MARY KAY INC. ANNOUNCES AWARDS, MILESTONES, AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS FROM FULL-YEAR 2022

DALLAS, Dec 29 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) — Cue the pink fireworks: Mary Kay Inc. is celebrating its annual accomplishments.Throughout 2022, the iconic global entrepreneurship company has furthered its innovations in skin science, continued its sustainability and social impact efforts and garnered prestigious awards for its business and leadership. It’s a thing of beauty—and proof that the nearly 60-year-old brand continues its leadership position for women around the world.

Below are some select accomplishments from throughout 2022. Click here to see the full list.

ETHOS & ECOSYSTEM: BUSINESS EXCELLENCE

A Great Place to Work

· Resume.io published a list of “The Companies Employees Don’t Want to Leave,” ranking Mary Kay #8. Other companies included: Virgin Atlantic, Merck & Co., and Thomson Reuters.
· Mary Kay received four top employer awards throughout Europe and Malaysia from Kincentric.
· Mary Kay was named one of America’s Best Midsize Employers 2022 by Forbes.
· Deloitte named Mary Kay one of the 2022 US Best Managed Companies.
· Mary Kay China was named “Best Employer of the Year” by Yidian Zixun.
· Mary Kay China was awarded the “Excellent Cases of Business Innovation in China from 2021 to 2022” at the 9th China Business Innovation Conference for the Mary Kay Beauty Consultant as a contemporary model of flexible earning opportunity.
· Mary Kay China was awarded the “Best Career Development Platform Employer” by China Business Journal.
· Mary Kay China was featured as a DEI practice case in “Driving DEI, Best Practices Guide 2022” compiled by Page Group in collaboration with sHero.
· Mary Kay China was awarded the “Best Companies Prime Employers for Women” Award from sHero.
· Mary Kay Poland was named one of Poland’s “Best Employers for 2022” by Financial Magazine.
· Mary Kay Czech Republic / Slovakia received the “Best Employer” designation by the Kincentric Best Employers Program.
· Mary Kay Belarus received the “Direct Sales Cosmetic Company Number One Award” from the “Number One” Belarusian annual national awards.
· Mary Kay Spain received the “Best Employer” designation by the Kincentric Best Employers Program.
· Mary Kay Europe received the “Best Employer” designation by the Kincentric Best Employers Program.
· Mary Kay Malaysia received the “Best Employer” designation by the Kincentric Best Employers Program.

Organizational Effectiveness

· Deborah Gibbins, Chief Operating Officer, expanded her role in operations to support the company’s digital strategy to be a more technology-enabled business with all IT functions now reporting to her.
· Nathan Moore was appointed to the newly-created role of President, Global Sales and Marketing, and has assumed responsibility for all Mary Kay markets around the world supporting the Mary Kay Independent Beauty Consultants.
· Chaun Harper expanded his role to Chief Supply Chain Officer with additional responsibilities for direct procurement and contract manufacturing functions.
· Dr. Lucy Gildea expanded her role to Chief Innovation Officer, Product and Science. Her additional duties include new product development, product portfolio strategy and planning, process development & commercialization (PrD&C), package engineering (PE), and R&D Compliance.

Leadership Recognition

· David Holl, Chief Executive Officer, received the Bravo Leadership Award from Direct Selling News.
· Julia Simon, Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary received the Robert H. Dedman Award for Ethics & Law from the Texas General Counsel Forum. Simon also serves as Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer.
· Sheryl Adkins-Green, Chief Experience Officer, was selected as Dallas 500 by D CEO recognizing influential leaders in North Texas.

Science Behind the Beauty

· Six recipients from around the world received grants created to elevate young women in STEAM fields and encourage them to continue their passions and career pursuits.
· Mary Kay, in partnership with the Society for Investigative Dermatology, awarded four skin health/skin disease research grants to female researchers.
· Mary Kay received the Gold Stevie award for “COVID: Most Valuable Product” for its hand sanitizer at the 20th Annual American Business Awards.

