PETALING JAYA: Malaysia aims to attract 47 million visitors and generate RM329bil in tourism revenue in conjunction with the Visit Malaysia Year 2026, says Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
The Prime Minister extended his appreciation to the Melaka state government and the Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry for the successful launch of Visit Malaysia Year 2026 in Melaka last month.
Anwar said RM500mil will be allocated to support the Visit Malaysia Year 2026 Campaign, while RM60mil is allocated as promotional, marketing, and event funding for tourism and cultural activities.
Anwar, who is also the Finance Minister, said a total of RM50mil will go to support arts and heritage entrepreneurs in generating income, such as craft, batik, and weaving artisans.
A total of RM50mil in matching grants has been allocated to encourage international flights and charters to Malaysia.
Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad (MAHB), he said, has successfully attracted 10 international airlines to Malaysia, including British Airways, Hong Kong Express, and Jiangxi Air.
A total of RM25mil will be allocated to improve tourism facilities, including preserving Unesco sites recently declared this year.
Anwar said RM20mil will be used to enhance health tourism programs by the Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council.
In conjunction with Visit Malaysia Year 2026, the government also plans to offer tax incentives for the tourism and cultural sectors.
This includes a total of up to RM500,000 for tourism project operators who renovate and upgrade their business premises, and will be granted a tax deduction on qualifying expenses.
Tourism operators will also be granted a 100% income tax exemption on increased revenue from tourism packages to Malaysia.
To encourage Malaysians to travel domestically during Visit Malaysia Year 2026, a special individual income tax relief of up to RM1,000 will be provided for expenses incurred on entrance fees to local tourist attractions and cultural programs.
Anwar added that all taxi drivers will also receive a 100% exemption on excise duty and sales tax will continue for the purchase of new national cars Proton and Perodua, by taxi and private hire car owners.
Meanwhile, to improve operational efficiency and safety, HRD Corp will provide RM10mil to cover course fees and allowances for licensed taxi drivers contributing to training programs for capacity building.
