Bangalore: Eyeing India in a big way in the tourism sector, Malaysia has set a target of attracting two lakh tourists from India in 2002, up from 1.43 lakh Indian tourists in 2001, senior Malaysian officials said.

Speaking to reporters on July 5, Assistant High Commissioner for Malaysia Raja Ahmad Raja Daud said 60,000 Indian tourists had already visited Malaysia between January to May 2002.

Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board Director Manoharan said in 2001, Malaysia saw an inflow of $ 56 million from Indian travellers, nearly 40 per cent of whom were "leisure tourists."

Noting that Malaysia's strategy of attracting regional tourists had paid dividends, he said during 1999, 46,000 Indian tourists had visited Malaysia, which rose to 1.32 lakh in 2000.

According to Sarjanishan Darus, Area Manager, Malaysian Airlines, the airline had asked the government to negotiate with its Indian counterpart to permit increase in the number of direct flights from Kuala Lumpur to Bangalore and Hyderabad.

PTI