Digital Innovation

· Mary Kay® App was named a finalist in the Technology Innovation category by the Direct Selling Association.
· Mary Kay China RC Store was a featured business case in the “Bridging the Gender Divide in the Digital Age” research jointly initiated by the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization.

PURPOSE & SOCIAL IMPACT: CATALYST FOR CHANGE

Women’s Empowerment & Equality

· Supported by Mary Kay, International Telecommunication Union held an open innovation competition where an expert jury selected 10 digital best practices and digital solutions to create a more gender-inclusive eco-system for start-ups and scale-ups to address the many obstacles women entrepreneurs face in developing technologies.
· Mary Kay China initiated the “Pearl Retrieval Project” which is dedicated to helping girls from disadvantaged backgrounds complete their high school education by receiving quality and equal educational opportunities.
· Mary Kay China Independent Beauty Consultants were awarded the “Women’s Power” award by the Chinese internet company, Sohu.com.
· Deborah Gibbins delivered remarks at an event organized by the Women’s Entrepreneurship Accelerator (WEA) in Geneva (Switzerland), titled “Gender Inclusive Innovation Ecosystems.”
· Julia Simon served as a judge during the We Empower UN SDG Challenge Pitch Night – hosted by Diane von Furstenberg at her New York studio in September. Co-led by Vital Voices and the Global Futures Laboratory at Arizona State University, the competition recognizes five women entrepreneurs advancing the SDGs in their communities and provides awardees with capacity-building training sessions and connections with business experts from around the world. The 2022 winner was Yetunde Ayo-Oyalowo, the founder of Market Doctors, an organization that provides healthcare to over 120,000 people across 12 states in Nigeria.
· Supported by Mary Kay, International Telecommunication Union developed a project to address the gender digital skills gap by providing women and girls access to free, high-quality learning modules required to advance in the digital economy.
· Mary Kay announced the outcomes of the SDG Pilot Village Project in China (2017-2021) with the release of an Impact Report on Phase I, a video, and a blog post. The SDG Pilot Village Project was established in Waipula, China, by Mary Kay, the United Nations Development Programme , the China International Center for Economic and Technical Exchanges, the China Women’s Development Foundation, and local partners.
· The SDG Pilot Village Project was a finalist for the Reuters Events Responsible Business Awards under the “SDG Pioneer Award” category.
· The Women’s Entrepreneurship Accelerator (WEA), established by Mary Kay in collaboration with six United Nations agencies, announced the launch of the first-ever free online Entrepreneurship Certificate Programme developed by International Trade Centre (ITC) SheTrades.
· Mary Kay China and the Mary Kay Women’s Entrepreneurship Program’s donation of 10 million RMB has provided loans to over 46,157 women entrepreneurs in 23 provinces in China to support their businesses and increase the income of over 84,000 women. The program will transition into the Mulan Acceleration Plan and incorporate capability building in addition to traditional business loans.
· Mary Kay supported the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE) World Series of Innovation (WSI) for the 2021-22 school year. Twenty-one teams of emerging social entrepreneurs won a total of $16,800 for their proposed solutions to WSI’s seven challenges, each of which focuses on advancing an SDG. Supporters of the seven innovation challenges included: Bank of the West, Citi Foundation, Mary Kay, Saint-Gobain North America, Ernst & Young, LLP (EY), Maxar Technologies, and PIMCO.
· International Labour Organization (ILO) and WEA released a Women’s Entrepreneurship Development (WED) Assessment in Mexico powered by Mary Kay, titled “Evaluación de las condiciones marco para el desarrollo empresarial de la mujer, Sectores de comercio e industria en la Ciudad de México.”

