Johor To Roll Out Over 100 Tourism Programmes For VJY2026, VM2026

KULAI, Jan 1 (Bernama) -- The Johor state government will intensify the organisation of more than 100 tourism programmes and events throughout Visit Johor Year 2026 (VJY2026) and Visit Malaysia 2026 (VM2026) as a key strategy to drive the growth of the tourism sector and generate broad-based, sustainable economic spillover for the state.

State Housing and Local Government Committee chairman Datuk Mohd Jafni Md Shukor said the programmes will include festivals, sports events, cultural activities and ecotourism initiatives, with their scale expected to be two to three times larger than in previous years across Johor.

He said among the major events scheduled throughout 2026 are the Kite Festival, Majestic Johor Festival, Ledang Climbathon, as well as various existing and new programmes that will be rolled out in phases over the year.

“New attractions for 2026 that are being and will be launched in the first and second quarters include the Tokoh Museum, Sungai Lebam Recreation Centre in Kota Tinggi, Kampung Sungai Melayu Paya Bakau Ecotourism, the Sungai Johor River Cruise and the Danga Bay Recreation Centre,” he said.

He was speaking at a press conference at the tourists' welcoming ceremony held in conjunction with VJY2026 at Senai International Airport here today.

Mohd Jafni said the efforts are supported by the readiness of the state’s tourism industry, with about 500 registered hotels offering two to five-star accommodation and more than 8,000 rooms, excluding homestay facilities throughout the state.

He said the target of attracting 12 million tourists with an estimated revenue of RM42 billion during VJY2026 is expected to generate economic spillover, including job creation and direct benefits to the hospitality, food and beverage, transportation and creative industries across the state.

On today’s programme, Mohd Jafni said the event was held via three main modes of entry — air, sea and land — reflecting Johor’s commitment to offering an inclusive and visitor-friendly tourism experience.

He said welcoming activities for sea arrivals were held at key ferry terminals, including Puteri Harbour, Berjaya Waterfront, Pasir Gudang, Desaru Coast and Kukup International ferry terminals.

For land arrivals, the welcoming activities took place at JB Sentral for train passengers arriving from Singapore, the Sultan Abu Bakar Complex at the Second Link, as well as the southbound Pagoh Rest and Service Area (R&R).

-- BERNAMA