Berjaya Hotels and Resorts is going all out to woo more Middle East travellers to its properties in Malaysia, including those located on Tioman and Redang islands as well as Langkawi.

Its regional sales and marketing director, Peggy Tan, said.

Middle Eastern tourists were seasoned travellers, eyeing destinations where they could enjoy a total holiday experience.

"We're not only talking about, say, good hotels and accommodation and good airfares here. It has to be a total holiday experience for them.

"And with properties on resort islands, the highlands of Berjaya Hills as well as in Kuala Lumpur, I think we should be able to meet their expectations," she told Bernama on the sidelines of a workshop here on Wednesday, aimed at strengthening business ties with Middle East travel agencies and airline companies.

The event was part of a joint promotional roadshow with Tourism Malaysia, with Kuwait being the next stop.

Tan said the company believed that the Middle East was the key to helping it further boost its presence in the international travel and leisure industry.

She said Berjaya Hotels and Resorts had invested nearly RM66 million in product development and upgrading hotel facilities and would launch new rooms in Redang soon.

In addition, she said, the company has appointed Dubai-based Bizgate Services as its general sales agent for the United Arab Emirates and the Gulf.

"This office will be our eyes and ears that can hopefully spur more business from this region.

"It'll enable us to elevate Berjaya Hotels and Resorts' branding and positioning in the Middle East market," she said.

A member of the Berjaya Corporation Group of Companies, Berjaya Hotels and Resorts is a public listed Malaysian conglomerate managing 15 properties in Malaysia, Singapore, Seychelles, Sri Lanka and the United Kingdom.

Elaborating on the Middle East market, Tan said: "We're realigning our marketing strategies, focusing our efforts on this market. The current downturn will have an impact to a certain extent. But as far as this market is concerned, I think this is a bright spot for us to tap."

Disclosing that Middle East customers chalked up close to 10,000 room nights at Berjaya hotels last year, she said Berjaya would offer more packages developed in collaboration with its travel trade partners.

Being a Muslim country with wonderful culture and a wide array of culinary delights, Tan reckoned that Middle East travellers found Malaysia appealing.

She also commended Tourism Malaysia for having undertaken numerous promotional campaigns in this region to attract more tourists to Malaysia.

Tan said: "We're committed to showcasing Malaysia as a premier holiday destination among Middle East travelers and are going into full gear with Tourism Malaysia in placing Malaysia prominently on the world map.

"The Middle East plays an essential part in helping elevate Berjaya's brand name in the travel industry. And we're certain that our travel trade partners in this region will find our new plans refreshing and exciting."

Lucky workshop participants went home with attractive prizes, courtesy of Berjaya Hotels and Resorts and Tourism Malaysia.