The Honorable Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor, minister of tourism for Malaysia, led a whirlwind "Sales Mission" tour through the United States and Canada from Sept. 8 - 14.

The tour started in New York, then continued in Canada's Toronto and Vancouver, and finally concluded in Los Angeles.

The Los Angeles event took place at the Crowne Plaza Los Angeles Harbor Hotel in San Pedro and coincided with the grand opening of the hotel. The minister delivered speeches at the ribbon-cutting ceremony and the special press conference prior to the dinner event, as well as at the dinner itself.

During the dinner, the minister announced a new partnership with the First Vietnamese American Bank and honored tour operators and restaurant partners. In addition, the Minister received a mural painting showing the 50 years of Malaysia's progress from the Jane Addams Middle School in the Lawndale District.

Ms. Lourdes Saab, the Deputy Chief of Protocol from the County of Los Angeles Board of Supervisors, was on hand to present a special scroll of appreciation to the Minister. The Honorable Minister, in turn, also presented Ms.Saab and the County of Los Angeles with a gift of his gratitude for their hospitality and support during his visit.

Both the mural and the scroll were a reflection of the friendship and goodwill between Malaysia and the United States.

The dinner festivities featured a sapé (traditional Malaysian guitar) player from Borneo island, a gambus (Malaysian lute) performance by an American artist, dance performances by the Tourism Malaysia Los Angeles Cultural Troupe and a delectable selection of Malaysian cuisine.

To conclude the evening, the minister drew the names of a few lucky guests who won airplane tickets to Malaysia, courtesy of Malaysia Airlines and other partner airlines.

While in Los Angeles, the minister met with media, travel agents, tour operators, community partners and other friends of Malaysia. The central purpose of this visit was to build and strengthen relationships within the travel industry as well as renew the country's support and appreciation toward these partners' efforts in promoting Malaysia as a destination for North American travelers.

The tour comes in the wake of Malaysia's 50th anniversary of independence. The country, which currently is celebrating Visit Malaysia Year, commemorated its half-century of growth and progress - as well as its peaceful mix of diverse ethnicities, cultures and religions - on Aug. 31.