An unprecedented second major aviation disaster in four months could further associate Malaysia with calamity in the eyes of travellers, observers warn, putting the tropical destination’s vital tourism sector at risk. Even before Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 was shot down on Thursday over rebel-held eastern Ukraine in an apparent missile strike, killing all 298 people on board, Malaysian tourism was under a cloud following the MH370 debacle.
Malaysia’s March 8 loss of a jumbo jet with 239 people aboard and its widely mocked response hurt the country’s image worldwide. With most of the passengers on MH370 Chinese, tourist arrivals from China, a key source of visitors on which Malaysia has pinned much of its hopes for further development of the sector, dropped in the aftermath. While the circumstances of the two disasters are markedly distinct, perception is key in branding, and the latest tragedy is expected to complicate efforts to repair Brand Malaysia’s image.
Malaysia’s March 8 loss of a jumbo jet with 239 people aboard and its widely mocked response hurt the country’s image worldwide. With most of the passengers on MH370 Chinese, tourist arrivals from China, a key source of visitors on which Malaysia has pinned much of its hopes for further development of the sector, dropped in the aftermath. While the circumstances of the two disasters are markedly distinct, perception is key in branding, and the latest tragedy is expected to complicate efforts to repair Brand Malaysia’s image.