PETALING JAYA: The co-hosts of the Global Travel Meet gala dinner have expressed regret over the controversy that alcohol was served at the event.
The Malaysian Indian Travel & Tours Association, the Malaysian Inbound Chinese Association and the Malaysia My 2nd Home Consultants Association said they understood the sensitivities raised and expressed their regrets to Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing and Tourism Malaysia.
“We urge that all irresponsible and misleading statements being disseminated on this matter cease immediately,” they said in a joint statement yesterday.
The associations stressed that the gala dinner, held on Oct 1 at Sunway Resort, was organised and paid for by tourism industry players and not by the Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry.
They noted that the ministry and Tourism Malaysia had used the wider Global Travel Meet to launch the Visit Malaysia 2026 Calendar of Events.
The gathering, they said, was the first of its kind in Malaysia and brought together more than 600 international buyers and over 100 international media representatives.
The event successfully generated more than RM420mil in economic impact, they added.
The statement also highlighted the strong performance of Malaysia’s tourism sector, with more than 38 million tourist arrivals recorded in 2024 and over 20 million arrivals registered in the first half of this year.
“Tourism industry players will continue to work hand in hand with the ministry and Tourism Malaysia to ensure Malaysia remains the preferred tourist destination,” it added.
Earlier, Masjid Tanah MP Datuk Mas Ermieyati Samsudin had questioned the serving of alcohol at the dinner, saying it was inappropriate for an event involving a government agency.
However, Tiong clarified that Tourism Malaysia was not responsible.
He said the private sector had organised the catering, and it was not part of Tourism Malaysia’s official programme.
Tiong said the agency’s role was limited to launching the Visit Malaysia 2026 events calendar at the same venue.
