Devotees and tourists thronging the Batu Caves temple in Selangor during a recent Thaipusam celebration. - ART CHEN/ The Star.
PETALING JAYA: Come celebrate with us - that is Malaysia’s call to tourists ahead of efforts to promote the country's many festivals as one of the main attractions for Visit Malaysia 2026 (VM2026).
Tourism Malaysia is boosting our country’s diverse celebrations like Hari Raya, Chinese New Year, Deepavali, Pesta Kaamatan and Hari Gawai to attract both domestic and international visitors.
“By elevating these celebrations, Tourism Malaysia is creating year-round tourism touchpoints that showcase the nation’s cultural richness and diversity,” the agency told The Star.
Examples of how celebrations will be elevated are by providing grants and support to improve the scale and quality of such events.
“These grants empower cultural organisations, artists, and local communities to improve performances, heritage programmes and cultural showcases.
“Support may include venue upgrades, improved staging and logistics, strengthened event branding, engagement of professional performers and broader promotional activities,” said the agency.
Such efforts will enrich visitor experience, boost public participation and increase tourist arrivals.
“These initiatives will also reinforce Malaysia’s position as a culturally rich and sustainable destination,” said Tourism Malaysia, the marketing arm of the Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry.
Here’s a list of several major celebrations in Malaysia next year:
Tourism Malaysia also promotes these festivals through strategic international marketing efforts, including participation in major travel fairs such as ITB Berlin (Internationale Tourismus-Börse Berlin) and World Travel Market (WTM) London.
It is also collaborating with global television networks, conducting marketing campaigns on social media, influencer partnerships and extensive promotion across travel and tourism websites.
On tapping into new markets, Tourism Malaysia is returning its focus on high-potential regions including Vietnam and South Korea.
“Meanwhile, Central Asia, particularly Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan is emerging as a promising market driven by improved direct air connectivity,” the agency added.
For now, Singaporeans top the list of foreign visitors to Malaysia, as seen in the chart below:
With only about two more weeks to the new year, Tourism Malaysia said it is planning to organise several events to kick off VM2026, starting with the VM2026 Eve Celebration event on Dec 31.
“This event will mark the culmination of VM2026, coinciding with New Year’s celebrations.
“On Jan 1, simultaneous celebration events will be held at all major entry points into the country like airports, ports and land entry points to welcome the arrival of international visitors for the official opening of VM2026,” it said.
So far, the agency said the outlook for 2026 is promising, and Malaysia is on the right track to achieve the targeted 47 million international visitors for VM2026.
“In 2025, Malaysia recorded 28.2 million international visitors from January to August, a 14.5% increase compared to 24.7 million logged in the same period in 2024,” it added.
Data from Tourism Malaysia showed that July recorded the highest number of tourist arrivals so far this year, with 3.93 million visitors.
Below is a closer look at the numbers from January to August this year:
To offer a memorable experience for visitors, Tourism Malaysia also released a collection of niche travel packages, known as the 2026 Surreal Malaysia Tourism Experience.
It features a carefully selected range of tourism products that showcase the nation’s nature, culture, heritage, adventure, community, and sustainability initiatives.
This collection features both prominent and lesser-known experiences across the country, including durian farm tours, coral reef diving sites, wellness retreats, stargazing activities, as well as various eco-cultural, agro-adventure and community-based programmes.
