Batik Air-Tourism Malaysia Trade Event In Seoul

 

SEOUL, 26 August 2026 | The Batik Air and Tourism Malaysia Trade Event, held at The Westin Josun Seoul, brought together Tourism Malaysia, Batik Air and key Korean tourism industry stakeholders to strengthen cooperation and create new opportunities to promote Malaysia in the South Korean market.

The event was officiated by YB Dato Sri Tiong King Sing, Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture Malaysia, and attended by YBhg. Datuk Chandran Rama Muthy, Chief Executive Officer of Batik Air, and Mr. Mohd Amirul Rizal Abdul Rahim, Director General of Tourism Malaysia.

Around 60 Korean travel agents, industry partners and media representatives participated in the event, which comprised a tourism seminar followed by the Batik Air Trade Partner Appreciation Night.

The programme provided an important platform for Tourism Malaysia, Batik Air and Korean tourism industry stakeholders to exchange market insights, explore business opportunities and strengthen cooperation in promoting Malaysia. It also showcased Malaysia’s diverse tourism offerings and the Visit Malaysia 2026–2027 campaign, while encouraging the development of more attractive Malaysia travel packages tailored to the Korean market.

The collaboration between Tourism Malaysia and Batik Air extends beyond this event through joint promotional activities, tourism seminars, familiarisation trips and consumer campaigns under the Geran Sepadan Penerbangan Charter (GSPC) Matching Grant, supporting efforts to stimulate travel demand and enhance connectivity to Malaysia.

Highlighting the importance of the Korean market, YB Dato Sri Tiong King Sing said that South Korea remains an important tourism market for Malaysia, and that the partnership with Batik Air plays an important role in strengthening Malaysia’s presence in key source markets, enhancing connectivity and positioning Malaysia as a preferred tourism destination.

Air connectivity remains fundamental to sustaining this growth. As of July 2026, South Korea and Malaysia are connected by approximately 47 weekly direct flights from Incheon and Busan, providing more than 11,000 seats.

Malaysia welcomes greater participation from airlines and charter operators to further expand connectivity from South Korea. Increased air capacity will be instrumental in stimulating travel demand, creating more opportunities for the tourism industry and attracting more Korean visitors to discover Malaysia.

Through stronger cooperation between the public and private sectors, Tourism Malaysia will continue to work closely with airlines and Korean tourism industry partners to turn the momentum of Visit Malaysia 2026–2027 into sustainable tourism growth and further strengthen Malaysia’s position in the South Korean market.

-Tourism Malaysia.

Tourism Malaysia Intensifies VM2026 Promotion In Vietnam As Campaign Extends Into 2027

 

HO CHI MINH CITY — Tourism Malaysia is intensifying its promotional efforts in Vietnam following the extension of the Visit Malaysia 2026 (VM2026) campaign through the end of 2027, providing greater opportunities to sustain travel demand, deepen industry engagement and strengthen Malaysia’s position as a preferred destination among Vietnamese travellers.

Building on this extended campaign momentum, Malaysia will continue to strengthen destination promotion and industry engagement through key tourism and travel trade platforms, including Vietnam Travel Day 2026 in Gia Lai and HORECFEX Vietnam 2026 in Da Nang, both taking place in August.

-Tourism Malaysia.

Holiday Villa to open flagship hotel in KLCC as tourism outlook brightens

KUALA LUMPUR: HOLIDAY Villa Hotels & Resorts is strengthening its presence in Kuala Lumpur with a new city-centre property, positioning the hospitality group to tap into the expected recovery in tourism demand under the extended Visit Malaysia campaign, which runs through 2027. 

The group has taken over Crown Regency Serviced Suites on Jalan P. Ramlee and will rebrand it as Holiday Villa Hotel Suites Kuala Lumpur by early next year, adding a flagship asset in the capital's commercial and tourism district. 

The upgraded property will offer 103 suites, comprising one-, two- and three-bedroom units, catering to business travellers, families and long-stay guests seeking accommodation in the heart of Kuala Lumpur. 

Holiday Villa Hotels & Resorts chief executive officer and managing director Nina Karina Tan Sri Azman Shah said the group is refurbishing and upgrading the property to enhance its positioning and guest experience. 

She said the Kuala Lumpur opening forms part of Holiday Villa's broader expansion strategy, which includes partnerships with international hospitality operators and growth through management and licensing agreements. 

"We currently operate 28 hotels across five countries, and we continue to expand in key cities with high demand rates as we grow our regional hospitality portfolio," she told Business Times.

Nina said the group's expansion strategy is being supported by its strategic partnership with GreenTree Inns (GTI) Hotel Management Group, the parent company of New York Stock Exchange-listed GreenTree Hospitality Group Ltd. 

Under the partnership, the first GreenTree Hotel in Malaysia is scheduled to open in Permas Jaya, Johor, in the fourth quarter of this year. The more than 200-room property is being developed by Malpakat Leisure Group, which also owns the four-star, 345-room Holiday Villa Johor Bahru City Centre. 