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI)

· Mary Kay’s Legal Department was awarded the Magna Stella Award for its DEI efforts by the Texas General Counsel Forum.
· Mary Kay China received the Prime Employer for Women Gold Award and Driving DEI China Best Practices Award at the 2022 sHero Awards Ceremony
· Through its partnership with the Equal Rights Trust, Mary Kay helped jumpstart the “Algorithmic Discrimination Initiative”, a new research and advocacy program to gather evidence on patterns of discrimination arising from the use of artificial intelligence and algorithmic decision-making systems.
· At the SCC75 Annual Meeting of the Society of Cosmetic Chemists (SCC), Ms. A’Lelia Bundles, the great-great-granddaughter of Madam C.J. Walker, and Michelle Hines, Ph.D., Director of Product Formulation at Mary Kay, presented the Madam C.J. Walker Scholarshipsfor under-represented minority students pursuing higher education in STEM disciplines related to cosmetics and the personal care industry.
· Mary Kay joined the UN Global Compact Target Gender Equality Accelerator as a follow up to the June 2021 UN Global Compact Gender Equality Strategy Consultation to deepen implementation of the Women’s Empowerment Principles and to strengthen the company’s contribution to SDG 5.5 which calls for women’s full participation and equal opportunities for leadership by 2030.

Gender-Responsive Procurement & Supplier Diversity

· Deborah Gibbins, Chief Operating Officer, signed the forward to UN Women’s Gender-responsive Procurement Advocacy Brief, titled: “Procurement’s Strategic Value. Why gender-responsive procurement makes business sense.”
· Mary Kay was named 2022 Silver Champion for Supplier Diversity & Inclusion for its commitment to global supplier diversity and inclusion regarding growing inclusive spending, policies, and procedures—alongside Bayer, Eaton Corporation, Goldman Sachs, and Marriott International.
· Julia Simon, Chief Legal Officer and Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer spoke at the UN Women Europe and Central Asia (ECA) and KAGIDER event on the findings of a GRP survey conducted by IPSOS in Turkey to better understand the barriers women entrepreneurs face. Simon called on the private and public sectors to adopt gender-sensitive procurement strategies.

Cancer Research

· Mary Kay Ash FoundationSM announced $1 million in grants awarded to ten researchers conducting groundbreaking research in cancers affecting women from the country’s top cancer research institutes and universities.
· Dr. Lucy Gildea, Chief Innovation Officer, Product and Science, accepted the Cancer Support Community North Texas Thrive Award on behalf of the Mary Kay Ash Foundation.
· Mary Kay Ash Foundation, in collaboration with the Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, announced another recipient of the International Postdoctoral Scholars in Cancer Research Fellowship Dr. Maria del Rosario Chica Parrado, a post-doctoral student biologist from Málaga, Spain.

Gender-based Violence (GBV) & Domestic Violence (DV)

· Mary Kay was recognized in the White Paper “Addressing Conflict-Related Sexual Violence: Private Sector Opportunities for Engagement” released during UNGA 77 by the UN Action against Sexual Violence in Conflict Network, a body of 21 UN entities working to prevent and respond to conflict-related sexual violence and the organization Committed to Good.
· At the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW66), the UN Trust Fund to End Violence Against Women’s 2022 Annual Report on its 2021 activities recognized the Mary Kay Ash Foundation and Mary Kay’s efforts to eliminate violence against women and girls—alongside the governments of 15 countries and nine UN Women National Committees.
· Mary Kay and the Mary Kay Ash Foundation supported CARE’s GBV Guidance for Development Programs, a practical tool for implementing high-quality GBV interventions across CARE’s impact areas in developing contexts.
· Instituto Mary Kay was recognized by the Associação Brasileira de Venda Direta (ABEVD) for their 2021 campaign bringing awareness to gender-based violence, “Sinal Vermelho.”

Emergency Response

· In conjunction with a statement of support, Mary Kay announced a donation to the Ukraine Humanitarian Crisis Appeal of the Red Cross.
· Mary Kay received the American Red Cross Corporate Partner Award for its Emergency Response to the conflict in Ukraine.
· Mary Kay Ash Foundation received a Bronze Stevie award for its COVID-19 relief efforts at the 20th Annual American Business Awards.
· Since March 2022, the Mary Kay China Charity Program has allocated 1,049,800 yuan to provide protective materials and living supplies to 73 communities in 15 cities in response to the COVID-19 epidemic.

