PUTRAJAYA: The Visit Malaysia 2026 (VM2026) campaign will be extended until the end of 2027 to allow the country to further tap into tourism potentials, says Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi (pic).
The Deputy Prime Minister said this was decided by the VM2026 national committee at its meeting and will be brought to the Cabinet for consideration and approval.
“This decision is made to enable Malaysia to adopt a proactive approach in strengthening promotional strategies, showcasing the country as a safe, stable and competitive destination, and to seize opportunities from changing tourist travel patterns.
“This measure also takes into account current developments, including the Middle East conflict, which has had a significant impact on regional stability and affected the global tourism sector,” he said in a statement after chairing the meeting.
Ahmad Zahid, who is also the VM2026 national committee chairman, said projection showed that tourist arrivals from the Middle East could decline by 11% to 27%.
“The conflict has affected tourism hotspots in Asia and Asean. It has also disrupted international flight routes and increased travel and transportation costs due to rising fuel prices.
“This situation has also reduced tourist confidence, which is expected to have implications on global tourism flow in the near future,” Ahmad Zahid said, Bernama reported.
As one of the national agendas, he said the campaign aims to increase tourism revenue, strengthen Malaysia’s competitiveness in the tourism industry and position the sector as one of the main contributors to the country’s Gross Domestic Product.
