KUALA LUMPUR: Tourism Malaysia and Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG) today signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU), marking a three-year partnership on joint marketing and promotional activities to mobilise efforts to revive the country’s tourism industry, particularly in the international markets.
The MoU was signed by Tourism Malaysia Deputy Director-General (Promotion II) Lee Tai Hung and MAG Chief Commercial Officer of Airlines Dersenish Aresandiran.
The signing was witnessed by Tourism Malaysia Director-General Manoharan Periasamy and MAG Chief Executive Officer of Airlines Ahmad Luqman Mohd Azmi.
Dersenish said the MoU signifies the commitment of both parties to reinforce Malaysia as the gateway to Asia and beyond as well as position Malaysia as a preferred tourist destination in the global economy.
“The partnership will also anchor on MAG’s Bonus Side Trip (BST) offering which provides passengers with a complimentary flight to a domestic destination on the Malaysian Airlines network, essentially providing passengers the opportunity to experience what Malaysia has to offer.
“BST will be expanded to include more exclusive deals curated to allow visitors to experience more of the country’s attractions, points of interest and cultural wonders,“ he told a press conference after the signing ceremony here today.
Meanwhile, Lee said around 35.6 million tourists are envisioned to visit the country, potentially generating target receipts of RM147.1 billion, as Malaysia moves towards Visit Malaysia Year 2026 (VMY2026).
He said the outlook for the tourism industry this year is promising, as such the focus will be on the main target markets contributing to the number of tourist arrivals from ASEAN countries, western, southern and eastern Asia.
“Tourism Malaysia and MAG will collaborate to leverage each other’s strengths, providing more unrivalled services and seamless connections.
“More joint activities are planned, including familiarisation trips to Malaysia, marketing promotional activities and advertising campaigns to feature Malaysia as a preferred holiday destination on the global stage,“ he said.