Global Social Impact & Local Community

· Mary Kay placed #91 on the Purpose Power Index. This is the third iteration of the largest study ever measuring perceptions of brand purpose, based on more than 20,500+ individual ratings amongst more than 5,500 U.S. consumers and employees, encompassing more than 200 different brands.

SUSTAINABILITY & ESG: ENRICHING LIVES TODAY FOR A SUSTAINABLE TOMORROW

Climate Change

· Mary Kay participated in an event organized by the Coral Triangle Initiative on Coral Reefs, Fisheries, and Food Security (CTI-CFF) Regional Secretariat. The discussion titled, “Women Leaders Protecting the Coral Triangle’s Threatened Biodiversity and Endangered Species,” spotlighted innovations and actions undertaken by women leaders across the Coral Triangle in protecting marine biodiversity.
· At the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW66), the Women’s Entrepreneurship Accelerator (WEA) hosted a panel titled “Investing in Women Entrepreneurs to Tackle Climate Change”.
· The documentary Forest of Hope follows Doña Angelica, a 71-year-old ecosystem warrior, and her all-female team, from Mujeres Unidas Para La Conservacion De Laguna Sanchez, one of The Nature Conservancy’s partner organizations in Mexico. The film was officially selected for the North Dakota Environmental Rights Film Festival and the Hot Springs International Women’s Film Festival. The short film, produced by Mary Kay in partnership with The Nature Conservancy and written, directed, and produced by an all-female team, was previously named a semi-finalist in the Films for the Forest festival.

Water Stewardship

· Mary Kay participated in a consultation with the governments of the Netherlands and Tajikistan to help define the role of the private sector in the Water Action Agenda and the 2023 UN Water Conference.
· Mary Kay served on a panel titled, “Making Waves: Women in Water Conservation” in collaboration with The Nature Conservancy. The virtual conversation focused on women leaders from all over the world who are rising to the challenge and leading efforts to restore the health of our oceans.

Transparency & Advocacy (Self-Reporting & Updates)

· Mary Kay completed the Women’s Empowerment Principles’ Gender Gap Analysis Tooland shared findings with BSR, a specialist organization in corporate responsibility, on how experts can take forward the results. Based on an analysis of Mary Kay’s policies and practices across different business functions, Mary Kay’s score was in the “Achiever” category. The next steps are to address the remaining gaps in the implementation of the Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs).
· Mary Kay submitted progress on its commitments to the 5 Generation Equality Action Coalitions. Mary Kay signed up for these Action Coalitions at the Generation Equality Action Forum in July 2021.
· Mary Kay submitted its UN Global Compact Communication on Progress Report which looks at the following sustainability categories: Governance, Human Rights, Labor, Environment, and Anti-Corruption.

About Mary Kay

One of the original glass ceiling breakers, Mary Kay Ash founded her dream beauty company in 1963 with one goal: enriching women’s lives. That dream has blossomed into a multibillion-dollar company with millions of independent sales force members in nearly 40 countries. As an entrepreneurship development company, Mary Kay is committed to empowering women on their journey to economic independence through education, mentorship, advocacy, networking, and innovation. Mary Kay is dedicated to investing in the science behind beauty and manufacturing cutting-edge skincare, color cosmetics, nutritional supplements, and fragrances. Mary Kay believes in enriching lives today for a sustainable tomorrow, partnering with organizations from around the world focusing on promoting business excellence, supporting cancer research, advancing gender equality, protecting survivors from domestic abuse, beautifying our communities, and encouraging children to follow their dreams. Learn more at marykayglobal.com, find us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn, or follow us on Twitter.

