VM2026 Promotional Efforts Focus On High-Value Tourists, Says Tiong

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 19 (Bernama) -- Malaysia will continue to focus its advertising and promotional efforts on attracting high-value tourists while maintaining initiatives for volume tourism under the Visit Malaysia Year 2026 (VM2026) campaign, the Dewan Rakyat was told today.

Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing said claims that his ministry was solely focusing on potential tourists from China were inaccurate, stressing that efforts to attract international visitors also involved various other countries.

He added that a comparison of foreign tourist arrivals between January and July 2024 and 2025 for 10 countries showed a significant increase.

“Tourist arrivals from Singapore in 2025 rose by 25.5 per cent to 10,288,256, compared with 8,397,886 in 2024; Indonesia increased by 8.2 per cent to 2,197,288 from 2,031,111; China grew by 35.6 per cent to 2,178,857 from 1,607,413; and India recorded a 26.6 per cent rise to 807,664 from 638,109.

“We are not only focused on promoting the country’s tourism to China; we also aim to attract high-end and high-spending tourists,” he said when winding up the debate on the motion on the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP) for his ministry.

Tiong said all advertising and promotional efforts for VM2026 had been strategically planned and implemented across major markets, despite a lack of allocation.

In this regard, he urged all parties, including Members of Parliament, to support efforts to promote the country’s tourism and refrain from politicising or sensationalising the initiative.

At the same time, he said the Ministry of Arts, Tourism and Culture (MOTAC) continued to focus on all tourism segments, including Muslim-friendly tourism, which offered significant potential.

He said MOTAC, through the Islamic Tourism Centre (ITC), was committed to developing and promoting Muslim-Friendly Tourism and Hospitality (MFTH), highlighting Quran-based tourism with main attractions such as the Nasyrul Quran Complex in Putrajaya and Yayasan Restu in Shah Alam, Selangor.

“ITC has also carried out a tourism promotion mission to four major countries, namely China, Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan and Vietnam, as part of efforts to boost Muslim tourist arrivals, particularly ahead of VM2026,” he said.

Meanwhile, Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri, while winding up the motion for her ministry, said the government encouraged ‘pondok’ institutions catering to the elderly to register as Senior Citizens Activity Centres (PAWE) to enable them to receive appropriate government support and assistance.

She said that although the pondok education system provided lifelong learning opportunities for the elderly, the government could only channel assistance if the institution was officially registered as a PAWE.

“We have advised operators of the pondok schools to establish PAWEs. Once registered, they will be responsible for any activities they undertake and can apply for assistance from the ministry.

“We cannot provide any assistance if they are not registered with us as PAWEs,” she said, addressing an interjection by Datuk Siti Zailah Mohd Yusoff (PN-Rantau Panjang).

Siti Zailah highlighted the need for the pondok education system to be recognised as part of the Action Plan for Senior Citizens 2030, as many elderly individuals choose to stay at these institutions to acquire knowledge.

The Dewan Rakyat sitting continues tomorrow. 

-- BERNAMA