KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia can diversify its tourism markets and enhance its appeal through strategic marketing campaigns by leveraging new airlines and expanding airport capacity.
Tourism Malaysia director-general Manoharan Periasamy said this approach targets emerging markets such as Pakistan and Bangladesh, emphasising Malaysia’s rich cultural diversity, natural wonders and vibrant modern cities.
“Key target markets can also be prioritised into several tiers apart from traditional markets, as strategically planned in gearing up to Visit Malaysia 2026, led by first-level priorities such as China, India, Indonesia, Vietnam and Australia.
“The second-level priorities include South Korea, Gulf Cooperation Council countries and the United Kingdom, followed by third-level priorities comprising Taiwan and Germany,” he told SunBiz.
Manoharan said Tourism Malaysia is working closely with international airlines, hotels, tour operators and travel agencies to offer joint promotions or tourism packages and campaigns highlighting the diverse attractions and experiences across different states in Malaysia.
In addition, Tourism Malaysia is launching a series of dynamic joint promotion initiatives with airlines and travel agencies to capitalise on the immense growth potential of the Chinese market.
Leveraging the Matching Grant for International and Charter Flights, these programmes aim to position Malaysia as a premier tourist destination and drive a significant increase in Chinese tourist arrivals.
Manoharan said the collaboration aims to enhance accessibility, boost flight frequency, and expand seat capacity in Malaysia by supporting chartered flights, scheduled services and the development of new routes.
He added that the matching grant also complements the existing flight network offered by other carriers, further increasing tourist traffic between Malaysia and China.
“Malaysia has received a few charter flights from second-tier cities, such as Nanjing, China, to Tawau, to cater to tourists during the Spring Festivals. Additionally, China Southern Airlines serves daily flights from a new tier-one city in the Xi’an region, Zhengzhou, to Kuala Lumpur.
“The latest new routes available are from Yantai to Kuala Lumpur (China Eastern Airlines), and Ningbo to Kuala Lumpur and Kota Kinabalu (AirAsia) as well as Shanghai to Penang (Shanghai Airlines),” Manoharan said.
With the resumption of existing routes and the introduction of new ones by both Malaysian-based and Chinese-based airlines, including Air China, China Eastern Airlines, China Southern Airlines, Xiamen Air, Loong Air and Spring Airlines, there are now more than 408 weekly flights connecting China and Malaysia.
“To foster more Chinese tourist arrivals, we emphasise promotions through seminars and networking sessions focusing mainly on the leisure market and niche segments such as education tourism, Muslim-friendly tourism and Malaysia My Second Home programmes,” Manoharan said.
He noted that Tourism Malaysia launched the first China Imam Fam Trip: Discover Muslim-Friendly Malaysia initiative in collaboration with the Islamic Tourism Centre and the Malaysian Inbound Chinese Association.
He said this initiative aims to spotlight Malaysia’s diverse tourism offerings, including its array of halal cuisines and its commitment to providing Muslim-friendly hospitality.
“We also focus on smart partnerships with China’s online travel agencies such as Ctrip.com, Wing On Travel, Tuniu and JD.com, while capitalising on digital marketing promotion via social media platforms such as Xiaohongshu and Douyin,” Manoharan said.
