Tourism Malaysia and the Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG) have announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) (30.04.24), marking a significant step in a three-year partnership. This MoU signifies the commitment from both parties to reinforce Malaysia as the gateway to Asia and beyond and position Malaysia as a preferred tourist destination in the global economy.

The MoU was signed between Tourism Malaysia's Deputy Director-General (Promotion II), Mr. Lee Tai Hung, and the Chief Commercial Officer of Airlines (MAG), Mr. Dersenish Aresandiran. The ceremony was witnessed by Tourism Malaysia's Director-General, Mr. Manoharan Periasamy, and the Chief Executive Officer of Airlines (MAG), Mr. Ahmad Luqman Bin Mohd Azmi, at the Sheraton Imperial Hotel, Kuala Lumpur.

The outlook for the Malaysian tourism industry in 2024 is promising. To achieve a quick return on investment, the focus will be on the main target markets contributing to the number of foreign tourist arrivals, such as ASEAN countries, West Asia, South Asia, and East Asia. One strategy is enhancing air connectivity to provide tourists with more flight accessibility to Malaysia.

This year, Malaysia aims to attract 27.3 million arrivals with RM102.7 billion in tourism revenue. To achieve these targets, Tourism Malaysia is proactively conducting promotional and marketing activities to empower the ‘Malaysia Truly Asia’ brand.

Mr. Manoharan Periasamy, Director-General of Tourism Malaysia, stated that as Malaysia moves towards Visit Malaysia Year 2026 (VMY2026), the country envisions welcoming 35.6 million tourists, generating target receipts of RM147.1 billion.

“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.”

Chief Executive Officer of Airlines (MAG) Mr. Ahmad Luqman bin Mohd Azmi commented, “We look forward to working with Tourism Malaysia, leveraging our strengths as a national carrier and aviation hub to pursue sustainable traffic growth in an increasingly competitive landscape. With our strong network and track record of working with partners through trade and consumer initiatives, we’re well-placed to support the nation’s tourism ambitions. This partnership reinforces MAG’s commitment to supporting the goals of Visit Malaysia Year 2026 (VMY2026) through positioning Malaysia as the gateway for Asia and beyond.”

The MoU will lead to the development and implementation of a three-year partnership program in key international markets, not just in the leisure passenger segment but also in MICE and transit passengers. The partnership will also anchor on Malaysia Airlines’ Bonus Side Trip (BST) offering, which provides passengers with a complimentary flight to a domestic destination on the Malaysia 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 of Malaysia.

The partnership will see Tourism Malaysia and MAG, through its subsidiaries Malaysia Airlines and Firefly, collaborate on joint marketing and promotional program activities for a three-year duration to mobilise efforts to revive the country's tourism industry, particularly in the international markets.

Source Malaysia Airlines