From 3-6 October, over 20 countries attended the International Tourism and Culture Exhibition and Conference (Intac) 2024, held the World Trade Centre in Kuala Lumpur. The main aim of Intac 2024 was to promote tourism while celebrating cultural diversity in Malaysia. To that end, the show included six nations that staged unique cultural performances from around the world.
“Countries such as Argentina are attending for the first time,” said Intac chairman Datuk Rosle Jaamat in a press conference in the run-up to the event. “Mexico is sending a cultural troupe for performances, heightening the excitement,” he added.
Sure enough, the four-day event drew expectant crowds of around 100,000 visitors, who were dazzled by cultural showcases, performances and presentations from around 700 exhibitors. Through a packed schedule of stage shows and enriching conference sessions, the event helped to build new tourism networks, while also celebrating the richness of each destination.
The major highlight of the festivities was a series of cultural performances by acts from Kenya, Mexico, Yemen and the Bajau Suluk ethnic group from Sabah. The show also included a two-day International Tourism Conference, co-organised by the Madani Research Centre and the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUMT).
Intac 2024 provided a meeting point for international tourism industry leaders, cultural enthusiasts and tourism experts. Together, these participants were able to exchange insights into travel trends from around the world, forge new partnerships and drive innovations in sustainable tourism with an emphasis on the preservation of cultural heritage.
In 2023, Malaysia welcomed 20.1 million international visitors, eclipsing the original target of 16.1 million arrivals. This year, the country has set its sights on 27.3 million tourists, who are projected to bring in RM102.7bil in tourism revenue.
Malaysia’s meteoric rise on the international tourism stage makes it the ideal host for this year’s event, which also welcomed countries such as Bangladesh, Bhutan, Bosnia, France, Georgia, Indonesia, Iraq, Kenya, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Palestine, Peru, Yemen, Zambia, Saudi Arabia, Australia and Thailand. Indonesia was named the ‘featured guest country’ at Intac 2024. With 20 booths across 172 sqm, Indonesia had the largest international presence at the show.
The event was also endorsed by a number of prominent governing bodies, including the Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry and key agencies such as Tourism Malaysia, the Malaysian Handicraft Development Corporation, the Langkawi Development Authority, the Malaysian Timber Industry Board, the Bumiputera Tourism Operators Association of Malaysia, the Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau and Kuala Lumpur City Hall.
Also present during the press conference were Madani Research Centre chief executive officer Mohd Azmi Mat Nayan, Bumiputera Tourism Operators Association president Wan Muhamad Adam and IIUM Department of Tourism assistant professor Nur Shuhadah Mohd.
