Last week, the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture of Malaysia together with the Malaysian Tourism Board (Tourism Malaysia) visited Moscow as part of the 29th International Tourism and Hospitality Exhibition. At the Tourism Malaysia stand, 7 tourism organizations were represented, and the Delegation of Malaysia was headed by Mr. Jeffrey bin Munir, Director of the Moscow Office for Malaysian Tourism. He said 33,000 Russian tourists visited Malaysia in 2022, up from 79,984 in 2019. With the expansion of flights and promotion work in 2023, Tourism Malaysia is optimistic about the growth in demand and plans to host more than 16 million tourists from all over the world.
Launching a new advertising campaign
At MITT 2023, the Malaysian Tourism Board will launch a new video ad from Tourism Malaysia's latest Soul of Malaysia campaign. The project consists of many videos showing scenic spots, events and unusual activities that everyone who finds themselves in Malaysia will enjoy. The heart of the campaign is a 5-minute film that demonstrates the idea that as we grow older we are no longer the same, many things change, but not the soul.
COVID-19 Security Relaxation
Not only can fully vaccinated travelers travel to Malaysia without quarantine, they are no longer required to be tested for COVID-19 before departure and upon arrival. Travel insurance is also no longer a requirement for foreigners entering the country. The latest indulgence for international travelers is an exemption from filling out a traveler's card, announced last August.
Tourism Sustainability
Malaysia has many hidden natural wonders, including the natural attractions of Kampung Batu Puteha and the Kubang Badak Wildlife Sanctuary, where tourists can just go on a trip through the countryside, which includes a number of services such as: recreation, accommodation, organization of excursion services, and as well as a number of active types of tourism. We currently have 223 clusters of 372 villages registered with the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture as of February this year that are ready to accept individual tourists for the kampung experience – visiting relatively unaffected natural areas. These homestay packages can also be found on our online platform called jomhomestay.my.
New Hotel Openings
Park Royal Langkawi, Mercure Langkawi Pantai Cenang and One & Only Desaru Coast in Johor.
Gastronomy News
Lonely Planet named Kuala Lumpur one of the most unusual gastronomic discoveries of 2023, and The Michelin guide also plans to test restaurants in Kuala Lumpur and Penang in its next Asian edition. Gastronomy is one of our most important tourism aspects. Travelers are always impressed by our varied and delicious cuisine, influenced by many different cultures. We are honored that Kuala Lumpur/Malaysia was included in this year's Lonely Planet rankings and that Michelin also took note of our excellent local cuisine. Therefore, we will continue to focus on this niche in the future and expand our culinary offerings.