View source version on businesswire.com:
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221228005365/en/

Contact

Mary Kay Inc. Corporate Communications
marykay.com/newsroom
972.687.5332 or media@mkcorp.com

Source : Mary Kay

–BERNAMA

Wemade celebrates new year with multiple events

MIR4 holds Yiun’s Incense Burner of Hopes Event! (Graphic: Business Wire)

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 28 (Bernama) — Wemade’s masterpiece mobile massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPG), MIR4, is organising the Yiun’s Incense Burner of Hopes event from Dec 27 to celebrate the New Year.

In a statement, the South Korean online game developer said the event will begin with a check-in event offering a wide range of gifts.

“Players who log in for 14 days over a four-week period will receive great rewards, including Divine Dragon’s Blessing ticket, Legendary and Epic Blue Dragon Statues, and Coffer of Hopes containing Epic Material Treasure Boxes, among others, according to the number of days of attendance,” it said.

In addition, players can obtain Letter of Hopes by hunting monsters on the continent of Mir through Yiun’s Letter of Hopes event which will be held until Jan 9.

“By bringing the letters obtained through hunting to the non-player character (NPC) Yiun, who is located in major cities of each area, players can exchange the letters with a variety of rewards such as Divine Dragon’s Enhancement Stones, Legendary Blue Dragon Statues, and Box of Hopes containing various summon tickets,” Wemade added.

MIR4 is also organising the Silhouette Event through its official community, where players who write the names of MIR4 characters hidden behind silhouettes in comments by Jan 10 will receive rewards according to the number of comments written.

— BERNAMA

INTERNATIONAL SUPERSTAR RAIN CELEBRATES CHRISTMAS IN HONG KONG AS THE CITY REOPENS TO THE WORLD

Rain (Jung ji-hoon) is back in Hong Kong and is joined by Mr Dane Cheng, HKTB Executive Director, in the lighting ceremony of Hong Kong WinterFest to ring in Christmas with the city. (Photo Credit: Hong Kong Tourism Board)

Rain (Jung ji-hoon) is back in Hong Kong and is joined by Mr Dane Cheng, HKTB Executive Director, in the lighting ceremony of Hong Kong WinterFest to ring in Christmas with the city. (Photo Credit: Hong Kong Tourism Board)

HONG KONG, Dec 27 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) — In this festive month of the year, the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) invited Korean superstar Rain (Jung Ji-hoon) to spend the Christmas holiday in Hong Kong and to be the honorary guest for the lighting ceremony at the spectacular Christmas Wonderland of “Hong Kong WinterFest”.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221223005173/en/

Hong Kong is ready to welcome global visitors back to the city and the HKTB is glad to have Rain at this special time of the year. As much as his fans miss him, Rain has missed Hong Kong and its diverse food culture, which never fails to surprise him.

He said, “I’m delighted to be back in Hong Kong, after my last visit in 2019, and to be welcomed by the city. I’m looking forward to trying as many of the local delicacies as I can and enjoying the amazing views, while soaking in the festive spirit and joy of Christmas.”

Rain has experienced Hong Kong’s unique offerings from every angle, from its unforgettable local cuisine to the stunning skyline and breath-taking landscapes.

Unforgettable Local Cuisine

Rain says that Hong Kong is a food paradise and that he knows that no trip to Hong Kong is complete without trying dim sum, so his first stop in Hong Kong was enjoying dim sum at a Michelin Cantonese restaurant. He also walked through the West Kowloon neighbourhood, where he enjoyed “typhoon shelter-style fried crab” at a local authentic eatery.

Taking A Scenic Ride On The New Generation Peak Tram

As Hong Kong debuted the 6th Generation Peak Tram recently, Rain took the opportunity to ride on the new generation tram up to the Peak, where he enjoyed the beautiful views of Victoria Harbour and its surroundings, as well as local street snack egg waffle, both of which he never gets tired of.

Rain Joins The Christmas Town Lighting Ceremony

On 23 December, Rain paid a special visit to the lighting ceremony at Hong Kong WinterFest’s Christmas Wonderland as the honorary guest and rang in Christmas with the people in Hong Kong. As a traveller, Rain expressed his warm feelings about the trip and sent heartfelt blessings to the people of Hong Kong.

