Kuala Lumpur (VNA) – Malaysia is moving to strengthen its tourism sector by refocusing on more stable markets, including the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Australia, India, and East Asia, in a bid to sustain visitor arrivals and revenue amid global uncertainties.
The strategy comes as international air travel has been disrupted by the ongoing tensions in the Middle East, affecting several flight routes.
Speaking on television on April 21, Economy Minister Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir said the move had been endorsed by the National Economic Action Council to ensure the tourism sector remains resilient in an increasingly volatile global environment.
He stressed that amid prolonged uncertainty, tourism should not be viewed solely as a driver of visitor numbers but also as a vital source of foreign exchange earnings, helping to cushion external economic pressures.
According to the minister, the benefits of tourism extend well beyond airlines and hotels, generating widespread economic spillover for homestay operators, tour guides, transport providers, restaurants, street vendors, retailers, handicraft producers, and other small businesses.
This multiplier effect is crucial to sustaining small industries, maintaining business activity, and ensuring stable incomes for local communities, he said.
Akmal Nasrullah also underscored the need for Malaysia to further promote its strengths as a stable and accessible destination, backed by well-developed transport infrastructure and sufficient domestic energy supply to support tourism activities.
As part of its long-term strategy, the “Visit Malaysia 2026” campaign has been extended to 2027 to allow more time for the global tourism market to recover, with a target of 47 million international visitors and generate tourism revenue of 329 billion MYR (about 83 billion USD)./.
