2 French travel agencies to support MAS’ upcoming KL-Paris direct flight in March 2025

Tiong (seated centre at the table) photographed during a meeting in Paris.

By DayakDaily Team

KUCHING, Oct 6: Asia Voyages and CFA Voyages, two leading French travel agencies in the Asian tourism market in France and the region, will strongly support Malaysia Airlines’ reopening of direct flights between Kuala Lumpur and Paris in March 2025.

Malaysian Minister of Tourism, Arts, and Culture (MOTAC) Dato Seri Tiong King Sing said he has had separate meetings with Asia Voyages president Guillaume Linton and CFA Voyages chairman Pierre Khamsing during his trip to Paris to attend the 2024 World Tourism Day celebration.

During the meeting, he invited the two travel agencies to send their representatives to Malaysia to experience firsthand the charm of multiculturalism and cultural experiences as a key selling point to promote Malaysian tourism further.

“Additionally, they will strongly support Malaysia Airlines’ reopening of the direct Kuala Lumpur-Paris route next March.

“We also hope that more airlines, including low-cost carriers, will establish direct flights between the two countries. This move will further enhance Malaysia’s tourism promotion in the Asian travel market.

“To this end, I will explore the feasibility of such initiatives with AirAsia X and Batik Air,” he said in a statement last night (Oct 5).

Asia Voyages alone has collaborated with 3,500 agencies in France and the region, targeting a European market worth over 300 million euros (€300 million) for Asian tourism.

Regarding the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs ongoing travel ban on Sabah, Tiong said that he had informed the travel agencies of the latest developments concerning the safety of tourism in Sabah, as well as Malaysia’s efforts to improve the local tourism industry and safeguard the safety of tourists.

“This includes exploring mandatory insurance coverage for inbound tour operators for the tourists they receive,” he added. — DayakDaily