R ARIVANANTHAM
CHENNAI, AUG 13
Malaysia is no longer content to be just a Kuala Lumpur-and-Genting getaway for Indian travellers—it is opening the door wider to islands, rainforests, heritage, gastronomy, adventure and luxury experiences as Tourism Malaysia turns its spotlight firmly on India under the ‘Visit Malaysia 2026’ campaign.
The campaign gathered fresh momentum in Chennai on Thursday as Mohd Amirul Rizal Abdul Rahim, Director General of Tourism Malaysia, inaugurated the ‘Visit Malaysia 2026’ campaign in the presence of Consul General of Malaysia in Chennai Mr Saravana Kumar, Mr. Chua Yong Wei, Minister’s Senior Private Secretary, Mr. Hishamuddin Mustafa, Director, Tourism Malaysia – Chennai and in association with Batik Air, signalling an aggressive new push to deepen Malaysia’s engagement with one of its most important international tourism markets.
- Tourism Malaysia mounts a high-voltage India campaign with 47 Malaysian tourism players
- Director General Mohd Amirul Rizal Abdul Rahim leads Chennai, Mumbai and Delhi sales mission
- More than 190 direct flights a week offer 37,000-plus seats from India to Malaysia
- India crossed 1.5 million Malaysian visitor arrivals in 2025, entering the top-five source markets
- Campaign extended through 2027 to drive deeper trade ties, longer stays and wider destination discovery
Tourism Malaysia is conducting its Sales Mission Series 2 across Chennai, Mumbai and New Delhi from August 12 to 20, bringing together 47 Malaysian tourism stakeholders, including tour operators, hoteliers and airline partners. The initiative is designed to forge stronger trade partnerships, unlock new business opportunities and position Malaysia even more prominently among Indian travellers.
The mission, led by Mohd Amirul Rizal Abdul Rahim and organised in collaboration with Batik Air, underlines the importance of public-private cooperation in expanding Malaysia’s tourism footprint in India.
‘India remains one of our most important markets’
“India remains one of Tourism Malaysia’s most important and fastest-growing source markets,” said Mohd Amirul Rizal Abdul Rahim.
“While the current geopolitical developments and evolving international travel landscape may influence travel sentiment in certain regions, Tourism Malaysia remains committed to maintaining a strong presence in the market and ensuring Malaysia remains top of mind among Indian travellers. This calls for sustained, targeted and market-driven promotional efforts, supported by close collaboration with our airline partners and the travel trade,” he said.
The sales mission is aimed not merely at promoting Malaysia but at creating stronger commercial bridges between Indian and Malaysian tourism stakeholders through business-to-business engagements, networking and new travel-product development.
Beyond Kuala Lumpur and Genting
Mohd Amirul Rizal said Tourism Malaysia wants Indian travellers to venture beyond the conventional Kuala Lumpur and Genting Highlands circuits.
“Through this sales mission, we aim to strengthen business partnerships, generate new commercial opportunities and encourage our industry partners to develop more attractive and competitive travel packages tailored to the Indian market,” he said.
“At the same time, we want to inspire travellers to explore destinations beyond the traditional Kuala Lumpur and Genting Highlands itineraries.”
He identified Sarawak, Langkawi, Penang, Johor and Sabah as destinations with immense potential in the Indian market.
“Destinations such as Sarawak, Langkawi, Penang, Johor and Sabah offer tremendous potential for the Indian market, featuring diverse experiences ranging from nature, adventure and island holidays to cultural heritage, gastronomy, shopping, family attractions, MICE and destination weddings,” he said.
According to him, wider promotion of these destinations could encourage longer stays, higher visitor spending and repeat visitation, giving Malaysia’s India strategy a sharper commercial edge.
37,000-plus seats a week power Malaysia connectivity
Air connectivity remains one of Malaysia’s strongest advantages in the Indian market. More than 190 direct flights operate weekly, providing over 37,000 seats a week and making Malaysia readily accessible to Indian travellers.
The market has also gained considerable momentum since Malaysia introduced visa-free travel for Indian nationals in December 2023.
Malaysia welcomed more than 1.5 million visitor arrivals from India in 2025, placing India among its top five international source markets, alongside Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia and China.
Tourism Malaysia expects the positive momentum to continue through 2026 and beyond.
‘Visit Malaysia’ gets a longer runway
The extension of the Visit Malaysia campaign through 2027 gives Tourism Malaysia an additional window to consolidate the gains made under Visit Malaysia 2026 and build a stronger pipeline of Indian visitors.
The extended campaign is expected to intensify promotional activities, deepen collaboration with the Indian travel trade, sustain destination visibility and reinforce traveller confidence even as the global tourism landscape continues to evolve.
For Indian holidaymakers, the message from Malaysia is unmistakable: the next Malaysian getaway need not end at Kuala Lumpur or Genting—it can begin there and go much further.
