Malaysia targets 300,000 tourist arrivals from the United Kingdom this year, said Tourism Malaysia director (UK and Ireland) Abdul Rauf Hassan. He said the target could be achieved, as 274,000 tourist arrivals had been recorded from the UK till September. "Last year, tourist arrivals from UK numbered 272,000. This year we project the number will reach 300,000," he told reporters when met at Tourism Malaysia's booth, known as the Malaysia Pavilion, at the World Travel Market (WTM) exposition at the ExCel Centre.

Abdul Rauf said the many promotion activities done by Tourism Malaysia especially in conjunction with the Visit Malaysia Year coupled with the many travel road shows undertaken by it had attracted many UK tourists to come to Malaysia. He all states in Malaysia should participate in such activities so as to promote them to foreign tourists. "As a by product they can also attract investors to their respective states," he said.

Abdul Rauf said for the WTM this year, apart from Malaysia Airlines, Air Asia, Sepang International Circuit, hotel operators and tour agencies, only six states - Kedah (Langkawi Geopark), Selangor, Perak, Penang, Terengganu and Sabah - took part. He added that Tourism Malaysia targeted at least 50,000 people to come and visit the Malaysia Pavilion.