For more information about Hong Kong WinterFest, please visit the HKTB website:
https://www.discoverhongkong.com/hk-eng/what-s-new/events/hong-kong-winterfest.html

For the latest travel requirements for inbound travellers, please visit:
https://www.discoverhongkong.com/eng/plan/traveller-info/boarding-and-testing-arrangements-upon-arrival.html

*All photos and videos are for advertising and creative purposes only. Please wear a mask and comply with latest regulations and guidelines issued by the HKSAR Government.

Information about video and images downloads:
Download link: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1DOjLZfZNlid0PfvSRcfcM2FneXu7H-eI?usp=sharing

View source version on businesswire.com: 
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221223005173/en/

Contact

Ms Holly Chan
Email: holly.chan@hktb.com
Ms Natalie Chan
Email: natalie.yt.chan@hktb.com

Source : Hong Kong Tourism Board

BLACK & VEATCH TO DELIVER SEAWATER DESALINATION PLANT IN INDONESIA SAVING PRECIOUS FRESH WATER RESOURCES AT WORLD’S LARGEST DESIGNED SINGLE LINE COPPER SMELTER

The plant will produce over 1,400 cubic meter per hour (m3/hr) of desalinated seawater to support PT Freeport Indonesia’s new copper smelter and refinery

JAKARTA, Indonesia, Dec 22 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) — PT Freeport Indonesia (PTFI) has appointed Black & Veatch to design and manage the delivery of a seawater desalination plant for its Manyar Smelter in East Java, Indonesia, as part of its sustainable development commitments.

The seawater desalination plant will support the processing of mine concentrates from the Grasberg mine in West Papua. The new domestic copper smelter and refinery supports Indonesia’s downstreaming strategy to further refine the processed mine concentrates and brings additional economic value to the local community and Indonesia.

“Reducing water consumption is critical to our sustainable development commitments. Using alternative water supplies is key to resource conservation. Black & Veatch’s extensive experience with alternative water technologies helps position us for continued sustainable business growth,” said Horst-Dieter Garz, Executive Vice President, Corporate Planning and Business Strategy, PTFI.

Black & Veatch, in collaboration with its joint operating agreement (JOA) partner PT Wika, will perform the engineering, procurement, construction and commissioning responsibilities for the seawater desalination plant.

“The mining industry plays a critical role in the global shift to a decarbonized and sustainable future. Accessing water from the ocean saves freshwater resources for the local community and ecosystems and ensures a more sustainable, resilient and reliable water future. It also improves efficiencies and reduces operational risks and downtime that affect business profitability,” said Narsingh Chaudhary, Executive Vice President & Managing Director, Asia Pacific, Black & Veatch.

The seawater desalination plant will be located adjacent to the Manyar Smelter Project. It will produce over 1,400 m3/hr of desalinated seawater to support the copper smelter and precious metals refinery. Designed to process 1.7 million tonnes per year (MTPA) of copper concentrate, the $3 billion Manyar Smelter is anticipated to be the world’s largest designed single line copper processing facility.

Editor’s Notes:

  • BHP hired Black & Veatch to serve as designer and engineer of record on the Escondida Water Supply Expansion (EWSE) project at its Minera Escondida mine in Chile. The project supplies the world’s largest copper mine with 100-percent desalinated water, removing the need for groundwater.
  • Black & Veatch, a global leader in desalination, treats seawater, brackish groundwater and wastewater for municipal and industrial clients on six continents. The company offers a full program of services tailoring its approach to each client’s needs, from traditional engineering and design services to turnkey design-build.
  • Black & Veatch, a market leader in deploying innovative solutions such as low- and zero-emission power generation, advanced renewable energy projects, alternative-fuelled vehicles and energy storage, helps clients identify operational impacts on the global carbon cycle as well as climate risks and opportunities; understand the emerging technology mix; and conceive a strategy and roadmap to remove carbon from operations.

