KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) has called for a more integrated and aggressive push to promote ASEAN as a single, cohesive tourism destination — a concept that highlights the region as a unified travel experience — rather than marketing individual countries separately.
MATTA President Nigel Wong Chun Teim said the 10-member regional bloc should capitalise on this approach to boost intra-ASEAN travel and attract more international tourists to Southeast Asia.
“In some places like Europe, we help promote ASEAN as a single destination while still highlighting each country’s unique attractions. Travellers may enter through Malaysia or another ASEAN country, but Malaysia remains a key stop on their itinerary,” he told Bernama when contacted.
Wong said coordinated efforts by ASEAN nations to present the region as an interconnected travel zone would not only enhance visibility on the global tourism map but also boost tourist arrivals, particularly to Malaysia.
“One of the key growth markets is intra-ASEAN travel. ASEAN should do more to encourage its own citizens to explore the region. Promoting this aggressively will benefit every member state and uplift overall inbound tourism,” he said.
Wong noted that ASEAN continues to appeal to global travellers due to its favourable climate, rich cultural diversity, warm hospitality and affordability.
However, he pointed out that poor regional and international connectivity remains one of the main barriers to tourism growth.
“Take Kuching, for example. It’s geographically close to several ASEAN destinations, yet flight options remain limited. It’s encouraging to see the government working with airline partners to expand connectivity within the region,” he said.
On Malaysia’s ASEAN Chairmanship in 2025, Wong said it presents a strategic opportunity to position the country as a central travel hub in Southeast Asia.
He said the hundreds of high-level meetings and official events planned throughout the year could directly or indirectly boost tourist arrivals and strengthen Malaysia’s international tourism profile.
Wong also pointed to Thailand’s ‘Six Countries, One Destination’ initiative introduced last year, which seeks to make ASEAN more accessible by simplifying travel across six participating countries — Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Vietnam and Thailand — with Singapore expected to join.
The initiative aims to encourage international tourists to visit multiple ASEAN countries in a single trip, reinforcing the bloc’s position as a unified tourism hub.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MOTAC) reported that Malaysia recorded 13.4 million tourist arrivals from January to April 2025, marking a 21 per cent increase compared to the same period last year.
MOTAC has set a target of 45 million international visitors for 2025, with projected tourism receipts totalling RM270 billion.
As the chair and host of ASEAN 2025, Malaysia is currently hosting the 46th ASEAN Summit and Related Meetings.
This is the fifth time Malaysia is chairing ASEAN, after previous terms in 1977, 1997, 2005 and 2015.
