Malaysia a potpourri of Asian culture
Nation is hoping to lure 20 million visitors this year

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — This multiracial nation's tourism tagline is "Malaysia Truly Asia," and true to its slogan, it is home to a unique potpourri of Asian cultures — Malay, Chinese, Indian — along with many indigenous groups on Borneo island.

Malaysia is one of the most pleasant, hassle-free countries to visit in Southeast Asia. Aside from its gleaming 21st century glass towers, it boasts some of the most superb beaches, mountains and national parks in the region.

Malaysia is also launching its biggest-ever tourism campaign in an effort to lure 20 million visitors here this year. More than 16 million tourists visited in 2005, the last year for which complete statistics were available. While the majority of them were from Asia, mostly neighboring Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Brunei, China, Japan and India, a growing number of Western travelers are also making their way to this Southeast Asian tropical paradise. Of the 885,000 travelers from the West, 240,000 were from the United Kingdom, 265,000 from Australia and 150,000 from the U.S.

Deseret News, UT