The partnership has also gained traction in China, with the opening of the 360-room five-star Holiday Villa Xilin Mountain Hotel in Guizhou and a city-centre hotel in Weihai, Shandong, in 2025. The partners have since expanded their footprint further with the launch of Holiday ViVilla Hotel, Miao Village in Guizhou, and CitiVilla Tianjin Hotel in Beichen, Tianjin. 

"Our strategic partnership with GreenTree Hospitality Group continues to support our expansion strategy, allowing us to strengthen our footprint in key markets while delivering consistent quality and value to our guests," Nina said.

Next year, the partnership will open Holiday Villa Spring Resort & Villas Nanyue, in Hengyang, Hunan, and Holiday ViVilla Hotel Shanghai by Holiday Villa in Shanghai. 

In Malaysia, Holiday Villa Terengganu is slated for a soft opening by the end of 2026. 

The group is understood to be in discussions with several developers and investors to expand the Holiday Villa brand through hotel management and licensing agreements in Malaysia and other Asian cities and resort destinations. 

Established in 1987 with its first resort in Cherating, Pahang, Holiday Villa Hotels & Resorts has expanded into an international hospitality group with properties across Malaysia, Indonesia, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and China. 

The expansion comes as Malaysia prepares for stronger tourism growth under the extended Visit Malaysia campaign, with the government targeting 47 million international tourist arrivals and RM329 billion in tourism receipts. 

Tourism Malaysia chairman Datuk Manoharan Periasamy recently told Business Times that extending the campaign through 2027 could enable Malaysia to surpass its original tourism targets. 

He said Asean remains Malaysia's largest visitor market, contributing about 70 per cent of total arrivals, followed by China and India. 

There are currently more than 700 weekly flights connecting Malaysia and various cities in China, and discussions are underway with airlines to further increase frequencies in response to growing demand, he said. 

While higher airfares and geopolitical tensions had temporarily dampened international travel, Manoharan said booking trends are improving as conditions stabilise. 

He added that domestic tourism continues to provide a strong foundation for the industry, with Malaysians maintaining robust travel activity following the pandemic. 

Official data showed domestic tourism expenditure rose 13.6 per cent to RM121.3 billion in 2025, while total domestic visitor trips increased 11.5 per cent to 290.1 million.

-nst online.

Sunway Hospitality joins Tourism Malaysia push for Visit Malaysia Year

 

Sunway Hospitality Group has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Tourism Malaysia to support the Visit Malaysia Year 2026-27 campaign and promote Malaysia in international tourism markets. 

Signed on June 15, 2026, the agreement will see the two organisations work together on marketing, trade engagement and destination promotion initiatives aimed at increasing visitor arrivals and strengthening Malaysia’s tourism profile globally. 

The partnership will include joint campaigns targeting travel trade partners, media and influencers, alongside support for familiarisation trips and hosted experiences. Sunway Hospitality Group will also participate in overseas sales missions and international trade events with Tourism Malaysia. 

To coincide with the agreement, Sunway Hospitality Group has launched a promotional campaign offering up to 30 per cent off room rates, complimentary room upgrades and double Discovery Dollars for GHA Discovery members. The offer is valid for bookings made until July 31, 2026, for stays through September 30, 2026. 

Castaldi said the partnership would support Visit Malaysia Year 2026-27 while aligning with Sunway’s broader sustainability objectives and long-term commitment to Malaysia’s tourism sector. 

Mohd Amirul Rizal added that the collaboration would combine Tourism Malaysia’s destination expertise with Sunway’s hospitality portfolio to expand the country’s reach among international travellers and support future tourism growth.

-TTG Asia.

Malaysia strikes a chord as regional concert hub with RM1.72 billion boost

 

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia is steadily cementing its position as a regional concert and events hub, with more than 450 events staged nationwide last year. 

These were reported to have generated nearly RM1.72 billion, providing a significant boost to the country's tourism sector. 

The achievement was shared by Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil in a recent Facebook post, highlighting the growing importance of live entertainment in driving economic activity and attracting international attention. 

Fahmi said the milestone reflects the immense potential of the live entertainment industry as a catalyst for economic growth, while also stimulating tourism and related support sectors. 

"Overall, Malaysia's cultural and creative industry contributes around 6.8 per cent to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), equivalent to more than RM130 billion," he said. 

"This year, we are targeting even higher achievements."

He added that initiatives such as the Concert and Event in Malaysia Incentive (CEMI) have been introduced to attract international artistes, draw in tourists and expand the broader industry ecosystem. 

Meanwhile, Fahmi revealed that the ministry will propose additional support for event organisers to the Cabinet, following the extension of the Visit Malaysia 2026 campaign through 2027. 

He stressed that the move is crucial in strengthening Malaysia's standing as a leading destination for large-scale events in the region, particularly as competition intensifies among neighbouring countries. 

At the same time, Fahmi underscored the growing role of the creative economy as a key pillar of the nation's future, driven largely by the younger generation. 

"To Malaysian youths building careers in this field, the government believes in your talent and capabilities," he said. 

"The creative economy is no longer a peripheral sector — it is a vital force shaping the nation's future."

-nst online.