The Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture Malaysia, YB Dato Sri Tiong King Sing, has successfully concluded a working visit to the United Kingdom, which culminated with a major B2B networking event aimed at strengthening ties with the UK travel industry. The Minister was accompanied by Datuk Manoharan Periasamy, Director General of Tourism Malaysia.
The working visit underscored Malaysia’s commitment to reinforcing its position as a premier destination for UK travellers. Key objectives included deepening relationships with travel industry decision-makers, including tour operators and travel agents, and exploring new opportunities for collaboration to boost tourism.
The highlight of the programme was a prestigious networking session which brought together Malaysian tourism stakeholders and key UK partners, including airlines and travel industry leaders. This event provided a platform to discuss strategic initiatives for Visit Malaysia 2026 (VM2026) and the development of exclusive packages tailored to the diverse preferences of UK travellers. The visit also featured pivotal meetings with prominent leaders in the UK travel trade industry, including top travel agents and key stakeholders.
Tourism Malaysia is eager to build on the momentum of this productive visit by deepening partnerships with the UK travel trade. The success of the programme has spurred plans for more aggressive promotion in the UK market, with a particular focus on collaborating with travel agents and key industry players. Additionally, a mega familiarisation trip (fam) is in the works, providing a unique opportunity for the trade to experience Malaysia firsthand, equipping them with invaluable knowledge to further promote the destination to UK travellers.
The UK remains Malaysia’s largest European market, with 240,815 tourist arrivals between January and August 2024, representing a significant 34.7% growth compared to the same period in 2023.
With VM 2026 on the horizon, Malaysia aims to boost international tourist arrivals, projecting 35.6 million arrivals and RM147.1 billion in tourism receipts. Looking ahead, this visit also underscored Malaysia’s commitment to attracting 27.3 million foreign tourists and generating RM102.7 billion in tourism receipts this year.