Dato Dr Ammar Abdul Ghapar, director general of Tourism Malaysa, outlines the country’s tourism ambitions and future growth targets as Routes Asia 2024 arrives in Langkawi on Feb. 27.

How has Malaysia’s tourism industry recovered since the pandemic?

Since we reopened our international borders back in April 2022, we have seen a promising recovery for the industry, bringing us closer to the figures before the pandemic. Tourism activities have returned to normalcy, and we have since recorded a significant increase in tourist arrivals and receipts. From January to November 2023, Malaysia successfully recorded 17.8 million tourist arrivals, denoting a whopping 116.5% growth in comparison to 2022, and already surpassing our target of receiving 16.1 million tourists for 2023.

What are your tourism targets this year and beyond?

In 2024, Malaysia has set a target of welcoming 27.3 million international tourist arrivals, with tourism receipts exceeding 102.7 billion Malaysian ringgits ($2.1 billion). In other words, we are hopeful to go beyond our pre-pandemic numbers, which was 26.1 million tourists back in 2019.

Moving forward, we have plenty in line for visitors and industry alike. We are proud to announce that Malaysia will be the host of the ASEAN Tourism Forum 2025 next year. We are also currently amping up our promotional efforts in preparation for the upcoming Visit Malaysia Year, set to take place in 2026.

Are there any international markets that are yet to fully return?

While we have yet to meet the pre-pandemic figures, we have seen a steady surge in arrivals from our top markets, especially in the past year from China after the government there eased its travel restrictions for outbound tourism. In an effort to boost the tourism industry, citizens of China and India now get to enjoy visa-free entry to Malaysia for up to 30 days, effective Dec. 1, 2023, until Dec. 31, 2024.

Tourism Malaysia is also actively collaborating with international airlines such as Emirates and Qatar Airways to increase air connectivity to accommodate our returning medium-haul (Asia and Africa) and long-haul (Americas, Europe and Oceania) markets.

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How important is the Malaysian government’s decision to relax visa-entry requirements to several countries, including China and India?

We believe that this move is vital to meet the benchmark that we have set for this year, which exceeds our pre-pandemic achievements. It also serves as a preparation for our upcoming Visit Malaysia 2026, a very much anticipated year-long campaign that has been postponed since 2020 due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

What activities are you undertaking to further stimulate recovery?

We have several ongoing campaigns such as the Inilah Masanya Cuti-Cuti Malaysia ("Now Is The Time To Cuti-Cuti Malaysia") domestic campaign, inviting Malaysians to explore their homeland; and The Soul of Malaysia, an international campaign where we bring our global audience on an immersive journey through our promotional video.

We are also focusing on highlighting our niche products through five promotional videos, titled Truly Wondrous, Nature & Rainforest (Ecotourism); Dive into the Unimaginable (Diving); Where Eternal Love Is Made (Honeymoon); Truly Irresistible Shopping Experience (Shopping); and Truly Adventurous, Truly Thrilling, Truly Unforgettable Adrenaline (Adventure).

With the shifting travel trends and increased awareness of responsible tourism, we are continuously working hand-in-hand with industry players to meet these new demands by recreating and diversifying cultural and tourism products, adding more value to the tourism products and services provided, and improving destination attractiveness to attract more high-yield tourists.

Which international markets offer the biggest potential for air service growth?

According to OAG Schedules Analyser, several new tentative routes are coming to Malaysia, mostly from the Asian region and more specifically China for the next few months. Of course, these are subject to approval by the Malaysia Airports Holding Berhad. Our unserved routes, on the other hand, are mostly from our long-haul market, more specifically the Americas and European region.

How are you balancing tourism growth with sustainability concerns?

As we can see in today’s travelling behavior, the tourism industry and sustainability now go hand-in-hand. Travelers now prefer a more immersive and meaningful experience in their travel, with nature-based activities and rural tourism emerging as the more popular destinations. Traveling today is no longer simply a holiday, but a journey that positively impacts the local community while preserving the environment and exploring the local cultures.

Thankfully, Malaysia is the very place to be for such experiences. Tourism Malaysia has been focusing on making Malaysia the Top-of-the-Mind Ecotourism Destination of the World, taking the call of our National Tourism Policy 2020-30.

Our promotional efforts revolve around highlighting our diverse ecosystems and our unique blend of culture and heritage. Our homestay programs remain the cornerstone of community-based tourism, where tourists get to live with the locals and experience for themselves the simple life of a Malaysian in the countryside.

Malaysia is also home to one of the oldest tropical rainforests in the world: Our Taman Negara stands tall at 130 million years old. Our flora and fauna are preserved and conserved through national parks, marine parks and wildlife sanctuaries, most of which are open for tourists and researchers to explore responsibly.

What are your ambitions for hosting Routes Asia 2024?

As the host for this year’s Routes Asia, it is our hope that the participants will not only have a seamless experience during the three-day event, but also a memorable trip here in Malaysia.

While it may be a short visit, we aim to introduce as much of Malaysia as we can and hope everyone will leave with a soft spot for our humble country, excited to return again soon. Through this event, we also hope that more carriers will designate Malaysia as their preferred destination.

Routes Asia 2024 will serve as another milestone for our MICE segment—and a benchmark as we prepare to host next year’s ASEAN Tourism Forum 2025 and ultimately, our Visit Malaysia Year in 2026.