Michelin Green Guide Makes Its Debut In Malaysia

Travelers who find it difficult to choose a reliable, comprehensive and up to date travel guide book can breathe a sigh of relief with the introduction of the world-renowned MICHELIN Green Guide - an entire international travel guide collection.

Distributed in Malaysia and across Asian markets by APA Publications, the 55 titles of the MICHELIN Green Guide collection enables travelers to see in a glance, a destination’s most outstanding attractions with the unique “star” system that helps them to organise their trips according to their intended length of stay and the “must-see” sites that should not be missed.

MICHELIN Malaysia Sdn Bhd Managing Director Yves Pouliquen said the MICHELIN Green Guide was a perfect companion for inquisitive and demanding tourists who yearn to discover the natural and cultural wonders of a city, region or country.

“With so many interesting places to visit these days, travelers are finding it a challenge to decide on their next holiday destination. The MICHELIN Green Guide offers readers a selection of the most outstanding sites, which are awarded one, two or three stars depending on clearly defined criteria that is applied independently by the authors of the Green Guide editorial team.

“The authors of the MICHELIN Green Guide are inveterate travelers who are well versed in the field of tourism and the destinations covered. They spend several weeks visiting the area and all its sites, residing at superior accommodations and eating in the finest restaurants. They also provide readers with helpful insider tips collected during their travels, aimed at making traveling easier and memorable,” said Pouliquen.

“Thanks to these 55 titles of the MICHELIN Green Guide collection, we are pleased to share MICHELIN’s passion for the finer things in life with readers through the introduction of the regularly updated travel guide collection and we hope it will help their travel experience become a stress free, pleasant and enjoyable one,” Pouliquen added.

In line with the true spirit of the MICHELIN Green Guide collection, readers can look forward to a very contemporary and structured page layout. The collection is filled with beautifully illustrated full-colour photographs and detailed maps and town plans, leveraging MICHELIN’s cartography expertise which provide readers with an overall view of things to see and do. The many country and regional maps and plans of neighbourhoods and cities enable tourists to get their bearings and move about effortlessly without lost time or energy.

The “star” ratings correspond to a site’s interest for tourists and are defined as: three stars – Highly recommended; two stars – Recommended; and one star – Interesting. The “starred” attractions can be seen in a glance on a general map of the destination inside the front cover of each Green Guide.

The nine criteria for awarding the “stars” are the visitor’s first impression; renown or popularity, number of monuments and/or museums to visit (for a cultural destination) or number of activities (for leisure destinations); awards and other official forms of recognition; intrinsic artistic value or historic significance of a site or work of art; beauty and esthetic qualities; authenticity, charm and unity; convenience and visitor-friendliness; and quality of reception and visit.

In 2008, the MICHELIN Green Guide collection comprises 307 titles in nine languages that are sold in nearly 100 countries. Last year alone, more than 1.5 million MICHELIN Green Guides were sold worldwide. The collection is available at major bookstores nationwide at RM69.90 each.