racing Tour will be held for the fifth time at Pulau Duyong from Dec 1 to 6.

State Tourism, Culture, Arts and Heritage Committee chairman Datuk Za'abar Mohd Adib said the Monsoon Cup was one of many events on the state calendar and the hotels and resorts here had been doing brisk business during the period.

"Perhaps, other businesses are waiting to benefit from the promotions in and out of the country by event manager T-Best Events Sdn Bhd."

Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (Matta) Terengganu chapter chairman Esmadee Endut said the popularity of the Monsoon Cup name had yet to result in increased tourist arrivals.

"Our members do not know what or where the targeted market segment is as the organisers have never included us in their promotional plans," he said.

Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) state chapter secretary Shahril Naelis Amir said some of the larger hotels may not need to run promotions as they know their rooms will be taken up by those associated with the event.

Ali Ghani, a trader at a local bazaar, said when the Monsoon Cup was first introduced in 2005, merchandise was sold out very quickly.

"The event is only a month away but I haven't seen a jump in sales."