Endangered proboscis monkey is official mascot for Visit Malaysia Year 2014
PETALING JAYA: The proboscis monkey, also known as the long-nosed monkey, will be the official mascot for Visit Malaysia Year (VMY) 2014.
Tourism Malaysia, in a statement Friday, said the Ministry of Tourism & Culture Malaysia chose the proboscis monkey as it “encapsulated the essence of Malaysia Truly Asia”.
This proboscis monkey belongs to the Asian langurs and is the only member of the Nasalis genus.
They are primarily found in Borneo, particularly in Sabah, and are one of the most endangered animals in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species
In the past, the orang utan, leatherback turtle and hornbill have been used to promote Visit Malaysia Year and state-level tourism campaigns.
Unlike other wildlife species that are scattered around the country, proboscis monkeys are mostly concentrated in Kinabatangan, Sukau, Sandakan, Klias and other parts of Sabah.
“Like the diversity encapsulated in the Malaysia Truly Asia branding, proboscis monkeys also possess diverse skills.
“They frequently leap from tree limbs and hit the water with a comical belly flop, as well as attract their mate with their unusually large and long nose.
“The proboscis monkey also has webbed feet, which enable it to swim.”
Meanwhile, in Kunming city in China, Tourism Malaysia Chairman Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen urged her overseas directors to focus on the VMY 2014 promotions with special emphasis on mega events that were highly saleable to the East Asia market.
She made this call to Tourism Malaysia’s overseas directors, deputy directors and marketing managers of the East Asian market during the Overseas Directors Regional Meeting which was held in Kunming City, China. Also present was Tourism Malaysia Deputy Director General, Datuk Azizan Noordin.
“The meeting, coinciding with the China International Travel Mart (CITM) 2013, was organised to evaluate the overall performance for 2012 and the first of half of 2013 as well as to study the changing trends of the respective markets and the implication of the implementation of the China Tourism Act, which was expected to affect China outbound travel,” said Dato’ Seri Dr. Ng Yen Yen.
Among the Tourism Malaysia Chairman’s key messages to her officers were to embark on more joint promotions with corporate and private sectors as well as tour operators in the region including the airlines in an effort to improve connectivity.
“In fact, proboscis monkeys are fairly good swimmers. Naturally, they have always been crowd pullers, especially for eco-adventure tourists who would not miss a chance to catch a glimpse of this monkey.”
In the statement, Tourism Malaysia said the use of the proboscis monkey as the mascot for VMY 2014 would give credence and recognition to wildlife as well as instil interest among tourists to appreciate nature as a national tourism asset.
“In addition, having the proboscis monkey as the mascot will also elevate Malaysia in the eyes of the world, by promoting its nature and wildlife conservatory initiatives through tourism,” it said.
Source: The Star
