Kuala Lumpur: Tourism Malaysia is set to intensify its tourism promotion efforts in the ASEAN region, focusing primarily on business tourism and border tourism. Tourism Malaysia Deputy Director-General (Promotion II), Lee Thai Hung, emphasized that this step aims to establish Malaysia as a leading tourism destination among the 10 ASEAN countries, aligning with the commitment to bolster the regional tourism industry.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Lee highlighted that the organization will strategically conduct more sales missions in Malaysia’s border areas with neighboring countries such as Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, and Brunei. These initiatives are designed to attract regional tourists through a variety of promotions and competitive tourism packages.
Lee elaborated on the plan, stating, “In each sales mission, we will bring tourism industry players directly to tourists, including representatives from airlines, hotels, theme parks, as well as homestay operators. This will open up more opportunities for collaboration and enhance Malaysia’s attractiveness as a major tourism destination in ASEAN.”
Lee shared these insights with the media during the Chinese New Year Celebration Ceremony at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) Terminals 1 and 2. He expressed confidence that the target could be achieved through numerous promotional activities throughout the year and the arrival of international delegations to Malaysia in line with the ASEAN-Malaysia Chairmanship 2025.
Malaysia is set to host various regional-level meetings and events this year, anticipated to draw more business visitors and tourists from ASEAN countries. Lee noted, “The ASEAN chairmanship will not only open up great opportunities for Malaysia’s tourism sector but also further strengthen the country’s role as a major tourism hub in the region.”
Last Friday, Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing mentioned that his ministry is reviewing the Visit Malaysia Year 2026 (TMM2026) target following the unexpected success of the country’s tourism sector. The original goal of 36 million international tourists may be revised upwards after Malaysia surpassed expectations by attracting 38 million tourists in 2024.
Additionally, Lee shared details of an event celebrating the arrival of domestic and international tourists at four major airports in Malaysia in conjunction with the Chinese New Year celebrations and the Visit Malaysia Year 2026 campaign. Besides KLIA Terminals 1 and 2, festivities were also held at Bayan Lepas International Airport, Penang; Kota Kinabalu International Airport, Sabah; and Kuching International Airport, Sarawak.