About Black & Veatch
Black & Veatch is a 100-percent employee-owned global engineering, procurement, consulting and construction company with a more than 100-year track record of innovation in sustainable infrastructure. Since 1915, we have helped our clients improve the lives of people around the world by addressing the resilience and reliability of our most important infrastructure assets. Our revenues in 2021 exceeded US$3.3 billion. Follow us on www.bv.com and on social media.

View source version on businesswire.com: 
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221220005804/en/

Contact

Media Contact Information:
EMILY CHIA | +65 6335 6623 P | +65 9875 8907 M | Chialp@bv.com
24-HOUR MEDIA EMAIL | media@bv.com

Source : Black & Veatch

“HEAVENLY WORLD IN ZHEJIANG” THEME PROMOTION AND EXCHANGE EVENT HELD IN KUALA LUMPUR

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 16 (Bernama) —  To maximize the tourism brand of China’s picturesque Zhejiang province,the “Heavenly World in Zhejiang” Culture and Tourism Promotion event, sponsored by Zhejiang Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism and organised by Picturesque  Zhejiang Culture and Tourism Promotion Center in Southeast Asia, was held in Kuala Lumpur today.
 
Zhang Jiexin, Director of China Cultural Centre in Kuala Lumpur, Mr. Paul Paw, National President of Malaysian Chinese Tourism Association, Datuk Keith Li, Chief Representative of Picturesque Zhejiang Culture and Tourism Promotion Centre in Southeast Asia, and other guests were present at the event.
 
Li said in his speech that since its establishment in 2021, the centre has been committed to promoting Zhejiang culture and tourism resources in Southeast Asian countries. The theme of this promotion is ” Beautiful Villages in Zhejiang”. Furthermore  the 19th Asian Games will be held in Hangzhou, Zhejiang from September 23 to October 8, 2023,  and everyone is welcomed watching  this special Asian Games event that was postponed for one year due to Covid-19.
 
Paul Paw said Zhejiang has always been one of the most popular destinations for Malaysian tourists, whether it is the beautiful scenery of the West Lake, or the beautiful countryside. 
 
“ I hope that China will open up as soon as possible, the Hangzhou-Kuala Lumpur direct flight will resume as soon as possible, and Malaysian tourists can return to Zhejiang after a long break to taste delicious food, enjoy the beautiful scenery and watch the Asian Games. ‘ he said.
 
The Malaysian Chinese Tourism Association will organise an industry delegation to go to Zhejiang to inspect new products and new resources, and continue to work hard to promote cooperation and exchanges between Malaysia and Zhejiang cultural tourism.
 
Zhang Jiexin said that as the impact of the epidemic in the world has gradually subsided, Malaysia’s social and economic order has gradually returned to normal this year, and the cultural and tourism industries have continued to pick up amidst uncertainties. The just-concluded general election in Malaysia to form a new unity government has brought new opportunities for a strong recovery in culture and tourism.
 
The holding of the ” Beautiful Villages in Zhejiang” tourism promotion will have very positive significance for two-way tourism between Malaysia and China.
 
Zhejiang is known as “Paradise on Earth” and “Land of Fish and Rice”. The water town of Jiangnan, the poetry and painting of Zhejiang. Zhejiang Province has won the reputation of “heaven” with a corner of the land, which shows that its scenery is amazing, and it has a wonderful workmanship. 

‘I hope that Malaysian friends will go to Zhejiang next year to experience the natural scenery and the beauty of folk customs and culture in Zhejiang.“
 
Considering the post-COVID policy adjustments, the guests at today’s event also discussed the innovative inbound-tourism initiatives for the upcoming 19th Asian Games Hangzhou 2022. “We all hope that a new chapter in culture and tourism cooperation between Zhejiang and Southeast Asia will be written after the pandemic.” Zhang Jiexin added.
 
Photo link : https://postimg.cc/gallery/TYHDc24
 
SOURCE : Picturesque Zhejiang Culture and Tourism Promotion Center in Southeast Asia

http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=45050