Malaysia realigns its tourism programmes to boost the sector

Malaysia revised its expected tourist arrivals for 2022 to 4.5 million visitors with USD2.5 billion in revenue

In an effort to put Malaysia back on the map, Tourism Malaysia is realigning its programmes, as the country had revised its expected tourist arrivals to 4.5 million visitors with MYR11.1 billion (USD2.5 billion) in revenue for this year.

According to the New Straits Times, Syed Yahya Syed Othman, strategic planning senior director of Tourism Malaysia, noted that the organisation’s current focus is on domestic tourism and promoting Malaysia as a leading holiday destination.

He also said that Tourism Malaysia has been doing this through various campaigns and events, such as the “World Top Gourmet Awards 2022,” which is aimed at stimulating the food and beverage sector, as well as promoting cross-learning, economic, and networking opportunities.

“The hospitality, food and beverages industry can contribute to boost Malaysia’s tourism by providing authentic, fusion and fine dining experiences in the region, making Malaysia a top holiday destination domestically and internationally,” he said.

Apart from this, he also brought up how entertainment (concerts, specifically) can help promote tourism in the country, reported the Malay Mail. Therefore, the organisation will be supporting local and foreign concerts being held in Malaysia, starting with four artists: Anirudh, Naan Pradeep Kumar, Yuvanshankar Raja, and Sid Sriram.

More: Malaysia turns to Middle Eastern millennial and Gen Z tourists for tourism revival

Minister Nancy Shukri suggested multiple entry visas be granted to foreign tourists to boost tourism in the country, according to Free Malaysia Today. She hopes that this would be a temporary policy, as visitors need to come and keep coming back to Malaysia. 

“So far, the targeted number of tourist arrivals has exceeded 4.5 million and that figure is expected to increase to over eight million by the end of this year with the reopening of the Brunei-Malaysia border from 1 August,” she said.

“The increase in the number of tourists coming to Malaysia is already visible with most visitors coming from Singapore, followed by Thailand, the Philippines, and India,” she added.

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