THE Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MOTAC), with its agency Tourism Malaysia, recently held an engagement session. This ties into the recently launched Visit Malaysia 2026 (VM2026) campaign, a national effort to position the country as a premier travel destination by 2026.
Officiated by the Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Dato’ Sri Tiong King Sing, the session was attended by leading industry stakeholders, associations, airlines, hotel operators, travel agencies and product owners. Senior officials such as MOTAC Secretary-General Datuk Wira Roslan Tan Sri Abdul Rahman and Tourism Malaysia Director General Datuk Manoharan Periasamy were also present.
The session provided a comprehensive overview of the VM2026 roadmap, focusing on its core strategies of creating demand, increasing traffic, and targeting priority markets.
Details of government funding programmes, including matching grants like Galakan Melancong (GAMELAN), Geran Sokongan Sektor Pelancongan (GSSP), and Geran Sektor Penerbangan dan Carter (GSPC), were also unveiled to boost private-sector involvement in the tourism sector.
The session is followed by a business-matching session and the exchange of the Certificate of VM2026 Collaboration between Tourism Malaysia and 39 strategic partners.
“The collaboration between MOTAC with 39 strategic partners from tourism associations, transportation services, and domestic media is a testament to the valuable synergy between the public and private sectors.
“By working together on joint initiatives and activities, we aim to promote Malaysia’s diverse tourism offerings further and position the country as a top travel destination,” said Sing.
Malaysia has experienced significant growth in Muslim tourism, with 4.82 million Muslim tourists contributing over RM15 billion in expenditures last year. This surge was driven by key markets such as Indonesia, Brunei, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Kazakhstan.
Furthermore, the upcoming launch of IslamiCruise Malaysia-Saudia in January 2026, targeting 70 per cent of passengers from international markets, is expected to boost the economic impact of this sector. This innovative offering aligns with VM2026’s vision of leveraging Malaysia’s strengths in Islamic tourism to capture a larger share of the global market.
