Tourism Malaysia expects increase in tourist arrivals from Indonesia

PUTRAJAYA: Tourism Malaysia expects an increase in tourist arrivals from Indonesia this year, particularly with the Visit 2024 campaign in Melaka, Kelantan, Perak and Perlis.

Last year, Malaysia welcomed over 3.1 million Indonesian tourists, highlighting the vibrant cultural exchange and friendship shared between the two nations.

"These campaigns set the stage for the forthcoming Visit Malaysia Year 2026, which aims to attract 35.6 million foreign tourists while targeting a revenue of RM147.1bil,” Tourism Malaysia said in a statement on Monday (Feb 26).

The tourism board said Indonesia is still an important market for Malaysia, adding that daily flights from Jakarta by Garuda Indonesia offer hope for recovering from the pandemic and improving the relationship between the two countries, Bernama reported.

In addition, the tourism board recently organised a familiarisation trip for travel trade partners and media from Indonesia to promote Malaysia as the top tourist destination in the region, in partnership with Malaysia Convention and Exhibition Bureau and Garuda Indonesia.

Seven travel agents and a media representative from Jakarta visited Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya from Feb 4 to 7.

The itinerary included visiting prominent Meeting, Incentive, Convention, and Exhibition (MICE) venues like the World Trade Centre and Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre, as well as hotels and a city tour.

In Putrajaya, the participants explored Souq Putrajaya to enjoy a scenic sunset cruise and various engaging activities.

Additionally, they also went on a shopping spree and visited two theme parks.

The trip aims to encourage Indonesian travel agents, particularly those focusing on the MICE segment, to actively promote tour packages to Malaysia.

It highlights Indonesia's importance to Malaysia's tourism industry, noting significant growth in arrivals in 2023 and strong connectivity with 628 direct flights per week.