PETALING JAYA: Tourism stakeholders are urging Malaysia to refocus its tourism strategy on short-haul Asian markets, saying the ongoing turmoil in the Middle East has begun to deter Muslim and European visitors.
Malaysian Inbound Tourism Association president Mint Leong said the situation had reduced transit passengers through hubs such as Qatar and Dubai, but arrivals from China remained strong.
She noted that Shanghai Airlines, part of China Eastern, now operates flights from Shanghai, Beijing, Wuhan, Hangzhou, Nanjing, Xi’an and Kunming to Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Kota Kinabalu.
“Most of these routes operate daily, with additional flights during peak periods. There are now 424 weekly flights between Malaysia and China,” she said.
Leong urged the Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry to step up promotions in China and through transit points in Thailand and Singapore. She added that Russia also remains a potential market via Chinese transit, especially with visa-free access and direct flights from China to Malaysia.
In 2025, Malaysia secured 59 new scheduled routes and 30 charter services, linking 23 countries and regions to 11 airports nationwide.
China accounted for 18 scheduled and 20 charter routes from 23 cities. Indonesia added 10 new scheduled routes, while Singapore contributed five scheduled and two charter services.
Malaysia Inbound Chinese Association president Datuk Dr Angie Ng said the Middle East conflict had led to the cancellation of many Chinese corporate incentive trips to Europe, with more enquiries now coming in for Malaysia instead.
“Malaysia should seize this opportunity to attract these corporate groups and assure them that the country is a safe destination,” she said, adding that the government cannot afford to wait for the conflict to end as Visit Malaysia 2026 is already under way.
She said Malaysia should target South-East Asia, China and India.
Ng said China remains Malaysia’s strongest growth market, with arrivals reaching 4,661,878 in 2025 – up 25.1% from 2024 and 40% higher than in 2019. For the first time, China has overtaken Indonesia as Malaysia’s second-largest international source market.
“Crises can create opportunities, so the ministry should promote Malaysia more aggressively to these short-haul markets. Neighbouring countries are competitors, but their digital marketing reach is limited, so we should focus on high-value segments,” she said.
She suggested that Malaysia tap into China’s “silver hair plan”, which targets affluent retirees aged 55 to 75. These travellers, she said, have both the time and means to travel.
Malaysian Tourism Federation president Dr Sri Ganesh Michiel also called for a recalibration of Malaysia’s tourism strategy in light of the Middle East conflict.
He urged a stronger emphasis on the domestic market, noting that overseas travel has become more expensive due to higher airfares, making Malaysians less inclined to holiday abroad.
“Encouraging locals to explore Malaysia, coupled with incentives such as the RM1,000 tax relief for stays in licensed accommodation, could help fill the gap left by fewer international visitors,” he said, adding that increasing the relief to RM1,500 or RM2,000 could further boost domestic travel.
Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents president Nigel Wong said the industry remains fully committed to the Visit Malaysia 2026 campaign despite global uncertainties.
“Regardless of what conflicts or issues may arise, I think the strategy should move forward,” he added.
