Kuala lumpur: The conflict between the United States and Iran could potentially disrupt the global tourism industry, which is highly sensitive to international tensions, particularly when key aviation networks that support tourist mobility are affected. Although Malaysia is far from the conflict zone, it is still feeling the impact due to a global mobility shock that has disrupted airspace in major aviation hubs such as Dubai, Doha, and Abu Dhabi.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, the situation has led to longer flight routes and higher ticket prices, which in turn affect Southeast Asian markets, including Malaysia, that rely heavily on Gulf transit hubs for travel to Europe and Africa. Professor of Tourism Economics at the Faculty of Hotel and Tourism Management, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Dr. Mohd Hafiz Hanafiah, highlighted that this scenario could potentially affect the movement of tourists into and out of Malaysia, thus testing the momentum of the Visit Malaysia 2026 (VM2026) campaign, which targets 47 million international tourist arrivals and revenue of RM329 billion.
'When tourist confidence falls, long-haul travel is usually the first to be affected. If the conflict continues, a sharp rise in global oil prices would also push up aviation costs, adding further pressure on tourist arrivals to Malaysia,' Dr. Mohd Hafiz told BERNAMA. He noted that the impact could be minimized if Malaysia capitalizes on the strength of the regional market supported by Singapore, Indonesia, China, and Thailand, while further strengthening the country's image as a stable and safe destination.
Dr. Mohd Hafiz believes the challenge ranges from moderate to high but remains manageable. He emphasized the critical importance of air connectivity, as disruptions at Gulf hubs could affect the momentum of tourist arrivals. He suggested that Malaysia's tourism strategy should be adjusted to focus on building traveler confidence, emphasizing safety, booking flexibility, and ease of travel access.
Further measures include strengthening cooperation with airlines to increase seat capacity and expanding code-share collaborations through alternative transit hubs in Asia. Mohd Hafiz also encouraged industry players such as hotels and travel agencies to offer more flexible booking policies to boost travelers' confidence in planning trips to Malaysia.
Meanwhile, Dean of the Faculty of Forestry and Environment (FHAS) at Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), Prof Dr. Azlizam Aziz, stated that the conflict could still influence international tourists' perception of global travel stability, even if its impact may not be directly felt by destinations in Southeast Asia, including Malaysia. He explained that international visitors typically make travel decisions based on their overall perception of global stability rather than the actual geographical location of a destination.
Prof Dr. Azlizam noted that foreign tourists who are less familiar with the geography of a region may be more influenced by perceptions of safety than the actual reality. However, he pointed out that the current situation might differ from the first and second Gulf wars, as information now flows very quickly, allowing tourists to obtain real-time information.
Despite the challenges facing the tourism industry, Prof Dr. Azlizam suggested that the situation could also present opportunities, as Malaysia remains a peaceful, modern, and visitor-friendly destination, supported by well-developed tourism facilities and a society welcoming to international travelers. He mentioned that the issue of flight access from certain markets, such as Europe, may be affected if travel requires transit at aviation hubs impacted by the conflict. However, if it does not involve transit through hubs such as Doha, then the impact may not be significant.
He concluded by stating that airlines are now taking a more flexible and creative approach to flight planning, steering clear of conflict zones to keep international travel on track.