SEPANG: Tourism Malaysia holds welcoming Chinese New Year receptions for tourists at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA), Penang International Airport in Bayan Lepas, Penang, Kota Kinabalu International Airport in Sabah and Kuching International Airport in Sarawak.
Tourism Malaysia deputy director-general Lee Thai Hung said the department has been conducting celebrations to welcome inbound tourists at KLIA on the first day of Chinese New Year for the past two years.
“Previously, Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing has mentioned that Tourism Malaysia must organise a reception for all festivities such as Hari Raya and Deepavali to welcome and show our hospitality to our tourists,” he said in a press conference after handing out Chinese New Year door gifts at the arrivals hall, Terminal 1, KLIA here, on Wednesday (Jan 29).
As part of promoting the Visit Malaysia 2026 (VM2026) campaign, this year’s Chinese New Year celebration also featured yee sang tossing, lion dance and the appearance of VM2026 mascots, Wira and Manja.
On promoting Malaysia during the country’s Asean chairmanship, Lee said Tourism Malaysia would enhance its promotion of the country around the Asia region.
“The department also will organise more exhibition-based events in collaboration with the Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB) to promote the business tourism sector,” he added.
While Malaysia achieved its target of 27 million tourists last year, Lee said the Chinese New Year Global celebration received a great response from China social media users where they witnessed a dragon-shaped light show near the Petronas Twin Towers.
The show reportedly was the largest drone show ever held in Malaysia, featuring over 1,200 drones. The event, which took place on Saturday (Jan 25), was organised to celebrate 50 years of Malaysia-China diplomatic relations.
